Botswana vs. Zambia
Geography
| Botswana | Zambia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southern Africa, north of South Africa | Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic coordinates | 22 00 S, 24 00 E | 15 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: 752,618 sq km land: 743,398 sq km water: 9,220 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois | almost five times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Texas |
| 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: 6,043.15 km border countries (8): Angola 1065 km, Botswana 0.15 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2332 km, Malawi 847 km, Mozambique 439 km, Namibia 244 km, Tanzania 353 km, Zimbabwe 763 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers | tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April) |
| Terrain | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest | mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains |
| 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: Mafinga Central 2,330 m lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m mean elevation: 1,138 m |
| Natural resources | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver | copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower |
| 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: 31.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 26.9% (2018 est.) forest: 66.3% (2018 est.) other: 2% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2012) | 1,560 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 | periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April) |
| Environment - current issues | overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution | air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; loss of biodiversity; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks |
| 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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 Zimbabwe; 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.) | 104.8 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 | one of the highest levels of urbanization in Africa; high density in the central area, particularly around the cities of Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, and Mufulira as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
