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| Makgadikgadi Pan | |
|---|---|
 The Makgadikgadipans are clearly visible to the right of the dark-green broom-shapedOkavango Delta in this satellite image ofBotswana | |
 The main water source is theNata River, called Amanzanyama inZimbabwe, where it rises atSandown about 37 mi (59.5 km) fromBulawayo. A smaller amount of water is supplied by theBoteti River from the Okavango delta. | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Okavango Delta |
| Country | Botswana |
| Coordinates | 20°48′S25°20′E / 20.800°S 25.333°E /-20.800; 25.333 |
TheMakgadikgadi Pan/məˈkædiˈkædi/ (Tswana pronunciation[makχʰadiˈkχʰaːdi][needs tone]), asalt pan situated in the middle of the drysavanna of north-easternBotswana, is one of the largestsalt flats in the world. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormousLake Makgadikgadi, which once covered an area larger thanSwitzerland, but dried up tens of thousands of years ago. Recent studies of humanmitochondrial DNA suggest that modernHomo sapiens first began to evolve in this region some 200,000 years ago, when it was a vast, exceptionally fertile area of lakes, rivers, marshes, woodlands and grasslands especially favorable for habitation by evolving hominins and other mammals.[1]
Lying southeast of theOkavango Delta and surrounded by theKalahari Desert, Makgadikgadi is technically not a single pan, but many pans with sandydesert in between, the largest being theSua (Sowa),Ntwetwe andNxai Pans. The largest individual pan is about 1,900 sq mi (4,921.0 km2). In comparison,Salar de Uyuni inBolivia is a single salt flat of 4,100 sq mi (10,619.0 km2), rarely has much water, and is generally claimed to be the world's largest salt pan. A dry, salty, clay crust most of the year, the pans are seasonally covered with water and grass, and are then a refuge for birds and animals in this very arid part of the world. The climate is hot and dry, but with regular annual rains.
The main water source is the 330 kilometers (210 mi) longNata River, called Amanzanyama inZimbabwe, where it rises atSandown about 37 mi (59.5 km) fromBulawayo. A smaller amount of water is supplied by theBoteti River from the Okavango Delta.[2]
These salt pans cover 6,200 sq mi (16,057.9 km2) in theKalahari Basin and form the bed of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi, which evaporated many millennia ago.Archaeological recovery in the Makgadikgadi Pan has revealed the presence of prehistoric humans through abundant finds of stone tools; some of these tools have been dated sufficiently early to establish their origin as earlier than the era ofHomo sapiens.[3] Pastoralists herded grazing livestock here when water was more plentiful earlier in theHolocene.[4]
The lowest place in the basin isSua Pan with an elevation of 2,920 feet.[5]
As the ancestral Lake Makgadikgadi shrank, it left relic shorelines, which are most evident in the southwestern part of the basin.[5] As the lake shrank numerous smaller lakes formed with progressively smaller shorelines. The relic shorelines at elevations of 3100 feet (945 m) and 3018 feet (920 m) can be seen mostly easily on Gidikwe Ridge, west of theBoteti River.[5]
The geologic processes behind the formation of the basin are not well understood. It is conjectured that there was a gentle down-warping of thecrust, with accompanying mildtectonics and associated faulting; however, no significant plate boundary faults have been identified.[5][6] The main axis of the developinggraben runs northeast–southwest.[7]
Kubu Island and Kukome Island areigneous rock "islands" in the salt flat of Sua pan.[8] Kubu Island lies in the southwestern quadrant of Sua Pan, contains a number ofbaobab trees, and is protected as a national monument.[9]
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The pans themselves are salty desert whose only plant life is a thin layer of blue-greenalgae. However the fringes of the pan aresalt marshes and further out these are circled by grassland and then shrubby savanna. The prominent baobab trees found in the area function as local landmarks. One of them, named afterJames Chapman, served as an unofficial post office for 19th-century explorers.[10]
Very little wildlife can exist here during the harsh dry season of strong hot winds and only salt water, but following a rain the pan becomes an important habitat for migrating animals includingwildebeest and one ofAfrica's biggestzebra populations, and the large predators that prey on them. The wet season also bringsmigratory birds such as ducks, geese andgreat white pelicans. The pan is home of one of only two breeding populations ofgreater flamingos in southern Africa, and only on the Soa pan, which is part of the Makgadikgadi pans. The other breeding population is at Etosha, in the Northern part ofNamibia. The only birds here in the dry season areostriches,chestnut-banded plover(Charadrius pallidus) andKittlitz's plover(Charadrius pecuarius). The grasslands on the fringes of the pan are home to reptiles such astortoises, rock monitor(Varanus albigularis), snakes and lizards including the endemicMakgadikgadi spiny agama(Agama hispida makgadikgadiensis).The region's salt water is home to thecladoceran crustaceanMoina belli.
The salt pans are very inhospitable and human intervention has been minimal so they remain fairly undisturbed, although land surrounding the pans is used for grazing and some areas have been fenced off, preventing the migration of wildlife. Modern commercial operations to extractsalt andsoda ash began on Sua Pan in 1991, and there are also plans to divert water from theNata River for irrigation, which would cause severe damage to the salt pan ecosystem. Another threat is the use of quad bikes and off-road vehicles by tourists, which disturbs breeding colonies of flamingos. Illegal hunting in the national parks is a persistent problem.[citation needed]
There are some protected areas within the Makgadikgadi andNxai Pan National Park. The Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve is the scene of large migrations of zebra and wildebeest from the Boteti River across to Ntwetwe Pan, while the Nata Sanctuary in Sua Pan is a place to see birdlife and antelopes. In Nxai Pan thebaobabs painted by 19th century British artistThomas Baines are still visible. The area can be accessed between the towns ofNata andMaun, or from the town ofGweta.
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