Kalahari

 

(kä'lähä'rē) , arid plateau region, c.100,000 sq mi (259,000 sq km), in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The Kalahari, covered largely by reddish sand, lies between the Orange and Zambezi rivers and is studded with dry lake beds. Yearly rainfall varies from 5 in. (12.7 cm) in the southwest, where there are active sand dunes, to 20 in. (50.8 cm) in the northeast. Grass grows throughout the Kalahari in the rainy season, and some parts also support low thorn scrub and forest. Grazing and a little agriculture are possible in certain areas. Many game animals live in the Kalahari. Its human inhabitants are mainly San, who are nomadic hunters, and Khoikhoi, who are hunters and farmers; Tswana and Herero herders have moved into the area. The Kalahari has become a popular tourist destination; it is the site of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (khäl'əkhäd'ē), c.14,000 sq mi (36,250 sq km), in SW Botswana and Northern Cape, South Africa. One of Africa's largest game reserves, it is a sanctuary for the animals and birds of the Kalahari. The park combines South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (khĕmz'bôk) (est. 1931) and Botswana's Gemsbok National Park (est. 1938).

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a large wildlife preserve and conservation area in southern Africa. The park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks: Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The total area of the park is 38000 km² (14,668 mi²). Approximately three-quarters of the park lies in Botswana and one-quarter in South Africa.

Kgalagadi means land of thirst. The park is located largely within the southern Kalahari Desert. The terrain consists of red sand dunes, sparse vegetation, occasional trees, and the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob rivers. The rivers are said to flow only about once per century. However, water flows underground and provides life for grass and camelthorn trees growing in the river beds. The rivers may flow briefly after large thunderstorms, a cause for celebration among the wildlife, who will flock to the river beds and slake their eternal thirst.

The park has abundant, varied wildlife. It is home to large mammalian predators such as black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas. Migratory herds of large herbivores such as blue wildebeest, springbok, eland, and red hartebeest also live and move seasonally within the park, providing sustenance for the predators. More than 200 species of bird can be found in the park, including vultures and raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and secretary birds.

The weather in the Kalahari can reach extremes. January is midsummer in southern Africa and the daytime temperatures are often in excess of 40 °C (104 °F). Winter nights can be quite cold with temperatures below freezing. Extreme temperatures of –11 °C and up to 45 °C have been recorded. Precipitation is sparse in this desert area.

Within the park there are three traditional tourist lodges, called "rest camps". These are full-service lodges and include amenities such as air conditioning, shopping, and swimming pools. There are also six wilderness camps in the park. The wilderness camps provide little more than shelter and wash water; visitors must supply their own food, drinking water, and firewood.

History

The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa was established on 31 July 1931 mainly to protect the migrating game, especially the gemsbok, from poaching. In 1948 an informal verbal agreement was made between the then Bechuanaland Protectorate and the Union of South Africa to set up a conservation area in the contiguous areas of the two lands. In June 1992 representatives from the South African National Parks Board (now SANParks) and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Botswana set up a joint management committee to manage the area as a single ecological unit. A management plan was drafted, reviewed, and approved in 1997. The parties agreed to cooperate in tourism and share equally in park entrance fees. On 7 April 1999, Botswana and South Africa signed a historic bilateral agreement whereby both countries undertook to manage their adjacent national parks, the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa as a single ecological unit. The boundary between the two parks had no physical barriers, although it is also the international border between the two countries. This allowed for the free movement of animals. On 12 May 2000, President Festus Mogae of Botswana and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa formally launched Southern Africa's first peace park, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Cultural preservation

In October 2002, the governments set aside 580 km² (224 mi²) for the use of the native peoples, the Khomani San and Mier communities. This was divided between 277.69 km² of San Heritage Land and 301.34 km² of Mier Heritage Land. The South African National Parks (SANParks) manages the land under contract. The native communities retain commercial benefits and rights, as well as the use of the land for symbolic and culture purposes.

See also

• Gemsbok
• Kalahari Desert
• Botswana
• South Africa
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park travel guide from Wikitravel

External links

• South African National Parks website
• Charter flights to the Kgalagadi National Park - Walker Flying Services
• Some fantastic photographs from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park at www.razsar.com
• Southern Africa Places website
• South Africa Online Travel Guide
• South African government environmental website
• Information and Photo gallery
• Kgalagadi National Park Landscape

Coordinates: 25°46′S, 20°23′E

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