The !Kung are the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa. They have lived in the harsh conditions of the Kalahari Desert for at least 20,000 years, are the descendant of Africa's oldest cultural group, and are genetically the closest surviving people of the original Homo-sapian "core" from which the first people of Africa emerged. Today, the !Kung live in Southern Africa in the following countries: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola. But because of rock art, we know that they lived as far north as Libya, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in the past.

The Desert got its name from the people of Tswana. the word "Kgala" means "the Great Thirst" and the word "Kalagari" meaning "A Waterless Place". The Kalahari Desert is a semi-arid sandy savannah located in Southern Africa measuring approximately 900,000 sq. Kilometers (350,000 sp. Miles) that covers a large area of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The Kalahari supports more types of planes and animals than a true desert but rainfall is still very small; the driest areas usually receive 4-7 inches per year, and the wettest, approximately 20 inches a year. The Kalahari Basin covers another 2,500,000 sq. Kilometers (970,000 sq. Miles).

The Kalahari is home to a wide range of migratory birds and animals. In this region, Elephants, Giraffes, Antelope, Zebra,
Lions and Cheetahs and leopards can be found but a large portion of the land is now heavily grazed and cattle fences are restricting wildlife movement.

Although the Kalahari is known as a desert, there is still plant life that is able to be sustained such as a variety of species of trees, grasses and other shrubs. edible plants such as the Kiwano fruit, melon, the african horned cucumber and hedge gourd are able to grow in this area.














resources:
http: //www.kalahari-meerkats.com/fileadmin/files/guides/Bushmen_light.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalahari_Desert