Okavango waterfalls. Okavango flowing into the desert The amazing Okavango River

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Okavango(in Angola Cubango listen)) is a river in southwestern Africa. Fourth longest river system V South Africa. Flows to the southeast. Length - 1600 km. Average water flow is 475 m³/s. Originates in Angola, where it is called Cubango. To the south, part of the border between Angola and Namibia passes along it, after which the river flows through the territory of Botswana.

Even before Botswana, the river's edge drops by 4 meters due to rapids known as Popa Waterfalls.

The Okavango does not flow into either the sea or the lake. Instead, winding through numerous labyrinths of channels, it loses 95% of its moisture through evaporation and disappears into the swamps in the northwest of the Kalahari Desert. This place is commonly called the Okavango Delta (Okavango Swamps), which is one of the largest river deltas in the world, covering an area of ​​15,000 km².

During rare very rainy periods, part river waters fills the lake

Excerpt characterizing the Okavango (river)

During the trip, having gotten used to the drying up of seasonal rivers in Namibia, it is a little strange to come across long deep rivers, and even those that flow continuously all year round. How many rivers flow through the Caprivi land? 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 embarrassed me at first. Calm down, friends, now we’ll figure it all out!

Holding a geography textbook in hands

The area of ​​the former Caprivi strip is crossed by a trio of mighty rivers:

Company of rivers on the map

This is what the main ones look like water arteries on the map. It can be seen that only a small part of them passes through the orange plot of land that is now of our interest. long way from the source to the mouth.

Please pay Special attention to the Okavango Delta on the map and how Kwando curves 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 point is that they seem to exist, and they seem to not exist.

Do you see on the map how sharply the Kwando River bends, changing its direction by almost 90 degrees? There is a vast area of ​​Kwando swamps. From the moment of leaving them, the river will continue to exist between the reed banks under the name Linyanti.

And it will flow under this name until the seasonal Lake Liambezi in the northeast, after which it will already be designated as the Chobe River, which it will remain until the moment it flows into the Zambezi near Kazungula...

You can see for yourself how saturated the Caprivi region is with water. The abundance of moisture favors the appearance of mosquitoes, and they are carriers of malaria. Because of this, special precautions must be taken when visiting these places.

And now - surprise! You will be surprised, but despite the fact that this region of the country is surrounded by abundant and permanent rivers, it seriously suffers from a lack of clean water. drinking water. Most people in this part of the country are forced to drink water obtained from wells, which is often saline and unsuitable for consumption. There are also no watering places for animals in this territory, so the animals huddle close to the rivers.

Amazing Okavango River

What is especially remarkable about it is that it is an exception to the rule. Everyone knows that rivers, as a rule, flow into the sea. The Okavango does not flow anywhere, but spreads over 20 thousand square kilometers across open areas, flooding the savannah, forming floodplains at the borders of coastal forest and woodland, canals, islands, impenetrable reed thickets and unsteady swamps overgrown with thick papyrus.

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 downward hand with fingers spread, a narrow section of her wrist is called the Panhandle - the least explored area of ​​​​the Okavango system.

Delta is an ecologically clean area wildlife, which has recently received status, is considered one of the largest and most important wetland areas in the world. The kingdom of fish, birds and animals.

A few more words about the Okavango and other rivers

Some interesting details about them:

1. 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 miracle» world-class - Victoria Falls. The story about him is in one of the following articles.

1. Okavango – largest river southwest Africa.

Its name varies from region to region: from its source on the high plateau and throughout in Angola, it is known as the Cubango, in its lower course in Botswana it is called the Okavango, and the section of the channel crossing Namibia is known by two names - both as the Okavango, and like Kavango.

1. Another river flows from Angola through the Caprivi to the south into Botswana. This is the Kwando, and like the Okavango, its course begins to split into numerous branches, forming a 1,500 square kilometer wetland known as the Linyanti Swamp.

Wonderful water lilies bloom in magical waters Kwando River, about 100 species of fish live in them. There is a colorful chorus of birds chirping here, with more species than you can imagine.

Hippos splashing in the waves and basking in the sun, as huge as submarines off the coast. There are many animals - wrinkled giants elephants, buffaloes, kudu, shy sitatunga antelopes, red lychees, majestic sable antelopes, impalas and zebras. There are no less of the latter than there are single guys, so that once you notice the minke whales, you no longer attach any importance to them.

1. According to the Caprivi area national park There are several other small rivers running through Mamili, but they look so pale in comparison with the giants that it’s not worth talking about them.

In the morning light along the eternal Okavango River

The night passed beautifully - with the roar of the waterfall, the grumbling of the hippopotamus and the sound of frogs in the distance. By the way, the reed frog, of which there are millions in the Okavango, easily eats 500 mosquitoes per night. The hordes of squeaks are also reduced by birds that readily feed on them. The birds living here have adapted to life in an area saturated with an abundance of water, and, for the most part, prefer reed thickets that cover the muddy banks of the river and its channels.

Grasshoppers jump in the thicket of stems and leaves, 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, double-decker ship, reminiscent of a painted cake box, awaits us.

We had breakfast at good mood We are looking forward to the pleasure of the river cruise. We are the only camp guests 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 from solid tree trunks, sit deep in the water. Local residents - African gondoliers, standing, deftly control them with long poles. It must be great to glide so quietly with the flow among the delicate lilies and reeds and, dipping your fingers into warm water, look at tiny, fingernail-sized frogs, big-eyed dragonflies that frolic and swoop over the boat, jumping grasshoppers and many wonderful birds.

But it’s scary. What if the flimsy ark turns over?

About the terrible

And this threatens not only swimming in the waters and a bunch of swallowed microbes. The real danger is:

• water buffalos that roam the banks,
• crocodiles with teeth as long as a finger, whiling away their days, basking on the gently sloping bank, and, at the same time, vigilantly observing everything that happens around,
• sleepy hippos who love to have fun diving under such boats.

Oh, how deceptive is the sleepy appearance of the hippopotamus basking in the waters of the Okavango River! How mistaken is anyone who believes him to be a peaceful vegetarian, a lazy and slow two-ton hulk! It turns out they are the most dangerous animals on the Okavango. A hippopotamus underwater can reach speeds of up to 40 km per hour, and can chase a motorboat without falling behind. So much for the slow ones...

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 of the mouth of the beast with curved teeth similar to tusks can break the mokoro in half. Incidents happen. And even with human victims... In one of the European museums of natural history, a tooth is exhibited - or is it a tusk? – hippopotamus, the length of the exhibit is as much as 64 cm.

Our dark-skinned guide speaks good English. Not even five minutes had passed after our shuttle set off along the great, almost Russian, Okavango River, when he and Sanya were chatting, sitting on the bow of the ship, and, at the same time, furiously poking around with binoculars water surface in search of hippos.

About crocodiles that survived 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 the crocodiles encountered a different human reaction as soon as they turned their attention to people. It was often a good dose of lead from a high powered rifle.

There is no such thing as a crocodile “problem” on the shores of the Okavango. Here they say that it is just such an animal. Sometimes dangerous for human life, but also in need of protection. Here, conservationists and authorities can be proud of the efforts being made to control and manage the crocodile situation, as well as the deliberate changes in the perception of wildlife and these reptiles among the Caprivian populace. The latter are persuaded with kind words and despicable metal to make a choice in favor of preserving prehistoric predators.

This is before local residents, angry at the harassment of one of the dinosaurs’ contemporaries, it didn’t cost anything to deal with the 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 it. Look, this is the crocodile kebab they offered us. Doesn't it look delicious? Sanechka ate it and said: “An awesome reptile, if you will.” Like a chicken!

By the way, crocodiles themselves have the amazing ability to slow down the functions of their body, so hard times can do without food at all for a period of time - it’s simply incredible! – more than two years and survive after that. Well, when they eat, it doesn’t matter to them who they eat – wildebeest, kudu, fish or humans.

Keeping my promise

Yes, we once, friends, were going to discuss the difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus. So, if there are still those among us who have endured and have not recognized this until now, then I inform you that there is and never was any difference between them, these are just two names for one animal.

A gentle current carries us forward, I look at the propeller, it is seething, foaming, a shadow flashes nearby... Then the guide shouts: “Hippo!” The propellers are muffled, we peer into the water. Far ahead, a head appears with a loud snort. We came to him, and he left us and safely went to the bottom.

Through binoculars we had a good look at these giants with pinkish cheeks and suitcase-sized mouths, but the muzzled hippopotamuses did not let us get within range for a good portrait photograph.

Birds, a couple of crocodiles sleeping on the shore... Another crowd of hippos! They're yawning! Or showing off their strong teeth? Ah - ah! And these ones waited until Sanya focused on them and immediately dived... Another, equally vile, Caudla...

Dark Secrets of the River

Water has been given the mysterious power to be the juice of life on Earth... For the people living on its shores, the Okavango is very important. The river is a source of drinking water, it provides food, and it is used as a transport route. Here is a bunch of women on the shore, washing their large families...

The history of mankind is full legendary creatures. Who hasn’t heard about the Loch Ness monster, or about the Yeti living high in the mountains? In Rus' there was a legend 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 voracious snake Dikongoro.

Once again, friends, now from a different angle, take a look at the photo of the horned antelope at the beginning of the article. Well, is it impressive? And if you add horns... The legend does not give firm guidelines, and here everyone constructs their own nightmare, based on their own taste and imagination. Apparently, I did a good job, since I wondered who those strange sounds on the river at night belonged to...

Meeting with a monster is dangerous, but you, friends, are in luck: because I will tell you how to act correctly in such an emergency situation. So, if at some point your mokoro suddenly stops moving, and suspicious ripples begin to spread in front of it, causing your boat to rotate, hurry up - there’s not a second to lose!

The water is about to foam and a huge black head of a snake with an open mouth will rise from it to swallow its prey. Don't freeze in horror - now is the time to act. Grab your fishing knife, quickly make a cut on your wrist and drop a few drops of blood into the water. All! And then the awe-inspiring Dikongoro will not harm you...

What does Popa Falls mean?

I am writing about this for the sake of two, out of the many categories of people existing in the world. Firstly, for curious people and, secondly, for those who have a rich imagination. Perhaps, mostly for the sake of the latter. So that when they hear this suspicious-sounding word in the name, they are not embarrassed, involuntarily seeing behind it, due to its peculiarity, a living image of the object itself or a process associated with it. The rest of the people can safely skip a couple of paragraphs.

So what does the name mean? Popa Falls? Well, if everything is clear with the second word - it means waterfall, then what about Popa, which causes a laugh? To be honest, this word has remained a linguistic mystery. Having sifted through a lot of sources, only one found the statement that “Popa” is translated as “right here.” True, the author did not indicate from which language it was translated this way.

And thousands of others who have written something about Popa Falls are generally silent about the meaning of the name, as if they were bound by the mutual guarantee of some kind of international conspiracy. In general, it’s beneficial for someone that we don’t 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 from a great height, so it is not surprising that many are disappointed by what they see. Especially compared to the not so distant Victoria Falls.

Before the Okavango River enters Botswana and spreads into swamps across the delta, its level drops by 4 meters. Along the entire 1.2 kilometer width of the river there is a series of rapids called Popa Falls. They arose as a consequence of an ancient geological fault, and are now considered a local landmark. The water in the riffles is noisy, you can hear it even in the camp houses, and we slept so sweetly under this noise...

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 flow, divided into many channels, cascades along quartzite ledges and beats against sharp underwater rocks.

And the trees and reeds growing around, together with the yellow sand and pebbles, form a mosaic of beautiful landscapes, to which is added wonderfully fresh air.

The rapids look especially impressive during the dry season when the river level is low. And if at the same time you still happen to pass in the upper reaches good rain... It is a curious phenomenon when, at the height of the dry season, the river swells from many millions of cubic meters of water flowing from the upper reaches into the Kalahari Desert. But from February to April the level of the Okavango is high, and we just happened to be at a time when the rapids were almost completely flooded.

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This amazing river flows in an amazing place and ends amazingly. Surprising with its number and diversity and animal world its shores.

No less surprising is the unique language of the people living in its basin.

The Okavango is the only permanent river in a vast and unusual area called the Kalahari, located between the Zambezi, Limpopo and Orange rivers in South Africa.

It is customary to write “Kalahari Desert” on maps. But this is not a desert at all.

In summer it rains heavily here, and in terms of annual precipitation (from a thousand millimeters in the north to two hundred and fifty in the south), these places cannot be compared, for example, with the Sahara or the deserts of Arabia.

Scientists have not been able to agree on what the Kalahari is. Some call it “desert savannah”, others use the term “green semi-desert”, others believe that in relation to such places it is more appropriate to talk about steppe park landscapes.

One way or another, there is water in the Kalahari. There are temporary rivers (during the rainy season), and lakes (most of which, however, dry up in winter). There are trees, shrubs, and herbs here, and in large quantities.

Umbrella acacias and tree-like spurges grow in the Kalahari forty to fifty meters from each other, as befits savanna trees.

Bushes and grass (sometimes up to a meter high) also do not cover the ground with a continuous carpet; Islands of sand are always visible between the green patches of vegetation. But this vegetation is quite enough for thousands of herds of antelope, buffalo and zebra for food, especially since the Okavango, this South African Nile, provides them with water all year round.

Beginning in the savannas of southern Angola, this river quickly rushes south through gorges and rapids, along steep slopes with waterfalls. And only in the Kalahari does it calm down, as if forgetting about its violent temper.

In the endless sea of ​​sandy plain, it spreads through labyrinths of branches, lagoons, lakes, forming a completely unusual river delta at the confluence... into nowhere.

It is called "an island of water in a sea of ​​sand."

Sixteen square kilometers of thickets of papyrus, bushes and algae provide shelter to many birds and animals all year round.

And during the flood, in May-June, the half-dried branches of the delta turn into stormy foaming streams, one of which reaches the “blue heart of the Kalahari” - the beautiful and inhabited freshwater Lake Ngami, opened to science by the great Livingston.

The remnants of the Okavango waters wander for another three hundred kilometers and disappear into the huge lake-swamp Makarikari.

The lake is a giant settling tank for soda brine.

In the dry season, from an airplane it resembles a lunar landscape: a solid white blanket with rare dark spots of water stretches all the way to the horizon.

The winding stripes of shallows surrounded by a motionless sultry haze are clearly visible.

The Okavango Delta contains all (or almost all) species of African fauna. Hippos coexist with crocodiles on green islands.

Herds of graceful antelopes rush by. Looking around carefully, a timid water goat gallops by - sensing danger, it plunges into the water up to its nostrils.

Graceful giraffes and gloomy buffalos and wildebeest come to drink.

Slowly, with feeling self-esteem, elephants and rhinoceroses are marching towards the water, shaggy and serious warthogs are busily darting around in the thickets.

Not far away, zebras, eland antelopes and ostriches graze in a friendly company - together it is easier for them to detect predators, since the birds' vision complements the sensitive hearing of striped horses and the delicate sense of smell of antelopes.

And, of course, around this abundance of game there are leopards, cheetahs and royal lions with their constant retinue of hyenas and jackals, and gloomy vultures slowly circle in the air, looking out for prey.

The abundance of fauna in the Okavango Delta is amazing. In addition to the animals already mentioned, there are about four hundred species of birds and up to seventy species of fish.

A vegetable world The delta has more than a thousand trees and shrubs.

And a traveler going to this unique oasis on a local pirogue - mokoro, will be able, during such a unique water safari, to see and capture on film water antelopes and hyena dogs, which have almost disappeared in other parts of Africa, admire herds of elephants, zebras and blue wildebeests, or catch a fishing rod of a hefty bream, or even a tiger fish.

And from the shores and islands, flocks of pelicans and storks, flamingos and marabou will look at the floating pirogue...

When the heat gives way to coolness and an impenetrable tropical night thickens over the Kalahari, the inhabitants of these places - Tswana shepherds and Bushmen hunters - find their way along the stars, so bright in these latitudes.

Their main reference point is the southern tropical constellation Capricorn. They turn to him with requests, and they thank him for a successful hunt.

Bushmen are a mysterious people. In appearance they do not resemble the majority of South Africans. Yellow skin and narrowed eyes bring them closer to peoples Mongoloid race. How and why they ended up in the depths of the “Dark Continent”, science does not yet know.

The language of the Bushmen puzzled (and still puzzles!) even linguistic experts. A European cannot not only pronounce half of its sounds, but even write them down. The compilers of dictionaries did not have icons to indicate such sounds, and they simply wrote down: “clicking sound”, “smacking sound”, “kissing sound” and so on.

The Bushmen are nomadic hunters, and the Kalahari, which in the 19th century was considered one of the richest regions in Africa, gave them the opportunity to feed their families with tasty game, as well as the edible roots and juicy fruits of wild melon.

But the appearance of white people with firearms quickly led to a reduction in the number of wild animals, and moreover, more and more watering places began to be captured by the neighboring tribes of Tswana pastoralists, pushing the Bushmen into the driest areas.

However, this intelligent people of born hunters and trackers managed to adapt to new conditions and now roam further south, closer to the basin of the Orange River and its tributaries that dry up in winter.

The ability to find places in dry riverbeds where there may be water under the sand helps them out, allowing them to survive until the rainy season, and the ability to eat everything that moves on the grass or sand, from larvae to locusts, allows them to survive in the event of an unsuccessful hunt.

This amazing tribe evokes involuntary sympathy with its intelligence, musicality, humor and kindness, which, by the way, was demonstrated by the recently released talented film “The gods must have gone crazy...”.

The Okavango crosses from northwest to southeast almost half of the vast southern African country of Botswana, which lies entirely in the Kalahari.

Until recently, this poor pastoral state did not shine with economic success.

But since the 1960s of the 20th century, when several large diamond deposits were discovered in the depths of Botswana, the situation has changed.

Now the country can afford to drill water wells in the dry park forests of the Kalahari, build civilized villages for the Bushmen and Tswana, and, finally, take up the protection of wildlife.

National parks and reserves now occupy almost a fifth of Botswana. They are found in the north, in the Zambezi basin, and in the southwest - on the tributaries of the Orange River.

But the three largest reserves cover the Central Kalahari, Okavango Delta and Lake Makarikari.

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, and people settle along its coast.

The reservoir is known for its diversity of flora and fauna. There are nature reserves in its basin. What the Okavango is and 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 willfulness. The Okavango begins 300 km from the Atlantic Ocean. However, its waters are not directed towards him. They rush towards the Indian Ocean. But they don’t reach him 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 out. 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 floods widely. There are gardens around it, which many compare to Eden. Here you can see the second largest delta in the world. It is second only to the Niger River. Her delta is the widest in the world. Among inland ones there are no equals. Among such bodies of water, the Okavango Delta ranks first in the world.

General geographical information

When exploring the waters of Africa, you should consider the Okavango. This is a unique body of water. The river flows inside the mainland, emptying into the desert. It originates on the Bie plateau (Angola). The river ends in a marshy delta, which is one of the most extensive in the world.

The river is fed largely by rainwater. It does not flow into an ocean, lake, sea or other body of water. The source of the river is located above sea level at an altitude of 1780 m. The mouth (swamp) of the Okavango is located at a level of 700-900 m. This river once flowed into Lake Makgadikgadi. Now it has dried up.

The largest tributary is Quito. It is located on the left side of the reservoir. The river flows in Angola ( upstream). Descending to the south, at a distance of 400 km, it is the natural and political border between this state and Namibia. After this, the river flows in Botswana. In Angola this body of water is called Cubango.

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 stream. Closer to the delta it is about 20 km.

The average water flow along the river is 475 m³/s. During the rainy season, this figure can reach 1 thousand m³/s. When drought occurs, water consumption decreases. During this period it can be only 100 m³/s.

The delta area is about 15 thousand km². During the rainy season it overflows. During this period, the delta occupies about 22 thousand km². Over the course of a year, the water flow is 10 thousand km³. If we convert this figure into tons, we get the amount of solid waste. It is 2 million tons. To this figure is also added 2 million tons of salts that are dissolved in the river. They settle in the delta region when the water begins to evaporate significantly.

The water level is not the same throughout the river. 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. The nights bring coolness. At this time you can see quite a lot of tourists here. The hot and humid period lasts from December to March. The nights at this time are warm, and the temperature during the day reaches +40 ºС. Humidity levels range from 50 to 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. It's quite warm during the day. In September-November the river basin is dry and hot. During the year, an average of 450 mm of precipitation falls in this area.

Current path

The fairly large length of the Okavango River makes the reservoir diverse and different in different sections. From the narrow source it rushes down the rapids. Here the reservoir surrounds the Bie plateau. The river moves along it in a southeast direction.

Before the border with Botswana the stream passes through a series of Popa Falls. They block the river bed across. The width of the stream here reaches 1.2 km. The current becomes calmer on the Kalahari Plain. Here the terrain slope decreases. At the same time, the flow slows down. Its waters spread widely. Numerous branches, lakes and lagoons appear. This is how the largest inland river delta on the planet is formed.

The river's path ends here. However, it does not feed other bodies of water. This is where the kingdom of the Kalahari Desert begins. 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 stormy. A mass of water rushes along the riverbed, spilling after obstacles from waterfalls along numerous branches. The southern one feeds Lake Ngami during high water. This is a fresh body of water.

The northern branch reaches a tributary of the Zambezi, called the Kwando, every few years. It is at such a time that the Okavango finds its way into Indian Ocean. This period does not last long. The northern branch then dries up on its way to Kwando.

Sometimes a branch called Botletle feeds the salt water lake Tskau. It is located on the edge of the swamps of the Makgadikgadi drainage basin. No more than 5% of the water of the entire delta flows here.

The Okavango Delta used to feed Lake Makgadikgadi. Today it is dry. In the basin during the dry seasons you can see 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 drought comes, the basin again becomes a harsh, salty expanse.

Water absorption

The Okavango Delta extends for thousands of kilometers within the continent. This is where the main water absorption occurs. About 60% of the river feeds the plants that abundantly inhabit this marshy 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 the water evaporates from the river’s water surface. This indicator depends on the time of year. About 2% of water goes into the soil. The same amount of river resources goes into feeding Lake Ngami. This can be observed in the years when the Okavango becomes the most flooded. This is not enough for the lake to maintain its position on the northern border of the Kalahari Desert. Therefore, it gradually dries out.

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 shallows appear, the shores are covered with a white coating.

Swamps

The Okavango Estuary 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, extensive delta forms extensive wetlands here. 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 delicate water lilies on the surface of the water, and dense bushes stretch along the banks. Various animals come here to drink. Giraffes, elephants, lions and antelopes, hyenas and leopards walk kilometers to get to the source of life-giving moisture. Here you can find many species waterfowl. Hippos live in the swampy waters of the river delta. There are also a lot of insects here.

People have lived in the Okavango Delta for more than 30 thousand years. However, the population of the basin is small. The abundance of insects that spread malaria and other infections greatly affects this. The peoples of the Bantu group and Bushmen live here.

Flora and fauna

The Okavango River is 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 Okavango Delta. In places where swamps do not dry out all year round, you can observe a large number of water lilies. Pygmy geese have also chosen this place as their home. In the Okavango swamps, hippos, crocodiles, and certain types antelopes (sitatunga, lychee, puku).

Among the birds there are rare species. Here you can find kites, emerald kingfishers, African fish owls, white heron etc. At the bottom there are zebras, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes. Predators here are represented by lions, hyenas and leopards.

Economic indicators

In Africa, the Okavango River is no less important than the Nile. Its waters flow through the territory of 3 Botswana and Namibia are in conflict over the ownership of the river’s precious water. There are practically no people walking along the shores of the Okavango economic activity. That's why the water here is clean.

Angola is trying to strengthen the position of its national economy through the construction of a dam. Namibia uses the resources supplied by the previously built canal. It is also planned to build a pipeline for water supply here.

The delta wetland is 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. A safari is organized for them. Therefore the importance water resources for this state, contributing to the maintenance of life in the Okavango Delta cannot be overestimated. To resolve the conflict that arose due to the water consumption of Okavango resources between these three countries, a special commission was organized.

What makes the Okavango Delta unique? Despite the hot climate and 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 islands were formed in termite mounds.

The surface of the river delta is almost flat. Therefore, it takes water about 7 months to cover the distance from the source to its southern edge. Huge size The basin of the reservoir, the diversity of flora and fauna attract a lot of tourists here. However, only 4 thousand tourists per 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. Management here is not highly technological. Local tribes are engaged in animal husbandry, fishing, and hunting. Diamonds are mined on a large scale in Botswana. However, this does not save the local population from hunger, epidemics, and drought.

Previously, cattle were not grazed in the swampy areas of the Okavango Delta. People carried out this activity at some distance from these places. There were many insects here, including the tsetse fly. The spread of diseases and infections led to the fact that cattle breeding since ancient times was carried out closer to the beginning of the delta, away from it.

With development modern technologies Here they began to use chemicals against insects. The danger of infection has been eliminated. Shepherds began driving their cattle into the virgin swamps of the river delta. This led to the displacement of antelopes and some other species of animals from their original pastures. Their population began to decline. It is for this reason that reserves began to be organized. They contribute to the spread of indigenous animal and plant species in the Okavango Basin. Without this, the area faces a natural disaster.

Having considered the features, Interesting Facts about the Okavango River, you can get an idea of ​​this body of water and appreciate its importance for the largest oasis on the planet.

The Okavango Delta is called nothing less than a wonder of the world and an oasis among the undeveloped corners of the African continent. The delta of this river is truly unique nature education. Okavango flows through northwestern regions Botswana, and the indigenous population has long called it the river that “can never find its ocean.”

The Okavango flows through Africa, then breaks up into branches, and then completely disappears into the hot sands of the Kalahari (hence the curious name). Because of quite slow flow water is formed and the largest internal delta, which consists of large quantity canals and swamps.

The Okavango Delta has long been a haven for various types animals and plants. In a word, the entire territory of the river is a colossal natural zoo-reserve.

In the upper reaches of the delta, reed thickets and open areas shelter a considerable number of different birds, including a number of very rare ones. Ornithologists count more than 400 species there. This area is inhabited by the African fishing kite, bee-eater, emerald kingfisher, and fishing owl.

The lower reaches are a place of floodplain meadows and thorny acacia thickets. And accordingly, it attracts nomadic steppe animals - buffalos, zebras, antelopes and elephants - like a magnet. Of course, there are also predators - prides of lions, hyenas, and also leopards. In addition, the river delta is also home to a fairly large population of hippopotamuses. What can I say, here are ideal conditions for them.

The Okavango Delta is recognized by travelers as one of the most popular tourist places. If necessary, you can stay here in a comfortable hotel-lodge. And after that go on a safari. It is worth noting that elephant safari is one of the popular services here.