The Nwetwe Pan is a large salt pan within the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

. The Nwetwe is one of three large pans within the Makgadikgadi, the other two being Nxai Pan

Nxai Pan

Nxai Pan is a large salt pan topographic depression which is part of the larger Makgadikgadi Pans in northeastern Botswana. This landform is a major part of the Nxai Pan National Park, and is a seasonal home to large herds of zebra...

 and Sua Pan

Sua Pan

The Sua Pan or Sowa Pan is a large natural topographic depression within the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana. It is located near the village of Sowa, whose name means salt in the language of the San...

. In the present day Nwetwe Pan is a seasonal lake with filling occurring in the rainy season. Nwetwe was first described to the European world by David Livingstone

David Livingstone

David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...

, pursuant to his explorations in this region. Significant archaeological recoveries have occcurred within the Nwetwe Pan, including stone age tools from peoples who lived in this area, in an earlier time of prehistory when a large year around lake occupied the Nwetwe Pan area within the Makgadikgadi.