List of World Heritage Sites in Botswana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.[1] Botswana accepted the convention on November 23, 1998, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2023, Botswana has two World Heritage Sites.[2]

Location of sites[edit]

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Location of World Heritage Sites in  Botswana

List of sites[edit]

Name Image Location Criteria Year Description
Tsodilo Ngamiland District

18°45′00″S 21°44′00″E / 18.75°S 21.733333°E / -18.75; 21.733333 (Tsodilo)

Cultural (i) (iii) (vi) 2001 With one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, Tsodilo has been called the Louvre of the Desert. Over 4,500 paintings are preserved in an area of only 10 km2 of the Kalahari Desert. The archaeological record of the area gives a chronological account of human activities and environmental changes over at least 100,000 years. Local communities in this hostile environment respect Tsodilo as a place of worship frequented by ancestral spirits.[3]
Okavango Delta Ngamiland District

19°24′S 22°54′E / 19.4°S 22.9°E / -19.4; 22.9 (Okavango Delta)

Natural (vii) (ix) (x) 2014 This delta in north-west Botswana comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean, with a wetland system that is almost intact. One of the unique characteristics of the site is that the annual flooding from the River Okavango occurs during the dry season, with the result that the native plants and animals have synchronized their biological cycles with these seasonal rains and floods. It is an exceptional example of the interaction between climatic, hydrological and biological processes. The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most endangered species of large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion.[4]

Tentative List[edit]

Site Image Location Criteria Area
ha (acre)
 Year of submission Description
Toutswemogala Hill Iron Age Settlement Central District 22°13′57″S 27°11′57″E / 22.2325°S 27.199167°E / -22.2325; 27.199167 (Toutswemogala Hill Iron Age Settlement) Cultural (ii) (iii) (iv) 1999 [5]
Central Kalahari Game Reserve Ghanzi District, Kweneng District 21°53′22″S 23°45′23″E / 21.8895°S 23.7565°E / -21.8895; 23.7565 (Central Kalahari Game Reserve) Mixed (v) (vii) (ix) 2010 [6]
Chobe Linyanti System Chobe District 18°39′S 24°24′E / 18.65°S 24.4°E / -18.65; 24.4 (Chobe Linyanti System) Natural (ix) (x) 2010 [7]
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape Central District 22°11′33″S 29°14′20″E / 22.1925°S 29.238889°E / -22.1925; 29.238889 (Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape) Cultural (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) 2010 [8]
Gcwihaba Caves Ngamiland District 20°01′27″S 21°21′15″E / 20.024267°S 21.3543°E / -20.024267; 21.3543 (Gcwihaba Caves) Natural (vii) (viii) 2010 [9]
Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape Central District 20°48′00″S 25°20′00″E / 20.8°S 25.333333°E / -20.8; 25.333333 (Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape) Mixed (v) (vii) (viii) (x) 2010 [10]
Tswapong Hills Cultural Landscape Central District 22°39′00″S 27°31′00″E / 22.65°S 27.516667°E / -22.65; 27.516667 (Tswapong Hills Cultural Landscape) Cultural (v) (vi) 2010 [11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The World Heritage Convention". UNESCO. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Botswana". UNESCO. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  3. ^ "Tsodilo". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20. Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
  4. ^ "Okavango Delta". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20. Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
  5. ^ "Toutswemogala Hill Iron Age Settlement". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. ^ "Central Kalahari Game Reserve". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  7. ^ "Chobe Linyanti System". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  8. ^ "Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  9. ^ "Gcwihaba Caves". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  10. ^ "Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  11. ^ "Tswapong Hills Cultural Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
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