2The Okavango

The Okavango River originates in the highlands of Angola before flowing 1,000 mi (1,600 km) into the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The Okavango stands out among major river systems in the way it does not discharge its waters into the sea. Seasonal river flows work their way into the delta and fan out to create an enormous inland floodplain

The result is a tremendous flourishing of plant and animal life. Typically, rainfall in the Angolan Highlands in January spends nearly a month traveling to the delta regions before spreading out over the next four months. This annual ebb and flow causes the Okavango Delta to swell to three times its permanent size and to attract one of the greatest annual concentrations of wildlife in all Africa.

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