The Okavango Swamp is the world's largest inland delta
and is the drainage site of the Okavango [Cuango] River. The
Okavango Swamp covers a region that was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi,
an ancient lake that dried up some 10,000 years ago. Unlike
many of the other worlds great deltas, the Okavango Delta has no outlet
to the sea, it empties into the sands of the Kalahari desert where are
large amount of salt has precipitated as a result, covering an area of
over 15,000 square kilometers. The waters of the Okavango are
unusually pure because of the lack of industrialization surrounding the
river. Seasonal flooding of the Okavango Delta begins about
mid-summer in the north and about six months later in the
south. High temperatures and a sub-tropical climate
contribute to high levels of evaporation, causing a cresting and
dropping cycle of the water levels mainly in the south.
During the peak of the flooding season the islands in the delta can
disappear and then reappear when the flood waters recede.
These countless islands that emerge from its waterways give rise to
several diverse ecosystems, which in turn are home to vast numbers of
game and a myriad of bird species. The Okavango Swamp is a
matrix of papyrus swamps, reed beds, streams, lily ponds, islands and
long stretches of cool, clear water. Because of its vastness,
the Okavango's heart is only accessible by air and once there travel is
usually restricted to dugout canoes called mokoro canoes. The
location of the Okavango Delta is unique in that it lies in the largest
stretch of continuous sand in the world, but provides an incredible
source of life in a country that is 80% arid.
The Okavango region is occupied by five distinct ethnic groups:
Hambukushu, Dceriku, Dceriku, Bugakhwe, and
||anikhwe. The Hambukushu, Dceriku, and Wayeyi are all Bantus
who have traditionally engaged in mixed economies of millet/sorghum
agriculture; fishing, hunting, and the collection of wild plant foods;
and pastoralism. The Bugakhwe and ||anikwhe are Bushmen who have
traditionally practiced fishing, hunting, and the collection of wild
plant foods; Bugakhwe utilized both forest and riverine resources while
the ||anikhwe mostly focused on riverine resources. For all
these ethnic group, the Angolan Highlands, the Okavango River and
ultimately the Okavango Swamp provide an unmeasurable amount of food
and land rich in nutrients. |
