Okavango Delta Size: 15 000km² - Northern Botswana near Maun
Location: North West Botswana
When to visit the Okavango Delta: Summer is between November & March - Winter is between April & Oct (your choice as the Delta is spectacular in both seasons
Average temperatures: Ranging from about 14°C in January to 24°C in July
Average Rainfall: 525mm per year varying
Average Altitude: 930m - 1000m above sea level
OKAVANGO DELTA OR OKAVANGO SWAMP:
The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Swamp), in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta.
The Okavango River (originating in Angola) empties into the sands of the Kalahari Desert, irrigating some 15,000 km² of the desert. The Okavango River waters of the Okavango Delta are subject to seasonal flooding, which begins about mid-summer in the north and six months later in the south. The water from the Okavango is evaporated relatively rapidly by the high temperatures, resulting in a cycle of cresting and dropping water in the south. Islands can disappear completely during the peak flood, then reappear at the end of the season.
PEOPLE OF THE OKAVANGO DELTA:
The people of the Okavango consist of five ethnic groups, each with its own ethnic identity and language. They are Hambukushu, Dceriku, Wayeyi, Bugakhwe and the Anikhwe.
OKAVANGO DELTA WILDLIFE:
The Okavango Delta is home to a prosperity of wildlife and attracts thousands of visitors a year. There are number of camps within the delta region that cater to these visitors.
The Okavango provides a seasonal habitat to numerous different species. Among these are the elephant, African buffalo, hippopotamus, red lechwe, tsessebe, Blue wildebeests, giraffe, Nile crocodile, lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, wild dog, greater kudu, sable antelope, black rhino, white rhino, water monitor, zebra, warthog and chacma baboon. The delta also includes over 400 species of birds, including fish eagles, crested cranes, and sacred ibis.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF THE OKAVANGO DELTA:
* Poling in a dugout canoe (mokoro) through lagoons crammed with water lilies, hippos and wildlife
* Fishing in the Okavango Delta (for the prized tigerfish)
* Exceptional wildlife and abundant birdlife
LINKS:
OKAVANGO DELTA LODGES
MOREMI LODGES
OKAVANGO DELTA SAFARIS
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
PEOPLE OF THE DELTA
DELTA FLOW CHARTS
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