Brief :

Article: The Miracle is this : Okavango Delta. (pages. 46-67)

1. Meaning Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta is the flood was snakes down to the Okavango River and spreads across the delta.

- What?
Most of the Okavango River lies in Angola and Namibia Countries. Delta is a golden egg and it has border joined with Botswana country- Botswana has strong economic as well as political they wanted keep delta pristine.

- Where is location?
At part of Southern Africa, location is very flat, and the floodwater take 3 months to reach the delta and four more to traverse its 150 mile length. The flood has increased the Okavango’s wetland area by 2 or 3 times.

- How?
The flood of Okavango moves on multiple fronts like the columns of an army and we called is water of life. This miracle of flood is happens in slow motion.

2. From space : Appearance of Okavango Delta on the Earth
Okavango Delta is looks like the footprint of a bird – (see pictures). Water flows into the system through the leg, called the Panhandle, a trip of land 60 miles long and 9 miles wide along which the Okavango River meanders in lazy loops.
- The flood peaks in April – raising the level of the Okavango River by six feet.
- In May the level has started to drop.
- October is the time of sadness –called October suicide month, the water sucked up in to the atmosphere. The floodplains dry out, and water levels in the channels and lagoons drop to their lowest levels. However, when the flood start rise up in April, the miracle would begin again.
- Deadly ---The waters of the delta are full of crocodiles – Poem of The Bayie people teach their children about this river and crocodiles that “I am the river, My surface gives you life. Below is death.” – means in water, crocodiles are very dangerous.

3. People
People have been living with the dangers and the bounty of delta for at least 100,000 years. (see the map and explanation)
- The local people make good use of the molapo - the floodplain:
o During the flood they fish, and in the dry season the graze cattle.
o All year round they haves fruits, cut thatching grass and reeds, and hunt game on these productive lands.
o Transport in delta by canoe.
o Local animals: birds call jacanas or lily trotters, Hippo..etc. (look at pictures).

4. What is happen now?(The water takes through the Delta)
- One things that David Doubilet said it has changed is “the part of water takes through the delta.”
- At the past:
o In the 1849, much of water flow was down the western channel system and into Lake Ngami – a fine-looking sheet of the water flow. (David Livingstone - first journey, p.59)
o In the 1880s, the water flow, responding to range of subtle landscape cues, began to favor the eastern channels.
o Now the Lake Ngami is dried up.

5. Special animals
Termites, hippos, and papyrus – these three biological influences are part of a system as intricate and responsive as any on Earth.



Reference List:
Warne, K. (2004, December). The miracle is this. National Geographic, 206 (6), 42-67.
Picarol, L, A. (2009). Bostwana (Land and Climate). World Book Inc, (Vol.2, pp. 511-512).
Deltas. (1999). Okavango Delta. Retrieved on 3rd June, 2010.
From:http://www.greatestplaces.org/book_pages/okavango/deltas.html
Info. (n.d.). Okvango-Delta.net. Retrieved on 3rd June, 2010.
From: http://www.okavango-delta.net/info.htm
Map of Okavango Delta. (1999). Okavango Delta. Retrieved on 3rd June, 2010.
From: http://www.greatestplaces.org/images/maps/okvgomap.htm
When to go to the Okavango Delta. (n.d.). Okavango Delta. Retrieved on 3rd June, 2010.
From: http://www.go2africa.com/botswana/okavango-delta/african-safari-guide/when-to-go-to-the-okavango-delta