Botswana Geography
LocationSouthern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates
22 00 S, 24 00 E
Area
total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km
water: 15,000 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Elevation extremes
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
Natural resources
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Land use
arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.34% (2001)
Irrigated land
10 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environment - current issues
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
