The Kalahari region

The Kalahari Region in Namibia forms part of the 2.5 million square metre large Kalahari Basin, one of the largest coherent sand expanses worldwide. The central parts of the Kalahari Basin consists of the Kalahari Savanna also known as the Kalahari Desert.

Climate of the Kalahari Region

The most extreme climatic variations can be found in the Kalahari Region. Whereas temperatures of 35°C are common in summer, which can also easily climb up to 45°C, the Kalahari winter is characterised by significant temperature fluctuations. It is not uncommon that during the night temperatures fall below 0°C whilst during the day they again rise to around 25°C.

The Kalahari has too high a vegetation and average rainfall (100 – 150 mm in the south east and 600-650 mm in the north-east) to actually qualify as a real desert. The desert character is achieved by the absence of surface water. Standing and surface water occur especially in the Okavango Delta.

Flora and Fauna of the Kalahari Region

Thanks to its relatively high rainfall the Kalahari has a very diverse flora. The San (Bushmen) who have lived in the Kalahari for centuries know more than 1000 useful plants.  The wildlife is also of unique abundance. Especially in the national parks of Botswana and in the Okavango Delta uncountable mammal and bird species are found. 

More information about the Kalahari