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Information About

Geography Of Botswana




Location:
Southern Africa , north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates:

Map references:
Africa

Area:

''total:''
600,370 km&2

''land:''
585,370 km&2

''water:''
15,000 km&2

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, Zambia 0 km.

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain:
The land is predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland. The Kalahari Desert is in the southwest. The Okavango Delta , the world's largest inland delta, is in the northwest and the Makgadikgadi Pan , a large Salt Pan lies in the north.

Elevation extremes:

''lowest point:'' Junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m

''highest point:''
Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Natural resources:
Diamond s, Copper , Nickel , Salt , Soda Ash , Potash , Coal , Iron ore, Silver

Land use:

''arable land:'' 0.61%

''permanent crops: ''0.01%

''other:'' 99.38% (1998 est.)

''arable land:''
1%

''permanent crops:''
0%

''permanent pastures:''
46%

''forests and woodland:''
47%

''other:''
6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.), 20 km&2 (1993 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

''signed, but not ratified:''
none of the selected agreements

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


SEE ALSO



Slight mountainous areas where mining is done.