Kalahari Desert

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Kalahari in Namibia

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. It has huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains.



Game reserves[change | change source]

A meerkat in the Kalahari

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).

Bushmen[change | change source]

The Bushmen of the Kalahari were hunter/gatherers. They hunted for meat and gathered the food of the desert to eat. They did not keep animals. They moved from place to place to find food and water. They owned very few things because they had to carry everything themselves. Very few people still live this way anywhere in the world.[1]

Settlements within the Kalahari[change | change source]



South Africa

References[change | change source]

  1. History and Geography. LIFEPAC. Alpha Omega Publications. pp. 23. ISBN 978-1-58095-155-5 .

Coordinates: 23°00′S 23°00′E﻿ / ﻿23°S 23°E﻿ / -23; 23