Botswana

With an area of 582,000sq km, landlocked Botswana extends over 1100km from the North to South and 960km from East to West. It is about the same as Kenya. It's bounded on the South and South East by South Africa, across the Limpopo and Molopo Rivers. In the North-East is Zimbabwe while Namibia wraps around the Western and Northern frontiers. At Kazungula, four countries; Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia meet at a single point at mid-stream in the Zambezi River. There are the great salty clay deserts of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Covering nearly 85% of Botswana, including the entire central and southwestern regions, is the Kalahari (Kgalagadi), a semi arid expanse of wind blown sand deposits and long sandy valleys. Central Kalahari is home to the remaining San and Bakgalakgadi perhaps 800 people. These people choose to pursue a traditional Hunting and gathering lifestyle. The game rich Okovango Delta world is a papyrus swamp dotted with palm islands interspersed with deep fast flowing river channels. The neighbouring Chobe National Park takes in a range of habitats, stretching from the lush elephant rich Chobe riverfront to the Mopane forests of Ngwezumba and wildlife packed savannas around the ephemeral Savuti Marshes.