Hamadar Kalahari babbar savannah ce mai bushiyoyi masu tsayi a Kudancin Afirka wanda ya kai kilomita murabba'i 900,000 (sq mi 350,000), wanda ya mamaye yawancin kasashen Botswana, da wasu sassan Namibia da Afirka ta Kudu. Bai kamata a rude shi da hamadar bakin teku ta Angola, Namibia, da Afirka ta Kudu ba, wanda sunansa asalin Khoekhoegowab kuma yana nufin "babban wuri". Kalahari ya samo asali ne daga kalmar Tswana ta Kgala, ma'ana "babban ƙishirwa", ko Kgalagadi, ma'anar "wuri mara ruwa"; Kalahari yana da faffadan yankuna da jan yashi ya rufe ba tare da wani ruwa mai dindin ba. Hamadar Kalahari ba ko yaushe busasshiyar hamada ba ce. Burbushin fure da dabbobi daga Gcwihaba Cave, Botswana, ya nuna yankin ya kasance yana da ruwa da sanyi aƙalla daga 30 zuwa 11,000 BP, musamman bayan 17,500 BP. Ruwa na kwararowar hamada ta hanyar kwarin busassun kwari ne, kwanon ruwansha na lokaci-lokaci da kuma manyan kwanukan gishiri na Makgadikgadi Pan a Ƙasar Botswana da Etosha Pan a Namibia.