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10 Best Kalahari desert facts

10 Best Kalahari desert facts

Kalahari desert facts

10 Best Kalahari desert facts -The Kalahari Desert is one of the large semi-arid regions that are dominated by sand savannah landscape in South Africa. Despite the name given to the Kalahari Desert, it is does not have desert conditions due to the fact that it receives heavy rainfall that is between 5 to 10 inches per year. However the despite the fact the place receives a lot of rains the water is filtered very fast by the sweeping savannah landscape. The Kalahari region hosts numerous fascination game reserves which include the following;

The central Kalahari Game reserve which is Adjacent to Khutse reserve in the country of Botswana is one of the Kalahari places that are extremely interesting and it is worth a visit on an African safari.

Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park, this is a combination of Kalahari Gemsbok National park of south Africa as well as Gemsbok national park in Botswana Park and the merging gave birth to what is referred to as the Africa’s peace park in the year 2000. Here are the 10 best Kalahari desert facts;

  1. Is the Kalahari Desert hot or cold?

The desert has got extreme temperature therefore the dry season (summer) is very hot and the wet season (winter) temperatures drop to zero degrees Celsius during night. The conditions are characterized by moderately high altitudes, the clear and dry air.

  1. What is the temperature range in Kalahari Desert?

During the dry season which is referred to as summer, the average temperature ranges goes up to 45 degrees Celsius  while in the wet season that is winter, averages temperatures drop to as low as negative 15 degrees Celsius.

  1. How large is the Kalahari Desert?

The Kalahari Desert is esteemed to cover over 900,000 Square kilometers which is equivalent to 350,000 square miles, the landscape is gently rolling that is covered by the sand savannah.

  1. Why is the Kalahari a Desert?

This is a frequently asked question where a lot of people keep wondering if Kalahari is a desert! The truth is the region is a semi desert but the dry areas do receive an average rainfall of about 110 -200 millimeters every year and the wet areas do receive rainfall that is an average of about 500 millimeters annually. An area is referred to as a desert if it receives rainfall that is less than 10 inches every year. A desert is as well described as a region whose evaporation rate doubles the rate of precipitation.  And this only applies in the south western which covers half of the Kalahari region but the north eastern region of the park receives a lot of rainfall that is why the Kalahari region is not entirely referred to as a desert due to the combined climatic conditions.

  1. What countries make up the Kalahari Desert?

The Kalahari region occupies countries such as Botswana, Northern Cape Province in South Africa and the Eastern third in Namibia.

  1. What wildlife can be found in the Kalahari Desert?

There is a diversity of fascinating wildlife that is able to with stand the arid conditions. The northern region of Kalahari region has got high concentration of majestic wildlife, which include; Beisa Oryx, the Less and greater Kudu, the wildebeests, Duiker, steenbok among others and all these are arid adopted wildlife. The Kalahari region is home to other desert specialties such as Bat- Eared Foxes, meekat, the brown hyena, cape Fox, Bat Eared Fox among others. In this region you can spot the three African big cats such as Cheetah, the lions and the leopards.

There is a diversity of birdlife that will be spotted in this region such as the secretary bird, the ostrich, Kori Bustard plus other birds of Prey such as the Giant Eagle Owl, the marital Eagle, kestrels, goshawks, as well as the kites among other.

  1. What kinds of plants are in the Kalahari Desert?

The kinds of plants that are found in the Kalahari Desert region are all drought tolerant bushes, grass tussocks and there are few trees which are scattered. There are other tree species such as Hoodia cactus which was used by the people that stayed in this area as food and to quench off their thirsty. The edible plants that are found in this area include the gemsbok Cucumber, tsamma melons which are consumed by both man and animals.

The scattered trees are found in central Kalahari and this region of the desert receives heavy rains. It harbors tree species such as Acacia tree species as well as scrubs and the savannah grasses. In areas like the north and east but they are dominated by woodlands which are comprise of Camelthorn acacias which are endemic to the Kalahari region. The Camelthorn are very significant in the Kalahari Desert ecosystem where they produce nutrients which are useful in other plant growth. And they are important in offering a shade to the desert animals. Other trees species that grow in this Kalahari region include blackthorn, shepherds, sliver clusters among others.

  1. What type of desert is the Kalahari?

The Kalahari Desert is categorized as a semi-arid sandy savannah desert also precipitation rate double the rate of evaporation which is just enough evidence to qualify it as a complete desert. The Kalahari Desert has got a dense ground cover.

  1. How is the Kalahari Desert related to the African Desert?

The Kalahari Desert is the second biggest in Africa following the Sahara desert.  It is as well the 6th biggest on the Earth and joins with the coastal desert of Namibia.

  1. Where is the Kalahari Desert located on the map?

The Kalahari Desert is situated in the southernmost region of Africa and covers African countries like South Africa in the Northern Cape Town province, Botswana, East third of Namibia among others.

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