Everything about Kalahari Desert totally explained
The
Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern
Kgalagadi Africa extending 900,000
km² (362,500 sq. mi.), covering much of
Botswana and parts of
Namibia and
South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it isn't true desert. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high. It usually receives 3-7 1/2 inches of rain per year. The surrounding
Kalahari Basin covers over 2.5 million km² extending further into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of
Angola,
Zambia and
Zimbabwe. The only permanent river, the
Okavango, flows into a
delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Ancient dry riverbeds—called
omuramba—traverse the Central Northern reaches of the Kalahari and provide standing pools of water during the rainy season. Previously havens for wild animals from elephant to giraffe, and for predators such as lion and cheetah, the riverbeds are now mostly grazing spots, though leopard or cheetah can still be found.
Climate
Derived from the
Tswana word
Keir, meaning the
great thirst, or the tribal word
Khalagari,
Kgalagadi or
Kalagare (meaning "a waterless place"), the Kalahari has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent surface water. Drainage is by dry valleys, seasonally inundated pans, and the large
salt pans of the
Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana and
Etosha Pan in Namibia. However, the Kalahari isn't a true desert. Parts of the Kalahari receive over 250 mm of erratic rainfall annually and are quite well vegetated; it's only truly arid in the southwest (under 175 mm of rain annually) making the Kalahari a
fossil desert. Summer temperatures in the Kalahari range from 20 to 45 °C. (68 to 113°F.)
Game reserves
The Kalahari has a number of game reserves—the
Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR, the world's second largest protected area),
Khutse Game Reserve and the
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Animals that live in the region include brown
hyenas,
lions,
meerkats,
giraffe,
warthogs,
jackals and several species of
antelope (including the
eland,
gemsbok,
springbok,
hartebeest,
steenbok,
kudu, and
duiker), and many species of
bird and
reptiles. Vegetation in the Kalahari consists mainly of
grasses and
acacias but there are over 400 identified plant species present (including the wild
watermelon or
Tsamma melon). Camel rides across the desert are also offered
(External Link
).
Kalahari minerals
There are large
sand,
coal,
copper,
nickel and
uranium deposits in the region. One of the largest
diamond mines in the world is located at
Orapa in the Makgadikgadi, North-Eastern Kalahari.
Pomfret, on the edge of the desert, has
asbestos in the subsoil and a shuttered asbestos mine.
Diamond mining
The overseas campaign group
Survival International say the real reason for the re-settlement is to free up the land for
diamond mining, especially in the area of
Orapa, the diamond capital of the country. But the Botswana Centre for Human Rights,
Ditshwanelo, disputes this, claiming that the government is being
altruistic, but misguided. Nonetheless, the London
Daily Telegraph of
October 29,
2005 reported that the government had begun another wave of forced removals.
Sand mining
Sand mining is a practice to harvest sand from
dunes. The huge amount of semi-arid sand available in the Kalahari Desert is used to satisfy increasing demands of
industry and
construction. The Kalahari Desert sand is dried and transported via the
Trans-Kalahari Highway to industrial areas and is used in, for example, manufacturing as an abrasive - to make
concrete.
Sand mining plays an increasing factor in
Botswana's economy and is a direct and obvious cause of erosion. It also impacts the local wildlife, including
meerkats,
antelopes and the endangered
African Wild Dog.
Population
The
San people or Bushmen have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years as hunter-gatherers. That means they survive by hunting wild game with bows and arrows and gathering edible plants like berries, melons and nuts as well as insects. Bushmen rarely drink water; they get most of water requirements from plant roots and desert melons found on or under the desert floor: they often store water in the blown-out shells of ostrich eggs. The San have their own characteristic language that includes clicking sounds. These Bushmen live in huts built from local materials - the frame is made of branches and the roof is thatched with long grass.The Bantu-speaking Tswana, Kgalagadi, and Herero, and a small number of European settlers also live in the Kalahari.
Settlements within the Kalahari
Bostwana
Namibia
Gobabis
Mariental
South Africa
Rietfontein
Noenieput
Severn
The Kalahari desert in popular culture
A Far Off Place, film, starring Reese Witherspoon & Ethan Randall, based on the books "A Story Like the Wind" and "A Far Off Place" by Laurens Van Der Post
The Gods Must Be Crazy, film
Meerkat Manor, television series documenting the Kalahari Meerkat Project
Survivorman, survival television series.
Top Gear, British television series, featuring an episode following a desert challenge in which Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May attempt to drive three old cars across Botswana, including the Kalahari Desert.
The Power of the Sword, Novel by Wilbur SmithFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kalahari Desert'.
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