Botswana is the landlocked country home to the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta.
The Okavango River flows from Angola into northern Botswana, where it spreads across a broad, seasonally flooded basin instead of reaching the sea. Much of the water is lost through evaporation and plant transpiration, creating a remarkable wetland in an otherwise dry region. The delta’s annual flood usually arrives during Botswana’s dry season.
The Okavango Delta supports elephants, hippos, lions, African wild dogs, and many bird species. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2014. Its channels, lagoons, islands, and floodplains change shape as water levels shift.
Botswana is surrounded by Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and a short border with Zambia. Gaborone is the capital, while Maun is a major gateway to the delta. The wetland is therefore inland rather than coastal, making “inland delta” a more precise term than ordinary river delta.