Makarikari

(Makgadikgadi), a drainless depression in Botswana, Southern Africa, in the northern part of the Kalahari Desert, at an elevation of 900 m. It has an area of approximately 40,000 sq km. The sinkholes contain many shallow lakes (freshwater lakes fed by springs, brakish lakes, and salt lakes) and solonchaks. In the central part there are two undrained salt lakes —Ntwetwe in the west and Sua in the east—which merge in years of heavy rainfall. During the dry winter season the lakes dry up, becoming swampy solonchaks. Grass savannas occupy most of Makarikari, which is part of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve.