Okavango Delta

The world's largest inland delta, a desert oasis in Botswana/Water

The Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana is the world's largest inland delta, formed where the Okavango River empties not into the sea but into the Kalahari Desert. During the annual flood (which peaks between June and August, Botswana's winter), the delta swells from roughly 15,000 to 22,000 square kilometers, creating a lush oasis that supports one of Africa's densest concentrations of wildlife. Remarkably, approximately 96% of the water that enters the delta is lost to evaporation and transpiration rather than outflow. The delta became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.