Kalahari Desert

Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is an arid inland region in southern Africa, also known as the "Kalahari Basin," and is a major landform in central and southern Africa. The desert extends roughly 1,600 kilometers from north to south and about 960 kilometers from east to west, covering an estimated area of 930,000 square kilometers. Geomorphologically, it is a depression basin on the African Plateau, with elevations between 700–1,000 meters, surrounded by mountains and highlands that rise to around 1,500 meters. The terrain within the basin is relatively flat, with occasional isolated inselbergs, and the ground is characterized by dry channels and fine sand.

The entire western part of the Kalahari Desert is characterized by long chains of sand dunes, which generally run in a northern or northwestern direction. Each dune is separated from its neighbor by a wide, parallel hollow, locally referred to as a "street" or "path" because these depressions facilitate easy movement on foot. The Kalahari Basin contains the Kalahari Dunes, which make up the largest contiguous area of sand dunes in the world. However, its climate and vegetation are not identical to those of the Sahara Desert, as slightly higher precipitation allows for some vegetative cover. The climate and vegetation of the Kalahari Desert vary from southwest to northeast: the western region is desert, where sand dunes up to 100 meters high are dotted with succulents and shrubs; the northern and northeastern areas receive more rainfall and consist of tropical dry grassland and savanna. During the short rainy season, the vegetation flourishes, with abundant grass cover, thickets of low bushes, and stands of tall trees, home to many antelopes and other tropical animals.