Portal:Botswana

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Coat of Arms of Botswana	Flag of Botswana

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Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the northeast. Being a country of slightly over 2.4 million people, and roughly the size of France, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. It is essentially the nation state of the Tswana people, who make up 79% of the population.

The Tswana ethnic group were descended mainly from Bantu-speaking tribes who migrated southward of Africa to modern Botswana around AD 600, living in tribal enclaves as farmers and herders. In 1885, the British colonised the area and declared a protectorate under the name of Bechuanaland. As decolonisation occurred, Bechuanaland became an independent Commonwealth republic under its current name on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has been a parliamentary republic, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections, though as of 2024 the Botswana Democratic Party has been the ruling party since independence. As of 2024, Botswana is the third least corrupt country in the continent of Africa.

The economy is dominated by mining and tourism. Botswana has a GDP (purchasing power parity) per capita of about $20,158 . Botswana is the world's biggest diamond producing country. Its relatively high gross national income per capita (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the country a relatively high standard of living and the second-highest Human Development Index of continental Sub-Saharan Africa (after South Africa). Botswana is a member of the Southern African Customs Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations. (Full article...)

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Botswana Defence Force emblem

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF, Tswana: Sesole Sa Botswana) is the military of Botswana. The main component of the BDF is the Botswana Ground Force; there is also an air wing and a riverine patrol contingent attached to the ground forces, with 10 Panther airboats and 2 Boston Whaler Raider class. (Full article...)

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... that the first trade union in Botswana was not recognised by the ruling Bechuanaland Protectorate until 1964, 16 years after its formation?

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Male K. e. defassa
Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

The waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus Kobus of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies are grouped under two varieties: the common or ellipsiprymnus waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck. The head-and-body length is typically between 177 and 235 cm (70 and 93 in) and the typical height is between 120 and 136 cm (47 and 54 in). In this sexually dimorphic antelope, males are taller and heavier than females. Males reach roughly 127 cm (50 in) at the shoulder, while females reach 119 cm (47 in). Males typically weigh 198–262 kg (437–578 lb) and females 161–214 kg (355–472 lb). Their coat colour varies from brown to grey. The long, spiral horns, present only on males, curve backward, then forward, and are 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long.

Waterbucks are rather sedentary in nature. As gregarious animals, they may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. These groups are either nursery herds with females and their offspring or bachelor herds. Males start showing territorial behaviour from the age of 5 years, but are most dominant from the six to nine. The waterbuck cannot tolerate dehydration in hot weather, and thus inhabits areas close to sources of water. Predominantly a grazer, the waterbuck is mostly found on grassland. In equatorial regions, breeding takes place throughout the year, but births are at their peak in the rainy season. The gestational period lasts 7–8 months, followed by the birth of a single calf. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Botswana-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) (from Gaborone)
Image 2Botswana Traditional House at the National Museum (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 3Francistown Stadium (from Francistown)
Image 4I-Towers, Gaborone Central Business District (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 5Botswana Traditional Baskets (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 6The National Assembly of Botswana (from Gaborone)
Image 7CBD Mall (from Gaborone)
Image 8GDP per capita (current), compared to neighbouring countries (world average = 100) (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 9Street scene near the Main Mall (from Gaborone)
Image 10Rhodesia Railways car at the national museum (from Gaborone)
Image 11Tswana Baskets (from Tswana people)
Image 12Rail network map of Botswana (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 13New Construction Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 14Aerial view over Okavango Delta (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 15CBD Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 16Ostriches at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana (from Gaborone)
Image 17Homestead in the ancient City of Kaditshwene
Image 18SSKI Airport (from Gaborone)
Image 19Francistown City Bus and Taxi Rank (from Francistown)
Image 20Madila sour cultured milk (from Tswana people)
Image 21Tourist resort at Kasane (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 22Botswana Gaborone I Towers (from Gaborone)
Image 23A postage stamp circa 1943, the postmark reading "Gaborone's Village" (from Gaborone)
Image 24Gaborone Mosque (from Gaborone)
Image 25Gaborone aerial (from Gaborone)
Image 26Room 52 Roof Top Restaurant (from Gaborone)
Image 27An 1865 portrait of Kgosi Sechele I in Ntsweng Bechuanaland (from Tswana people)
Image 28Road map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 29A road in Gaborone (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 30The Jwaneng diamond mine is the second biggest in the world today. (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 31St. Joseph's College students (from Gaborone)
Image 32Gaborone Hindu temple (from Gaborone)
Image 33Gaborone Hindu Temple (from Gaborone)
Image 34Kombi (Minibus taxi) (from Gaborone)
Image 35Man on donkey herding goats in a dry river bed (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 36View from Kgale Hill (Oodi Hill on horizon) (from Gaborone)
Image 37I-Tower at Central Business District (from Gaborone)
Image 38Watch house in Gaborone Game Reserve (from Gaborone)
Image 39Christ The King Cathedral (from Gaborone)
Image 40Flag map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 41Francistown Bus Terminal (from Francistown)
Image 42Batswana Men dressed in traditional attire in 1946 (from Tswana people)
Image 43Orapa House (from Gaborone)
Image 44Rev. Derek Jones, the first mayor of Gaborone
Image 45Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 46New CBD (from Gaborone)
Image 47BR Express, the passenger train (from Francistown)
Image 48Magadi (traditional wedding) (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 49Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 50Satellite View of Gaborone. North is to the left of the image. (from Gaborone)
Image 51Graduation daggers that were given to Tswana Fighting Regiments (from Tswana people)