Botswana Travel Guide
Botswana
is a landlocked country dominated by the Kalahari
Desert in the south and west (more than two-thirds of the nation is desert).
The northeast is characterized by gently rolling tablelands interspersed with
granite kopjes, or hills, formed of giant rocks balanced upon one another
in sometimes fantastic formations. In the northwest, the Okavango
Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, forms a network of swamps
and lagoons.
Since evaporation exceeds rainfall every month of the year, and there are no perennial rivers in Botswana, apart from the Kavango River, which vanishes into the sands of the Okavango Delta, water is a scarcity and a preoccupation. The local currency is named after rain (Pula), and a considerable quantity of fossil water is siphoned from boreholes to supply both the diamond industry and cattle herds. Constant thought is given to the possible use of the water of the Delta to relieve the chronic problem, and various failed schemes have been attempted. Hopefully international tourism will continue to provide sufficient financial rewards to undermine any further attempts to canalise or abstract the life-blood of this unique system.
Given its area (just under 600 000 square kilometres) and a relatively small population of about 1.5 million, Botswana has an average of three people per square kilometre, but the cattle density of the country is considerably higher. One of the richest per capita countries in Africa, much of its wealth comes from diamond mines with beef production as the second most important income generator. However, wildlife and tourism are high earners for the country, and roughly 20% of the land is designated as protected wildlife areas.
The majority of Botswana
is farmers; therefore traditional food is derived mainly from farm products.
These include sorghum, millet, maize-meal and bean leaf relish. Beef, mopane
worms and game meat are used as relish. ” There is no feast without
beef.”
Shops in cities and towns are normally open between 8:30 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, and 8:30 to 13:00 on a Saturday. Most camps and lodges have curio shops. A really good buy is the baskets that are made in Botswana, a lot of time and effort is spent on each one.