Which ocean does the Okavango River belong to? Okavango running into the desert
Having become accustomed to the drying up seasonal rivers in Namibia during the trip, it is a little strange to meet here long deep rivers, and even those that flow to themselves continuously all year round. How many rivers flow through the land of the Caprivi? Oh, this is an interesting and confusing question. It happens that the Zambezi region is called the place of four rivers, and sometimes there are all five or only three. I remember how this fact confused me at first. Calm down, friends, now we'll figure it all out!
holding a geography textbook
The region of the former Caprivi strip is crossed by a trio of mighty rivers:
Company of rivers on the map
This is how the main water arteries look on the map. It can be seen that only a small part of their long path from the sources to the mouth passes through the orange piece of land, which is now of our interest.
Pay Special attention to the Okavango Delta on the map and to the way Kwando goes around the protruding finger of Namibia.
Surprises of the water world
No, friends, I haven't forgotten about two more big rivers- Linyanti and Chobe. The fact is that they seem to be, and as if they are not.
See on the map how the Kwando River bends sharply, changing its direction by almost 90 degrees? There is a vast area of the Kwando swamps. From the moment they leave them, the river will continue to exist between the reed banks already under the name Linyanti.
And it will flow under this name to the seasonal Lake Liambezi in the northeast, after which it will already be designated as the Chobe River, it will remain so until the very moment it flows into the Zambezi near Kazungula ...
See for yourself how saturated the Caprivi region is with water. The abundance of moisture favorably contributes to the appearance of mosquitoes, and they are carriers of malaria. Because of this, special precautions must be taken when visiting these places.
And now - a surprise! You will be surprised, but despite the fact that this region of the country is surrounded by abundant and permanent rivers, it suffers seriously from a lack of clean drinking water. Most people in this part of the country are forced to drink water from wells, which is often salty and not suitable for consumption. There are also no watering places for animals in this territory, so the beasts cling to the rivers.
Amazing Okavango River
What makes her special is that she is the exception to the rule. Everyone knows that rivers usually flow into the sea. Okavango does not flow anywhere, but spreads over 20 thousand square kilometers across open areas, flooding the savannah, forming floodplains at the borders of the coastal forest and light forests, channels, islets, impenetrable reed beds and unsteady, overgrown with thick papyrus, swamps.
The Okavango Delta is one of the wildest places on Earth: this is Africa a hundred thousand years ago. On the map, she looks like a hand down with fingers spread, a narrow section of her wrist is called the Panhandle - the least explored area of the Okavango system.
Delta - ecologically clean area wildlife, which has recently received the status of , is considered one of the largest and most important wetlands in the world. Kingdom of fish, birds and animals.
A couple more words about the Okavango and other rivers
Some interesting details about them:
- The Zambezi is the fourth longest river African continent- in the northeast defines part state border Namibia with neighboring Zambia.
It is on the Zambezi that " natural wonder» world scale - Victoria Falls. A story about him - in one of the following articles.
- Okavango - largest river southwest Africa.
Its name varies from region to region: from its source in the high plateau and throughout Angola, it is known as Kubango, in its lower reaches in Botswana it is called Okavango, and the section of the channel that crosses Namibia is known by two names - and as Okavango, and like Kavango.
- Another river flows south from Angola through the Caprivi to Botswana. This is the Cuando, and, like the Okavango, its channel begins to split into numerous branches, forming a wetland area of 1,500 square kilometers, known as the Linyanti Marshes.
Wonderful water lilies bloom in the magical waters of the Kwando River, about 100 species of fish live in them. Here, a multi-colored choir of birds chirps, in which there are more species than you can imagine.
Hippos splash in the waves and bask in the sun, huge as submarines off the coast. Animals are plentiful – wrinkled giant elephants, buffaloes, kudu, shy sitatungas, red lychees, majestic sable antelopes, impalas and zebras. The latter are no less than single guys, so that having noticed minke whales, you no longer attach importance to them.
- By Caprivi in the area national park Mamili runs a few more small rivers, but in comparison with the giants they look so pale that it’s not worth talking about them.
In the morning light along the eternal Okavango River
The night passed beautifully - under the roar of the waterfall, the grumbling of the hippopotamus and the ringing of the frogs in the distance. By the way, the cane frog, and there are millions of them in the Okavango, easily eats 500 mosquitoes a night. Hordes of squeakers are also reduced by birds that feed on them willingly. The birds living here have adapted to life in an area saturated with an abundance of water, and, for the most part, they prefer thickets of reeds, which overgrown the muddy banks of the river and its channel.
In the thicket of stems and leaves, grasshoppers jump, water striders glide along the water surface, and the backs of swimming beetles turn green. There is also a sandy patch with a pier, where a square two-deck ship, resembling a painted cake box, is waiting for us.
We had breakfast, in a good mood, we are looking forward to the pleasure of river cruise. Of the camp guests, we are the only ones on the boat. This vessel is purely a tourist vehicle, the natives have been sailing on mokoro boats for generations.
Mokoro - nimble and unstable boats, hollowed out of a solid tree trunk, sit deep in the water. Locals - African gondoliers, standing, deftly control them with long poles. It must be great in such a quiet glide among the tender lilies and reeds and, dipping your fingers into warm water, look at tiny, fingernail-sized frogs, big-eyed dragonflies that frolic and dive over the boat, jumping grasshoppers and many wonderful birds.
But it's scary. What if the flimsy ark turns over?
About terrible
And this threatens not only with swimming in the waters and a bunch of swallowed microbes. The real danger is:
- water buffaloes that roam the banks,
- crocodiles with teeth the length of a finger, while away their days, basking on a gently sloping bank, and, at the same time, vigilantly watching everything that happens around,
- sleepy hippos who love to have fun diving under such boats.
Oh, how deceptive is the sleepy look of a hippopotamus that basks in the waters of the Okavango River! How mistaken is the one who considers him a peaceful vegetarian, a lazy and slow two-ton hulk! It turns out they are the most dangerous animals on the Okavango. A hippo underwater can reach speeds of up to 40 km per hour, it can chase a motorboat without falling behind. Here are the slow ones for you ...
During the period when they have small hippos, suspicious mothers often, for inexplicable reasons, become furious and rush at everything that is nearby - people, animals, and one movement to graze the beast with curved teeth like tusks can break the mokoro in half. There are incidents. And even with human casualties ... In one of the European museums of natural history, a tooth is exhibited - or is it a tusk? - a hippopotamus, the length of the exhibit is as much as 64 cm.
Our black guide speaks good English. Less than five minutes after our shuttle set off along the great, almost Russian, Okavango River, he and Sanya are chatting, sitting on the bow of the ship, and at the same time, with might and main, they are scouring the water surface through binoculars in search of hippos.
About crocodiles surviving dinosaurs
Friends, how do you feel about crocodiles? How would you feel when a reptile like this walked on short, scaly legs just a few meters away from you? Perhaps you would admire a beautiful ancient creature that could be over 100 years old? But much more often, crocodiles met with a different human reaction, as soon as they turned their attention to people. Often it was a good dose of lead from a high power rifle.
On the banks of the Okavango, there is no such thing as a crocodile "problem". They say it's just such an animal. Sometimes hazardous to human life but also in need of protection. Here, conservationists and authorities can take pride in the ongoing efforts to control and manage the crocodile situation, as well as the targeted change in the perception of wildlife and these reptiles among the Caprivian populace. The latter are persuaded by a kind word and despicable metal to make a choice in favor of preserving prehistoric predators.
It used to be local residents, angry at the harassment of some of the dinosaurs' contemporaries, it cost nothing to deal with a crocodile, and then arrange a luxurious feast in the village - the Caprivians have always simply adored crocodile meat ... And even now restaurants serve dishes from them. Look, this is the crocodile kebab we were offered. Does it really look appetizing? Sanechka ate and said: “Awesome reptile, if cho. Like a chicken!
By the way, crocodiles themselves have an amazing property to slow down the functions of their body, so that in difficult times they can do without food at all during - this is simply incredible! – more than two years and then survive. Well, when they eat, it doesn’t matter to them who they eat - a wildebeest, kudu, fish or a person.
I keep my promise
Yes, we once with you, friends, were going to discuss the difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus. So, if there are still those among us who endured and did not recognize it until now, then I inform you that there is no difference between them and there was not, these are just two names of one animal.
A gentle current carries us forward, I look at the screw, it boils, foams, a shadow flickers not far ... Then the guide shouts: “Hippo!” The propellers are plugged, we peer into the water. Far ahead, a head appears with a loud snort. We went to him, and he left us and safely went to the bottom.
Through binoculars, we had seen enough of these giants with rosy cheeks and suitcase-sized mouths, but the muzzled hippos did not let us into the distance for a good portrait photo.
Birds, a couple of crocodiles sleeping on the shore ... Another crowd of hippos! Yawn! Or show their strong teeth? A - ah! And these - waited until Sanya focused on them and immediately dived ... Another, equally vile, caudle ...
Dark secrets of the river
Water has been given the mysterious power to be the juice of life on Earth... For people living on its shores, the Okavango is very important. The river is a source of water for drinking, it provides food, it is used as a transport route. Here is a bunch of women on the shore - washing their numerous families ...
The history of mankind is full legendary creatures. Who has not heard about the Loch Ness monster, or about the yeti living high in the mountains, we had a legend in Rus' about ... But few know that in the dark depths of the Okavango there is a monster - the guardian of the river, with horns like a kudu, a giant gluttonous snake Dikongoro.
Once again, friends, now from a different angle, take a look at the photo of a horned antelope at the beginning of the article. Well, how impressive? And if we add to the horns ... The legend does not give solid guidelines, and here everyone constructs his own nightmare, based on his own taste and imagination. Apparently, it turned out well for me, since I thought about who those strange sounds on the night river belonged to ...
A meeting with a monster is dangerous, but you, friends, are lucky: because I will tell you how to act correctly in such a situation. emergency. So, if at some point your mokoro suddenly stopped moving, and suspicious ripples began to spread in front of it, forcing your boat to rotate, hurry up - there is not a second to lose!
The water is about to froth and a huge black head of a snake with an open mouth will rise from it to swallow the prey. Do not freeze in horror - it's time to act. Grab your fishing knife, cut your wrist quickly, and drop a few drops of blood into the water. All! And then the awe-inspiring Dikongoro won't harm you...
What does Popa Falls mean?
I am writing about this for the sake of two, out of many existing categories of people in the world. Firstly, for curious people and, secondly, for those who have a rich imagination. Perhaps more for the sake of the latter. To hear in the title it's suspicious sounding word they were not embarrassed when they involuntarily saw behind it, by virtue of their peculiarity, a living image of the object itself or the process associated with it. The rest of the people can painlessly skip a couple of paragraphs.
So what does the name Popa Falls mean? Well, if everything is clear with the second word - it means a waterfall, then what about the laugh-inducing Booty? To be honest, this word has remained a linguistic mystery. Having shoveled a lot of sources, only in one I found the statement that “Popa” is translated as “exactly here”. True, the author did not indicate from which language it is so translated.
And the thousands of others who have written anything about Popa Falls generally keep quiet about the meaning of the name, as if they were bound by the mutual guarantee of some international conspiracy. In general, it is beneficial for someone that we do not know this ...
A waterfall that is not a waterfall at all
The word "waterfall" in the name of Popa Falls conjures up powerful and raging masses of water falling from somewhere high up, so it is not surprising that many are disappointed by what they see. Especially when compared to the not-so-distant Victoria Falls.
Before the Okavango River enters the territory of Botswana and spreads in swamps along the delta, its level drops by 4 meters. Throughout - 1.2 kilometers - the width of the river is a series of rapids, which is called Popa Falls. They arose as a consequence of an ancient geological fault, and are now listed as a local landmark. The water is noisy on the rifts, you can hear it even in the camp houses, and under this noise we slept so sweetly ...
But if you look without prejudice, then this is a very beautiful sight, especially for the semi-desert landscapes of Namibia with ephemeral rivers, when a wide water stream, divided into many channels, cascades down quartzite ledges and beats against sharp pitfalls.
And the trees and reeds growing around, together with the yellow sand and pebbles, are collected in a mosaic beautiful landscapes, to which is added remarkably fresh air.
The rapids look especially impressive during the dry season when the river level is low. And if at the same time in the upper reaches it still happens to pass good rain... A curious phenomenon when, at the height of the dry season, the river swells from many millions of cubic meters of water coming from the headwaters into the Kalahari Desert. But from February to April, the Okavango is high, we just got at a time when the rapids were almost completely flooded.
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Africa is rich in natural resources. One of the largest bodies of water on the continent is the Okavango River. It does not dry out all year round. The waters of this river give life to many animals and plants, people settle along its coast.
The reservoir is known for the diversity of flora and fauna. There are reserves in its basin. What the Okavango is, what features it has, will be discussed further.
General information
In Africa, the Okavango River gives life to many species of animals and plants. She is known for her waywardness. Okavango begins 300 km from Atlantic Ocean. However, her waters are not directed to him. They rush towards the Indian Ocean. But they don't reach it either.
The Okavango flows in the southwest of the continent. The Kalahari Desert prevents the river from reaching the Indian Ocean. The hot sands dry it up. In the lands of this vast, cruel desert, all the water of the Okavango disappears without a trace.
Before getting lost in these burning sands, the river spills widely. Gardens spread around it, which many compare to Eden. Here you can observe the second largest delta in the world. It is second only to the Niger River. Her delta is the widest in the world. There are no equals among inland ones. Among such reservoirs, the Okavango Delta ranks first in the world.
General geographic information
When exploring the waters of Africa, one should consider the Okavango. This is a unique reservoir. The river flows inside the mainland, flowing into the desert. It originates on the Bie Plateau (Angola). The river ends with a swampy delta, which is one of the largest in the world.
The river is fed mostly by rainwater. It does not flow into the ocean, lake, sea or other body of water. The source of the river is above sea level at an altitude of 1780 m. The mouth (bog) of the Okavango is located at a level of 700-900 m. Once this river flowed into Lake Makgadikgadi. Now it has dried up.
Quito is the largest tributary. It is located on the left side of the pond. The river flows in Angola (upper course). Going down to the south, at a distance of 400 km, it is the natural and political border between this state and Namibia. After that, the river flows into Botswana. In Angola, this body of water is called Kubango.
measurements
In southern Africa, the Okavango ranks fourth in length. Its basin has an area of 721 thousand km². The length of the Okavango River is 1.6 thousand km. It is quite narrow near the source. If you move further downstream, you can notice the expansion of the flow. Closer to the delta, it is about 20 km.
The average water discharge along the river is 475 m³/s. During the rainy season, this figure can reach 1 thousand m³ / s. When drought sets in, water use is reduced. During this period, it can be only 100 m³ / s.
The area of the delta is about 15 thousand km². In the rainy season it overflows. During this period, the delta occupies about 22 thousand km². During the year, the flow of water is 10 thousand km³. If we translate this figure into tons, we get the amount of solid runoff. It is 2 million tons. To this indicator, 2 million tons of salts are also added, which are dissolved in the river. They settle in the delta region when the water begins to evaporate significantly.
The water level throughout the river varies. It drops sharply after the waterfalls on the border with Botswana.
Climatic conditions
Having considered where the Okavango River is located, you should study the features of its basin. The Okavango Delta is a natural oasis. A special microclimate has been established here. It differs significantly from the arid type of the surrounding tropics.
The most comfortable period for a person in this area lasts from March to June. At this time, the temperature during the day is about +30 ºС. Nights bring coolness. At this time, you can see a lot of tourists here. The hot and humid period lasts from December to March. Nights at this time are warm, and the temperature during the day reaches +40 ºС. The humidity level is between 50 and 80%.
It gets colder in June-August. Humidity also decreases during this period. At this time at night the temperature can drop to 0 ºС. The day is warm enough. In September-November, the river basin is dry and hot. During the year, an average of 450 mm of precipitation falls in this area.
flow path
The sufficiently large length of the Okavango River makes the reservoir diverse, unlike different areas. From a narrow source, it rushes down the rapids channel. Here the body of water surrounds the Bie Plateau. Along it, the river moves in a southeasterly direction.
Before the border with Botswana, the stream passes a series of Popa waterfalls. They block the riverbed across. The width of the stream here reaches 1.2 km. The current becomes calmer in the Kalahari Plain. Here the slope of the terrain decreases. At the same time, the flow slows down. Its waters spread wide. Numerous branches, lakes and lagoons appear. This is how the largest inland river delta on the planet is formed.
The path of the river ends here. However, it does not feed other water bodies. Here begins the realm of the Kalahari desert. This is its northern border. The delta forms an oasis in the desert. It is rich in diversity of flora and fauna. This is a special exotic world that tourists come to see.
Branches of the river
The source of the Okavango River is quite narrow and turbulent. A mass of water rushes along the channel, overflowing after obstacles from waterfalls along numerous branches. The southern one feeds Lake Ngami during the flood period. This is fresh water.
The northern branch once every few years reaches a tributary of the Zambezi, which is called the Kwando. It is at this time that the Okavango finds its way to the Indian Ocean. This period does not last long. The northern arm then dries up on its way to Kwando.
Sometimes a branch called Botletle feeds the salt water lake Zkau. It is located on the outskirts of the swamps of the drainless depression Makgadikgadi. No more than 5% of the water of the entire delta enters here.
The Okavango Delta used to feed Lake Makgadikgadi. Today it dried up. In the basin during dry seasons, one can observe salt marshes, which fill with water in the lowlands during the rainy season. At this time, 2 lakes are formed. At this time, life is in full swing here. When the drought comes, the hollow again becomes a harsh, salty firmament.
Water absorption
The Okavango Delta stretches for thousands of kilometers inland. This is where the main water absorption takes place. About 60% of the river feeds the plants that abundantly inhabit this swampy area. Papyrus, lilies, water lilies, algae, shrubs and other representatives of the flora grow here. In the northeastern part there is the Moremi nature reserve.
Only 36% of water evaporates from the water surface of the river. This figure depends on the time of year. About 2% of water goes into the soil. The same amount of river resources goes to feed Lake Ngami. This can be observed in the years when the Okavango becomes the most full-flowing. This is not enough for the lake to maintain its position on the northern border of the Kalahari Desert. Therefore, it gradually dries up.
Insufficient nutrition of Ngami is reflected in the composition of the water. The area of the lake is shrinking. It turns into a soda-salt type sump. Stripes of shoals appear, the shores are covered with white bloom.
swamps
The mouth of the Okavango River is the largest ecosystem on the planet. This section of the reservoir is called a huge oasis, which has no equal on Earth. A shallow, vast delta here forms extensive wetlands. There is a variety of life here all year round.
The swamps of the river delta are overgrown with reeds and algae. Here you can observe tender water lilies on the surface of the water, and dense shrubs spread along the banks. Various animals come here to drink. Giraffes, elephants, lions and antelopes, hyenas and leopards travel kilometers to get to the source of life-giving moisture. Many species of waterfowl can be found here. Hippos live in the marshy waters of the river delta. There are also a lot of insects here.
People have been living in the Okavango Delta for over 30,000 years. However, the population of the basin is small. The abundance of insects that spread malaria and other infections greatly affects this. Here live the peoples of the Bantu group, the Bushmen.
Flora and fauna
The Okavango River has become home to many species of animals, birds, fish and plants. It is in the lower reaches of this reservoir that most of the diversity of flora and fauna of the basin is represented. Here, the life-giving swamps contrast with the arid expanses of the Kalahari.
Reeds and papyrus grew in the upper part of the Okavango Delta. In places where swamps do not dry out all year round, a large number of water lilies can be observed. This place is also home to pygmy geese. Hippos, crocodiles, and certain types of antelope (sitatunga, lychee, puku) feel good in the Okavango swamps.
Among the birds are found rare species. Here you can meet a kite, an emerald kingfisher, an African fishing owl, white heron etc. Zebras, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes are found in the lower. Predators here are represented by lions, hyenas and leopards.
Economic indicators
In Africa, the Okavango River is as important as the Nile. Its waters flow through the territory at once 3 Botswana and Namibia are in conflict over the possession of the precious water of the river. On the banks of the Okavango, people practically do not conduct economic activities. Therefore, the water here is clean.
Angola is trying to strengthen the position of its national economy by building a dam. Namibia, on the other hand, uses the resources that the previously built canal supplies. It is also planned to build a pipeline for water supply.
The Delta Marshes are located in Botswana. Every year the treasury receives funds from ecotourism. It has gained popularity in recent decades. Tourists come to the Moremi nature reserve. They organize a safari. Therefore, the importance water resources for this state, contributing to the maintenance of life in the Okavango Delta, it is difficult to overestimate. To resolve the conflict that arose due to the water consumption of Okavango resources between these three countries, a special commission was organized.
What is unique about the Okavango Delta? Despite hot climate, a large number of insects, it attracts many tourists. There are several interesting facts about the presented reservoir. Scientists claim that most of the salt-type islets formed in the places of termite mounds.
The surface of the river delta is almost flat. Therefore, it takes about 7 months for water to cover the distance from its source to its southern edge. The huge size of the basin of the reservoir, the variety of flora and fauna attract a lot of tourists here. However, only 4 thousand tourists a year are allowed to visit the reserve. The cost of such tours is high.
Okavango problems
The Okavango River is precious natural resource for the countries through which it flows. The management here is not high-tech. Local tribes are engaged in animal husbandry, fishing, hunting. In Botswana, diamonds are mined on a large scale. However, this does not save the local population from hunger, epidemics, and drought.
Previously, cattle were not grazed in the swampy regions of the Okavango Delta. People conducted this activity at some distance from these places. There were many insects here, including the tsetse fly. The spread of diseases and infections has led to the fact that since ancient times cattle breeding has been carried out closer to the beginning of the delta, away from it.
With development modern technologies Here they began to use chemical preparations against insects. The risk of infection has been eliminated. Shepherds began to drive their cattle into the virgin swamps of the river delta. This led to the displacement of antelopes and some other animal species from their original pastures. Their population began to decline. It is for this reason that reserves began to be organized. They contribute to the distribution of indigenous species of animals and plants in the Okavango basin. Without this area, a natural disaster threatens.
Considering the features Interesting Facts about the Okavango River, you can get an idea about this body of water, assess its importance for the largest oasis on the planet.
Drying seasonal rivers in Africa or in deserts on other continents will not surprise anyone, but this is a special case. In all respects, the Okavango is not a wued, but a normal river that does not even think about drying up in the dry season. She briskly rushes down a narrow rapids channel with savanna-covered shores of the Angolan plateau Bie down, in a southeasterly direction; overcomes before the border with Botswana the waterfalls forming a cascade of Popa waterfalls, blocking its channel in its entire width, which in this place is 1.2 km. Only on the plateau the river acquires a flat character.
As the slope decreases, the Okavango slows down and spreads outward, spreading through the labyrinths of branches, lagoons and lakes that form the world's largest inland delta. The Okavango has a solid annual flow at the mouth, about 10 thousand km 3 of water flows into the delta annually, but ... The river usually ends on this very giant delta. The Okavango does not flow into a lake, nor into another river, nor into the sea, nor into the ocean. “Where does all this water go? Just some kind of mystic! - exclaimed one of its researchers in the XIX century. Indeed, where?
During high water, the southern arm of the delta feeds the fresh lake Ngami, the northern arm periodically, once every few years, reaches the Kwando River, a tributary, and then the Okavango briefly finds an outlet to the Indian Ocean. And the Botletle branch occasionally feeds the salt lake Tskau on the southern edge of the swamps, which is formed during the rainy season on the salt marshes of the drainless depression of the Makgadikgadi. But this is no more than 5% of all water entering the delta.
The Okavango was once part of a major river system the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi, which supposedly had an area of 80 thousand km 2 and a depth of 30 m, but gradually dried up about 10 thousand years ago.
The remnant reservoirs of the Okavango Delta are nearly all that remain of the vast lake. Now in its basin in the dry season there are huge lifeless salt marshes with a cracked salt crust (very large reserves of potash), and in the rainy season two large salt lakes form in the depressions and life boils there: animals come, birds fly in, in some places the shores seem pink from thousands of flamingos. Rarely, once every 10-15 years, during the rainy season, these swamp lakes are connected to the Okavango swamp through one of the arms of the Botletle Delta.
Recent studies have shown that of the total mass of water that annually enters the shallow, flat swampy Okavango Delta, about 60% is absorbed by plants (thickets of papyrus and shrubs, algae, water lilies, lilies, etc.) and 36% evaporates from the water surface. Approximately 2% goes into the ground, and another 2% feed Lake Ngami in high-flowing years. But this is not enough for the “blue heart” of the northern outskirts of the Kalahari Desert, and Ngami gradually dries up, gradually decreasing in size and turning from a fresh lake into a soda brine sump, with stripes of shallows and white shores.
And the Okavango Delta, which occupies an area of about 15 thousand km 2, and after summer rains during the flood and all 22 thousand km 2, is not going to dry out and gives shelter to many birds and animals. In the northeastern part of the delta, organized big nature reserve Wildlife Moremi (Botswana).
In the upper reaches of the Okavango (Kubango) flows from the Bie plateau to the plain - fast, narrow and rapids. Then it acquires a flat character and flows calmly, but before the border with Botswana, its channel across the entire width of 1.2 km is crossed by waterfalls (in the dry season they protrude above the water), forming the Popa waterfalls. After them, the river edge drops by 4 m. In the lower reaches, the river gradually slows down as it approaches the northern edge of the Kalahari Desert.
The shallow swampy and flat (elevation differences less than 2 m) river delta, also known as the Okavango swamp, forms an oasis in the middle of the Kalahari sands with the richest variety flora and fauna. This is where the path of the water flow usually ends.
On a map of the northwestern part of Botswana, the inner Okavango Delta, with its central swampy part and arms, resembles an open palm in the form of an outstretched hand towards the Kalahari.
The Okavango is the only permanent river in the vast Kalahari Plain between the Zambezi Rivers and in South Africa. On maps, it is usually referred to as the "Kalahari Desert". But these places are not like the Sahara or the deserts of Arabia; compared to them, it is not even quite a desert. Summer in the Kalahari is abundant rainfall, from 250 mm in the south to 1000 mm in the north of precipitation per year. In addition to one permanent river, there are also temporary rivers and lakes (most of which, however, dry up in winter). Trees, shrubs and grasses grow in the Kalahari, and in in large numbers. Therefore, scientists cannot agree on how to call it more correctly: "desert savanna", "green semi-desert" or, perhaps, "steppe park landscape". Sometimes on maps, its central sandy region is identified as the "Kalahari Desert", and its outskirts as the "Kalahari Basin". And the vast green wetlands of the shallow flat Okavango Delta in the middle of the sands of the northwestern sector of the Kalahari Desert are called the world's largest oasis. In terms of its importance for the southwest of Africa, the Okavango is no less important than the Nile for the northeast. The life of all the inhabitants of the surroundings directly depends on their waters.
The Okavango swamps are full of wildlife all year round. Here, in this giant green oasis, overgrown with reeds, shrubs, water lilies and algae, elephants, giraffes and antelopes, lions, leopards and hyenas and many others come from afar to drink. It is a paradise for waterfowl, hippos and all kinds of insects…
Archaeological finds confirm that people in the lower reaches of the Okavango have been continuously living for 30 thousand years, but there have always been few of them: perhaps just because of insects that carry malaria, sleeping sickness and other tropical ailments. Now, the peoples of the Bantu group live along the banks of the river, including those who gave the river the name Kavango. Also here live the indigenous peoples of hunters and gatherers - the Bushmen (common name), who inhabited South Africa long before the Bantu migration. The Tsodilo Hills, west of the Okavango Delta, is a sacred place for the Bushmen and their ancestors, with many legends associated with this place and a strong belief that the ancient gods still live in caves painted by their ancestors in thousands of Stone Age rock paintings.
Okavango in the upper, middle and lower reaches is divided among themselves by Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Moreover, they divide in the literal sense, seriously conflicting over precious water river resources in arid areas (these territories suffer from drought). Although directly along the banks of the river economic activity practically not carried out (due to which, by the way, the water in the river is very clean), Angola and Namibia are trying to save the situation of existing farms: the first - by building a dam, the second - due to the canal that has already been built to divert water and the planned construction of a pipeline. In Botswana, there is a Delta famous for its richness of wildlife, huge contribution ecotourism in the Moremi reserve and the organization of safari brings to the state treasury, so the local government does not intend to lose such an important source of income due to the threat of water shortages and, as a result, the depletion of flora and fauna. So now contentious issues on water consumption between neighboring countries decided by a special committee.
general information
A river that flows deep into the mainland and flows into the Kalahari Desert.Location: southwest Africa, flows from the Bie Plateau in Angola to the southeast, ending in a vast swampy delta on the northern edge of the Kalahari Desert.
Feeding method: mainly rain.
Basin: an area of internal drainage that does not empty into any ocean.
Source height: 1780 m above sea level (Bie plateau).
Mouth: Okavango swamps (700-1000 m above sea level), in the past - Lake Makgadikgadi (dry).
Other names: Cubango (in Angola).
Largest tributary: Quito (left).
Flowing through the area: the upper course in Angola, 400 km south serves as a natural border between Angola and Namibia, then flows through the territory of Botswana.
Numbers
Length: 1600 km - 4th longest in South Africa.Width: narrow in the upper reaches, up to 20 km closer to the delta.
Pool area: 721 258 km2.
Delta area: about 15,000 km 2 (up to 22,000 km 2 in the rainy season) - the largest inland delta in the world.
Average water consumption: 475 m3/s.
Estuary water discharge by season: 100-200 m 3 /s in the dry season (November), about 1000 m 3 / s in the rainy season (March and April).
Annual runoff: about 10,000 km3.
Solid runoff: about 2 million tons per year of solid precipitation (sand, etc.) and another 2 million tons per year of dissolved salts settling in the delta when moisture evaporates.
Water level: drops by 4 m after the Popa waterfalls (before the border with Botswana).
Climate and weather
The Okavango Delta is a kind of oasis with a special microclimate, very different from the surrounding tropical arid one.Hot and humid rainy season: December - March (humidity 50-80%, daytime up to 40 ° C, warm nights).
most comfortable time: March - early June (daytime around 30°C, cool nights).
Dry and cold season: June - August (warm during the day, at night the temperature can drop to 0 ° C).
Dry and hot season: September - November.
Average annual rainfall: 450 mm.Economy
The banks of the river are sparsely populated; There is little to no agricultural or industrial activity along the Okavango, so the water is very clean.Agriculture: subsistence farming, hunting and gathering; animal husbandry in dry areas along the outskirts of the delta.
Fisheries.
Service sector: tourism (safari and ecotourism).
Attractions
■ Natural: gorges and rapids in the upper reaches, Popa waterfalls (up to the border with Botswana), Okavango delta (bog) overgrown with reeds and water lilies; Lake Ngami with acacia, baobabs and palm trees along the banks, the ancient dry lake Makgadikgadi.■ national park moremi(with an area of 3900 km 2, located in the northeastern part of the Okavango Delta): the park does not have any fences, animals move freely within the reserve and beyond; many come here to drink during the dry season from afar, such as elephants from the neighboring Chobe reserve. Of the animals in Moremi Park, you can meet zebras, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, baboons, hippos, crocodiles, many different antelopes (impala, kudu, bushbucks, springboks, waterboks, puku and wildebeest); predators include lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and jackals. More than 400 species of birds (hoopoes, herons, ibises, etc.).
■ Makgadikgadi National Park(4900 km 2, located in the basin of the same name, an ancient lake dried up about 10,000 years ago. During the rainy season, low-lying areas are filled with water and turn into a swamp, people come here wild animals and thousands and thousands of birds flock (especially many pink flamingos).
■ Cultural and historical: Tsodilo Hills, sacred to the Bushmen, west of the Okavango Delta - thousands of Stone Age rock paintings have been found in caves there.
Curious facts
■ Most of salt islands in the Okavango Delta formed on the site of termite mounds.■ The surface of the delta is almost flat, the elevation difference is only about 2 m, and the current there is extremely slow: it takes about seven months for river water to get from the top of the delta to its southern edge.
■ To protect the river delta from poaching and industrial animal husbandry, the government of Botswana decided to develop tourism. But permission to visit these reserved places can only get 4000 people a year, and it is very, very expensive.
■ Botswana leads in diamond mining, but this does not save the bulk of the population from starvation. After an emergency in the late 1970s due to drought and foot-and-mouth disease among the livestock, it was decided to expand pasture resources by fencing off the outskirts of the Okavango Delta to allow livestock to graze in the drying areas of the swamp.
A little about the Okavango and other similar rivers
Everyone knows that there is the concept of "river". This body of water has a source and a mouth. The source is the place where the river begins. The source of the river can be swamps, glaciers, springs, lakes and other geographical features.
The mouth is the end of the river. As you know, rivers flow into a lake, bay, sea, river and other water bodies. For example, the Selenga River, which flows through the territory of Mongolia and Russia (Republic of Buryatia), flows into Lake Baikal. And the African river Niger, flowing through the territory of Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin and Nigeria, flows into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean. The European Danube River flows into the Black Sea. And the Tura River, which flows through the territory of the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions, flows into the Tobol River. Such examples, as they say, are enough.
As you know, there are rivers in the world that are lost in the sands and swamps. For example, the Okavango River, which flows through the territory of Angola, Namibia and Botswana, is lost in swamps. The mouth of the Tarim River, which flows through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, is the dried-up Lop Nor Lake. It is clear that such rivers as the Okavango, Amu Darya have a mouth, but it is impossible to determine the exact location of the mouth, since such rivers as the Okavango, Tarim are lost in the sands and swamps. Some geographers, hydrologists and other specialists suggest that rivers such as the Okavango should not be considered rivers, but should be considered separate view water object. I note that, according to the opinion of most experts, the Okavango and other water bodies lost in the sands and swamps are rivers.
As for the drying up rivers, then about these water bodies there is no particular disagreement between specialists. A small part of geographers, hydrologists and other specialists proposes to consider drying rivers not as rivers, but as a separate type of water body. According to most sources, the drying up rivers belong to the varieties of rivers. I note that the drying rivers found in Australia are called screams. Drying rivers, which are located in Israel and the Arab countries, are called wadis. Drying rivers called Uzboy are found in Central Asia. In some places North Africa there is the concept of "oued", which should be understood as a drying up river.
There are disputes among geographers, hydrologists and other specialists about the inner river delta. I note that the internal delta should be understood as the delta of the river, which is not located at the mouth of the river, but in the middle or upstream rivers. For example, the inland delta, located on the territory of Mali, is located near the Niger River. I note that the inner delta of the Niger River, which is located on the territory of Mali, is called Masina.
If there are no disagreements between specialists about Masina, then about the delta African river The Okavango has many controversial points. According to most sources, the Okavango River has the largest inland delta on our planet. The Okavango Delta is located in Botswana. Regarding the internal Okavango Delta, there are the following points of view among specialists:
It is clear that the Okavango River does not flow into a lake, or into a bay, or into a sea, or into a strait, or into any other water body. It is known that this river disappears into the swamps in the northwest of the Kalahari Desert. It is a fact. You can't argue with that. Let me remind you, dear reader, that, according to most sources, the internal delta should be understood as the delta of the river, which is not located at the mouth of the river, but in the middle or upper reaches of the river. Based on this, it follows that the Okavango Delta is located in the middle or upper reaches of this reservoir. According to most sources, the Okavango Delta is located at the mouth of this reservoir.
The question arises - what to believe? The first source that says the Okavango has an inland delta? Or the second source, according to which the Okavango Delta is located at the mouth of the river. According to the second source, the Okavango does not have an internal delta, since this delta is located at the mouth of the river. According to the first source, the Okavango Delta is located in the middle or upper reaches of the river. What is the source of the truth?
A certain part of experts suggests that under the internal delta we understand not only the river delta, which is located in the upper or middle reaches, but also the river delta, which are lost in the sands and swamps. Another part of the experts believe that the internal delta should be understood as any river delta that is located inside the continents. That is, according to this part of the experts, all river deltas belong to the inner delta, except for the delta of rivers flowing into the World Ocean. I don't know about you, dear reader, but I think that the internal delta should be understood as the delta of the river, which is located in the upper or middle reaches of the river.
