The Okavango River is a river in southwest Africa. It begins in Angola, where it is known as the Cubango River. Further south it forms part of the border between Angola and Namibia, and then flows into Botswana.

Before it enters Botswana, the river drops 4 m in a series of rapids known as Popa Falls.

Unusually, the Okavango does not have an outlet in the sea. Instead, it empties into a swamp in the Kalahari Desert, known as the Okavango Delta. Part of the river's flow fills Lake Ngami. World famous for its remarkable wildlife, the Okavango is also home to about 100,000 native people who are caught between the interests of tourist operators and insurgents in the neighbouring Caprivi Strip.