History of the Okavango Delta

Origin of the Delta

The Okavango Delta is one of the world’s natural wonders and the largest inland delta on the planet, but by geological standards it is still fairly young. A few million years ago the Okavango and the Zambezi fed the enormous Lake Makgadikgadi. The lake ancient lake covered up to 80,000 square kilometres – most of Northern Botswana – giving the landscape a very different character. Many fresh water fish species are said to originate here. Eventually tectonic changes that also caused the formation of the Victoria Falls and change in climate caused Lake Makgadikgadi to dry out some 10,000 years ago. The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the traces the huge lake left in a mostly arid country.

The water from the Angolan highlands that shapes the Okavango Delta now comes to a dead end after feeding one of the most lush and diverse habitats on this planet. During the rainy season the delta covers an area as large as 12,000 square kilometres, however 95 percent of the water evaporates leaving the rest of the country dry and thirsty.

Early Inhabitants

The Khoisan hunter gatherers have inhabited the area of the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta since the Late Stone Age. About 2,000 years ago Bantu tribes such as the Tswana migrated south to take over this area. The Tswana were farmers and hunters who now make up the majority of Botswana’s population. It was the BaTawana who in 1962 proclaimed the Moremi Game Reserve, named after a BaTwana Chief. The reserve originally had a hunter gatherer tribe living within its border, but the Bushmen were driven out by the government.

The Okavango area was always scarcely populated, possibly due to the presence of malaria and sleeping sickness. In the absence of human interference the wildlife flourished into one of the most rich and diverse habitats.

The Delta Today

The Okavango Delta lives on sustainable tourism. The people of Botswana know that their wildlife is an important drawcard to bring tourists and foreign currency into their country. Game viewing and photographic safaris have trumped cattle farming, game hunting and poaching.

Tourism in the Okavango Delta also benefits from the economical stability of Botswana. Nature has blessed a scarcely populated country with diamonds and stunning wildlife areas. So far Botswana has made the right moves to benefit the citizens, the wildlife and their increasing numbers of visitors. The combination of civil stability and magnificent untouched wildlife attracts many tourists and the money from the tourism industry helps to aid nature conservation. If all goes well the oasis of the Okavango Delta will amaze many generations after us.