Cubango

Cubango (kOObäng'gō) [key], Kuvango (kOOväng'gō) [key], or Okavango (ōkuväng'gō) [key], river, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) long, rising in the highlands of central Angola, W central Africa, and flowing southeast, across the Caprivi Strip, Namibia, to the Okavango Delta, N Botswana. It forms part of the Angola–Namibia border. The Okavango Delta. is a swamp (c.5,000 sq mi/12,950 sq km) that occupies a depression that contained a large prehistoric lake. The northern part of this swampy area has papyrus growth and is wet throughout the year; the rest of the delta fills with water as the seasonal cycle progresses.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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