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Botswana is a land of deserts, diamonds and swamps.
The extraordinary Okavango delta forms a vast, wild wetland where the river spreads out and then simply disappears under the sand. Chobe is in the north, the river forming part of the Zambezi basin system and a place where the elephants still roam free in their hundreds. Landscapes teeming with wildlife await your arrival in this beautiful land.
The four day itinerary includes two of Botswana’s must-see destinations:
The Okavango River Delta and the Chobe National Park
Botswana in Brief:
Landlocked like Zimbabwe, Botswana enjoys its neighbourhood between South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia.
Size: 581 000 sq. kilometres and estimated to be the size of Texas in USA. Half of the country is desert.
Capital: Gaborone.
Currency: Pula = 100 cents.
Size:
Population: 1.7 million.
Language: Setswana and English widely spoken in Botswana.
Tribal groups: Batswana and other tribes, Bayei, Rozvi, San/bushmen.
Economy: Very stable, based on diamonds and beef, strongest in africa.
Outstanding features:
950 metres above sea level.
The tropic of Capricorn bisects the country.
Botswana is a flat and semi-arid land with rainfalls in summer.
Most of the land is arid, and the rest is swamp!
History:
Obtained its independence from Britain in September 1966 and in 1967 huge diamond mines were discovered making Botswana one of the richest diamond producers in the world. Before that, Botswana was a very poor country with no-one travelling there in those days.
Okavango river and delta:
Known as the pan handle due to its shape.
Flows inland to form a 17000 sq. kilometre delta in the desert, about half the size of Switzerland.
Swamps, dams and wetlands teem with an abundance of wildlife from smallest bird to the Big Five game animals.
Tourism is a major source of income in the country and employs 40% of local people within their communities.
To learn more about Botswana, visit the official tourism website:
www.botswana-tourism.gov.bw
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