Source: News on Air
Subject: Mapping
Context: During President of India state visit to Botswana, the country announced the donation of eight cheetahs to India under Project Cheetah.
About Botswana:
- What it is?
- Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, renowned for its democratic stability, wildlife diversity, and conservation-led development model. It gained independence from Britain in 1966 and has since become one of Africa’s most peaceful and prosperous nations.
- Located in: The centre of Southern Africa, roughly triangular in shape, covering about 600 miles north–south and east–west.
- Neighbouring Border Nations: Namibia (Caprivi Strip), Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
- Geological & Physical Features:
- Lies on a high inland plateau (~1,000 m elevation) dominated by the Kalahari Desert sands.
- Divided into three main regions:
- Hardveld (rocky hills and shallow soils in the east)
- Sandveld (deep Kalahari sands covering most of the country)
- Ancient lakebeds and wetlands in the north (Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi Pans).
- Major rivers include the Okavango, Chobe, and Limpopo; rainfall is sparse and seasonal.
- Climate: Semi-arid, with hot summers (up to 34°C) and dry winters; cyclic droughts are frequent.
About Cheetah Distribution Worldwide:
- Global Range: Once widespread across Africa, the Middle East, and India, cheetahs now occupy only ~9–10% of their historical range.
- Current Population: Around 7,100 adult and adolescent cheetahs remain globally.
- African Distribution:
- Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia) holds the largest population, retaining about 22% of the species’ former range.
- Eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania) retains about 6%.
