Kalahari Region
Kalahari is a Tswana word, it means "the great thirst." This area extends over a large area from Namibia all the way to Botswana. Although in general it is referred to as a desert, however, it is not so, because there is significantly more rainfall than in a true desert.
Salt pans are spread over the area, which are the flattest land formations. Geologists have determined that the Kalahari is one of the oldest pieces of the solid crust, with an age of about 3.5 billion years (3,500,000,000 years).
It is a very diverse area that contains not only sand desert, but also great pieces of steppe and savannah. These areas are identified by long coarse grass, prickly bushes and acacias. During the rainy season, plants get the chance to thrive. Lions, hyenas, various types of gazelles, baboons and meerkats live in the area, amongst others.
The Kalahari is rich on mineral quarrying, such as coal, copper, nickel and also diamond. The sand is red-brown and there are no permanent rivers or lakes.
The oldest inhabitants of the region are the San or Bushmen, but it is one of the most sparsely populated areas in the world. During your stay in the Kalahari, you can have a walk with the San. They give you an impression of their particular way of life in this barren landscape.
