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Where Is the Okavango Delta?

GeographyEcology

Quick Answer

The Okavango Delta is in northwestern Botswana, in southern Africa — the largest inland delta in the world, where the Okavango River fans out into the Kalahari Desert sands.

The Full Story

The Okavango Delta is one of Earth most extraordinary ecosystems: a 15,000-22,000 square kilometre wetland that forms where the Okavango River, originating in the Angola highlands, empties not into the sea but into the Kalahari Desert basin. Seasonal flooding (peaking June-August, during Botswana dry season) transforms arid grassland into a labyrinth of channels, lagoons, and islands teeming with wildlife. The delta supports about 200,000 large mammals, including elephants, hippos, buffalo, lions, leopards, and the endangered African wild dog, plus over 400 bird species and 71 fish species. About 98% of the incoming water is lost to evaporation and transpiration — only 2% exits via the Thamalakane River. UNESCO designated the delta a World Heritage Site in 2014 as the 1,000th site on the list.

Key Facts

1.The Okavango Delta covers 15,000-22,000 square kilometres depending on the flood season — roughly the size of Wales or New Jersey.
2.About 200,000 large mammals depend on the delta, including the world largest remaining population of African elephants (about 130,000 in northern Botswana).
3.The delta floods during Botswana dry winter (June-August), because the water takes several months to travel from the Angola highlands where it rained in the wet season.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The Okavango Delta — A River That Never Reaches the Sea"