Botswana vs. Namibia
Geography
| Botswana | Namibia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southern Africa, north of South Africa | Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa |
| Geographic coordinates | 22 00 S, 24 00 E | 22 00 S, 17 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 581,730 sq km land: 566,730 sq km water: 15,000 sq km | total: 824,292 sq km land: 823,290 sq km water: 1,002 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois | almost seven times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly more than half the size of Alaska |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,347.15 km border countries (4): Namibia 1544 km, South Africa 1969 km, Zambia 0.15 km, Zimbabwe 834 km | total: 4,220 km border countries (4): Angola 1427 km, Botswana 1544 km, South Africa 1005 km, Zambia 244 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 1,572 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers | desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic |
| Terrain | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest | mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m mean elevation: 1,013 m | highest point: Konigstein on Brandberg 2,573 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 1,141 m |
| Natural resources | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver | diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish, note, suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore |
| Land use | agricultural land: 45.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 45.2% (2018 est.) forest: 19.8% (2018 est.) other: 34.4% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 47.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 46.2% (2018 est.) forest: 8.8% (2018 est.) other: 44% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2012) | 80 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility | prolonged periods of drought |
| Environment - current issues | overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution | depletion and degradation of water and aquatic resources; desertification; land degradation; loss of biodiversity and biotic resources; wildlife poaching |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | landlocked; population concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country | the Namib Desert, after which the country is named, is considered to be the oldest desert in the world; Namibia is the first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip; Namib-Naukluft National Park (49,768 sq km), is the largest game park in Africa and one of the largest in the world |
| Total renewable water resources | 12.24 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 39.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west as shown in this population distribution map | population density is very low, with the largest clustering found in the extreme north-central area along the border with Angola as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
