Botswana vs. Zimbabwe
Geography
| Botswana | Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southern Africa, north of South Africa | Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia |
| Geographic coordinates | 22 00 S, 24 00 E | 20 00 S, 30 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 581,730 sq km land: 566,730 sq km water: 15,000 sq km | total: 390,757 sq km land: 386,847 sq km water: 3,910 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois | about four times the size of Indiana; slightly larger than Montana |
| 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: 3,229 km border countries (4): Botswana 834 km, Mozambique 1402 km, South Africa 230 km, Zambia 763 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers | tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March) |
| Terrain | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest | mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains 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: Inyangani 2,592 m lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m mean elevation: 961 m |
| Natural resources | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver | coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals |
| 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: 42.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 10.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 31.3% (2018 est.) forest: 39.5% (2018 est.) other: 18% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2012) | 1,740 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 | recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare |
| Environment - current issues | overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution | deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution |
| 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: 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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | landlocked; population concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country | landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi) |
| Total renewable water resources | 12.24 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 20 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 | Aside from major urban agglomerations in Harare and Bulawayo, population distribution is fairly even, with slightly greater overall numbers in the eastern half as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
