Kalahari Desert

Extending from Botswana into areas of South Africa and Namibia, the Kalahari Desert's 900,000 sq km area is unusually diverse in climatic and physical features. Only the southwest can be described as true desert, with grassy ridges and small red sand dunes. Under the guardianship of several South African national parks, the wildlife flourishes here. Black-maned lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe and mongoose are just a few of the indigenous animals who live in the Kalahari Desert, alongside a family of meerkats of BBC fame. There are also 280 different kinds of birds. Some of the world's most productive diamond mines are in the Kalahari Desert, including the De Beers company. Humans who inhabited these open spaces around 20,000 years ago were the ancestors of the Bushmen who live there today, known for their unique language of tongue clicks (Khoisan). Their ancient relatives left behind rock art which documents their history in a very personal way, most notably in Tsodilo, Botswana—believed to be a gathering place for the spirits of generations past.