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Kalahari Desert Facts & Worksheets

The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa that spans 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 square miles) and encompasses much of Botswana and sections of Namibia and South Africa.

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The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa that spans 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 square miles) and encompasses much of Botswana and sections of Namibia and South Africa.

See the fact file below for more information about the Kalahari Desert, or you can download our 29-page Kalahari Desert worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The Kalahari Desert developed between 60 and 135 million years ago. Its first residents were the San, a tribe of indigenous peoples from southern Africa. They were known as Bushmen and lived as hunter-gatherers in the Kalahari for tens of thousands of years, isolated from other societies. They survived on animals, insects, fruit, and native roots while armed with varied equipment such as bows and arrows.
  • At one time, when the dry riverbanks that now only contain water during rainy seasons were formed, it was a lake covering roughly the same size as Lake Victoria today.
  • Along with William C. Oswell, David Livingstone became the first European to travel across the Kalahari in 1849. A group of Boers traveled from the Transvaal via the Kalahari to Ngami and into Angola in 1878–1879, pulling over 300 wagons. 
  • Following Livingstone, the first European explorers to set foot in the Kalahari were traders, missionaries, tourists, and hunters of ivory. In the Ghanzi District, where several families were granted ranching blocks in the 1890s, there was only one European colony. 
  • Moreover, they lived in poverty and isolation until the 1960s, but after that, they were able to acquire land ownership and better their living circumstances. Most other white people in the Kalahari work for the government or run their businesses.

ETYMOLOGY

  • The name “Kalahari” comes from the Tswana words “kgala,” which means “the great thirst,” and “kgalagadi,” which means “a waterless place.” The Kalahari is characterized by large stretches of red sand devoid of surface water.

GEOGRAPHY

  • Dry black valleys occasionally flooded pans, and the vast salt pans of Namibia’s Etosha Pan and Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pan drain the desert. The Okavango, the sole perennial river, empties into a delta in the northwest to create marshes teeming with species. 
  • The central northern sections of the Kalahari are crossed by ancient dry riverbeds known as omuramba, which offer residual pools of water during the rainy period.
  • More animals and flora are found in the north of the Kalahari than in the south. This semi-desert features vast areas of superb grazing following heavy rainfall than in a genuine desert like the Namib Desert to the west. The summertime temperature is exceptionally high, and there is minimal rainfall. The wettest regions typically receive slightly more than 500 millimeters (20 in) of rain annually, while the driest portions usually receive 110–200 millimeters (4.3–7.9 in). 
  • Over 2,500,000 square kilometers (970,000 sq. mi) comprise the adjacent Kalahari Basin, which also reaches into sections of Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.
  • Walter Wagner at Sciforum’s article on the vast, formerly wet regions of the Kalahari has a lot of information about this pan, including other pans and riverbeds. The vast Kalahari Desert stretches further north, where long, deserted roads remain.

CLIMATE

  • Where salt lakes, savannahs, and dry forests predominate, the north and east have a sub-humid climate to a semi-arid one. A Kalaharian semi-arid climate prevails in the south and west, where the xeric savanna or a semi-desert dominates the vegetation.
  • A Kalaharian climate is semi-arid, with the dry season lasting from April to September, the coldest six months of the year. It is subtropical, with average annual temperatures in the range of 15 to 18 °C, at peaks reaching 40 °C and above, and the mean monthly temperature in the coldest month strictly below 18 °C.
  • Furthermore, the altitude, which varies from 600 to 1600 meters and results in temperatures lower than that of the Sahel or Sahara, has been offered as the reason why Kalaharian weather is not tropical.
  • Depending on the location, the wet season can range from one month to four months, while the dry period lasts eight months or longer. The driest part of the Kalahari is in the southwest, especially a narrow strip just west-southwest of Tsaraxaibis (southeast of Namibia).
  • Over the past million years, the Kalahari has experienced a complex climate history in tandem with significant global changes. Reconstructed changes over the last 250,000 years from various data sources show evidence of extensive lakes and periods of drought in the past. In the latter, portions of western Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Angola have been included in the Kalahari region.

FLORA AND FAUNA

  • The Kalahari supports a range of flora because of its low level of aridity. Acacia trees, as well as numerous other herbs and grasses, make up the native flora. 
  • On the other hand, even in areas of the Kalahari desert that receive enough precipitation to be considered deserts, the excessively thick ground cover prevents them from being considered true deserts.
  • A large number of migratory animals and birds call the Kalahari home. The riverbeds, once refuges for various wild animals, including giraffes and elephants, as well as predators like lions and cheetahs, are now primarily used for grazing. But cheetahs and leopards are still around. 
  • For instance, wildlife movement is restricted by cattle fences and heavy grazing in the area. Regarding latitude and formation process, the Kalahari desert in the Southern Hemisphere most closely resembles certain deserts in Australia.
  • Large predators like the lion (Panthera leo), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), leopard (Panthera pardus), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus pictus) are among the many species present in the region; there are not many endemic species. Predators include falcons, goshawks, kestrels, kites, and the secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius), as well as other raptors such as the giant eagle owl (Bubo lacteus), other eagles, and martial eagles (Polemaetus bellicosus). Other creatures include ostriches (Struthio camelus), porcupines (Hystrix africaeaustralis), wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok, and other antelopes.

POPULATION AND SETTLEMENTS

  • The San are hunter-gatherers who have inhabited the Kalahari for 20,000 years. They use poison arrows and bows to hunt wild game and gather insects and edible plants like melons, berries, and nuts. Most of the water needed by the San comes from plant roots and desert melons found on or beneath the desert floor. 
  • The San people reside in huts constructed from natural materials, with long grass thatching on the roof and branches as the frame. Their methods of hunting and gathering resemble those of prehistoric tribes for the most part. The Kalahari desert is also home to a small population of European settlers and the Bantu-speaking Tswana, Kgalagadi, and Herero people.
  • The Kalahari stretches across three countries: South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. The following are settlements within the Kalahari:

Kalahari Desert Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Kalahari Desert across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Kalahari Desert. The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa that spans 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 square miles) and encompasses much of Botswana and sections of Namibia and South Africa.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Kalahari Desert Facts
  2. Kalahari Timeline
  3. Worth a Read
  4. Thread it
  5. Top Six
  6. Behind a Picture
  7. A Good Samaritan
  8. All About the Kalahari
  9. #KALofBirds
  10. I DeSORT My Tour!
  11. Cause and Effect

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Kalahari Desert located?

The Kalahari Desert is located in southern Africa, covering parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.

Is the Kalahari a true desert?

The Kalahari is often referred to as a “semi-desert” because it receives more rainfall compared to typical deserts. However, it still meets the criteria of a desert due to its low precipitation levels.

What is the climate of the Kalahari Desert like?

The Kalahari has a semi-arid climate with hot temperatures during the day and cooler temperatures at night. Rainfall is generally low and sporadic, occurring mainly during the summer months.

What unique wildlife can be found in the Kalahari Desert?

The Kalahari is home to a variety of wildlife, including meerkats, gemsbok (oryx), springbok, and Kalahari lions. The desert’s ecosystems support a range of adapted flora and fauna that have evolved to thrive in the arid conditions.

How do people in the Kalahari Desert traditionally adapt to the harsh environment?

Indigenous peoples, such as the San people (Bushmen), have lived in the Kalahari for thousands of years. They have developed a deep understanding of the environment and have traditionally relied on hunting and gathering. Their survival techniques include knowledge of water sources, medicinal plants, and tracking skills for hunting.

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Link will appear as Kalahari Desert Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 30, 2024

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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