Sahara vs. Kalahari: Two African Deserts Separated by Thousands of Kilometers

The Sahara and Kalahari deserts are often mentioned together, but they occupy opposite ends of the African continent. The Sahara, the world's largest hot desert, stretches across North Africa from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. The Kalahari, a semi-arid savanna, lies in Southern Africa, primarily in Botswana with extensions into Namibia and South Africa. They are separated by roughly 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) of diverse landscapes, including the Congo Basin rainforest and the East African savannas. Their climates, ecosystems, and human histories are distinctly different.