Botswana Geography

Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 600,370 sq km land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver

Land use: arable land: 0.65% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2001)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

Environment - current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country



Links: Botswana Travel Blogs (all) | Botswana Travel Photos | Botswana Travel Forum | Botswana Facts | Map of Botswana

Areas in Botswana: Central | Ghanzi District | Kgalagadi | Kgatleng | Kweneng | North-East | North-West | South-East | Southern {#[blogfeed]#}{#[photos]#}