Key Facts About the Kalahari Desert: Location, Climate, Wildlife, and People

The Kalahari Desert is a vast semi-arid sandy savanna covering approximately 900,000 square kilometers (347,500 square miles) across Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Angola, and Zambia. It is Africa's fourth-largest desert after the Sahara, Namib, and Arabian deserts. Key facts:

• Climate: Hot summers (up to 40°C/104°F), cool winters with occasional frost.
• Rainfall: 250–500 mm annually, mostly December–March, highly erratic.
• Vegetation: Drought-adapted grasses, shrubs, camelthorn and acacia trees.
• Wildlife: Antelopes (springbok, oryx), zebras, predators (lion, leopard, cheetah), diverse reptiles.
• Water: Limited surface water; reliance on underground aquifers and the Okavango Delta.
• People: San (Bushmen) and Bantu groups practicing hunting, gathering, and pastoralism.
• Conservation: Threats include climate change, overgrazing, poaching; protected areas exist.