( Please click on the map to enlarge )

Right in the centre of southern Africa, landlocked Botswana extends over 1100km from north to south and 960km from east to west, occupying an area about the same size as France or a little smaller than Texas. Botswana lies immediately to the north of South Africa. It is bordered on the north and west by Namibia, on the north and east by Zimbabwe, and is connected by a narrow strip of land on the northern border to Zambia.
 
Its territory consists almost entirely of a broad, flat, arid subtropical plateau, though there are hills in the eastern part of the country. In the northwest, the Okavango River empties into the Kalahari sands, creating the largest inland river delta in the world. While the Okavango Delta is home to relatively few large game animals in comparison to other areas of Botswana, its clear waters and myriad small islands are home to an astounding variety of birds, plants, and smaller species of animals. Nearby is Chobe National Park, a beautiful grassland reserve that has gained international fame for its abundant elephant population. Southeast of Chobe are Botswana's enormous Makgadikgadi salt pans, home to large herds of blue wildebeest, several antelope species, and those international lovers of salt pans - flamingos.
 
Almost the entire remaining portion of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert, a varied environment of sand, savanna, and grassland. Although humans only sparsely inhabit this area of Botswana, it is one of the richest wildlife regions in all of Africa. Botswana's two largest parks, the Central Kalahari Game reserve and Gemsbok National Park, are found in this region.

The original inhabitants of Botswana, who have made the Kalahari their home for at least 30,000 years, are the San, or bushmen. The San number about 60,000 today, constituting a small but fascinating cultural minority in the country.
 
Almost two millennia ago, the Bantu people known as the Tswana arrived, supplanting the San and now they constitute the great majority of the population.
 
The discovery of gold in Botswana in the late 19th century attracted the interest of the Afrikaner, leading the fiercely independent but desperate Tswana nations to petition the British for protection.
 
Botswana was granted protectorate status (as Bechuanaland) in 1885, though the Tswana chiefs maintained local authority with determination. In 1966, in the same wave of change that brought independence to much of the continent, Bechuanaland became the independent Republic of Botswana.
 
The very next year, the discovery of enormous diamond reserves in Botswana transformed the poor country's economic prospects. Today it enjoys one of the highest economic growth rates of any country in the world.

The vegetation and climate on the sub continent vary considerably with the seasons and geography. From lush tropical forest to bushveld (grassland and bush savannah) and harsh desert. The climate is generally sub-tropical. Summers are hot with occasional showers in the Okavango and Chobe regions, while winters (if you can call them that!) are warm and dry but cool at night.
 
SUMMER:
November - March, days are hot and generally sunny in the morning with possible afternoon thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures can rise to +/- 40ºC and night temperatures drop to around 20ºC - 25ºC. The afternoons can be very humid. The rainy season begins late in October/November and ends in March. The northern areas receive up to 700mm while the Kalahari Desert area averages as low as 225mm.
 
WINTER:
May - October, days are dry, sunny and cool to warm while evening temperatures drop sharply. Daytime temperatures generally reach 20ºC and can drop to as low as 5ºC at night. Please note that exceptionally cold spells can occur (although this is the exception rather than the rule) so it is recommended to bring appropriate clothing, just in case!