The power of the sun changes the seasons, transforming our planet. Large areas of ocean and atmospheric currents cause dramatic changes throughout the year. In a few special places, these seasonal changes create some of the most spectacular events in the world. Every year in Botswana, Africa, in the desert lands of the Kalahari, a miraculous transformation takes place in the Okavango Delta. During the month of June, when the land is tightly subjected to the dry season of the African winter, a flood of life-giving water transforms an unforgiving desert into a watery paradise, known as Okavango. Large herds roam the country for months, anticipating an event that will ultimately save their lives. The timing and location of the Okavango floods affect the lives of millions of animals, creating one of nature's most astonishing events. When the flood occurs, it transforms dry land into an aquatic paradise teeming with a wide variety of wildlife. For some, the flood is a real paradise like crocodiles, hippos, sitatunga and even elephant herds, while others have to deal with unusual conditions like cheetahs, giraffes, lions and others . In the heart of southern Africa lies the Kalahari Desert. It covers almost 400,000 square miles, stretching across most of Botswana and parts of South Africa and Namibia. Rainfall is scarce, plants are less productive than in other parts of Africa, nutrients are low, and the Kalahari Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Yet large herds survive in the Okavango. They have a nomadic existence, traveling great distances in search of food and water. When the dry season begins, it won't rain for 8 months, so life, already tough, is about to get tougher. The secret of the Okavango flood...... middle of paper ...... the center of a desert, the Okavango flood creates a paradise unrivaled in all of Africa.ReferencesHolding, M. (2009) Nature’s Great Events. London: The University of Chicago Press. Keen, C. (1997). Physical geography of the greatest places. Retrieved 01/04/13 from http://www.greatestplaces.org/notes/okavango.htm Wolskia, P., Savenijeb, HHG, Murray-Hudsona, M. and Gumbricht, M. (2006). Flood modeling in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, using a hybrid reservoir-GIS model. Retrieved 03/04/13 from ftp://168.167.30.140/Mosimanyana/Okavango_Research_Papers/My%20Disc/Del ta%20Models/Wolski_Modelling%20of%20the%20flooding%20in%20the%20O kavango%20Delta.pdfOosterbaan, RJ, Kortenhorst, LF and Sprey, LH (1986). Development of flood recession crops in the Molapo of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Accessed 03/29/13 http://www.waterlog.info/pdf/molapos.pdf