Republic of Botswana

Botswana was formerly called the British protectorate of Bechuanaland.
The Tswana people were one of the earliest settlers in the region.
The term Botswana is believed to have been derived from the words Bo and Tswana.
Bo in Setswana means country.
The residents of the country are called Batswana.

The San and the Tswana people were the original inhabitants of the region.
The Zulu invaded the region in the 1820s followed by the Boers in 1870s.
Botswana was established as a British protectorate in 1885 and named Bechunaland
A constitution was granted to the country in 1961.
Botswana became a self governing country in 1965 and gained complete independence on Sept. 30.
Botswana is Africas oldest democracy.
The country harbored rebel groups from South Rhodesia and South Africa.
Botswana suffered a financial crisis in 1999 due to a slump in the international diamond market.
President Festus Mogae became the president in 1997.
Mogae privatized Botswana's mining and industrial operations.
The country was hit by the AIDS epidemic in the early twenty-first century.

The population of Botswana constitutes of three main ethnic groups namely: Tswana, Kalanga and Bushmen or AbaThwa.
Whites are Indians are also present as minority communities.
The Indian population consists of a large number of Indian Africans from Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa and Indian immigrants.
The white population includes people from Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa.
The white population speaks either English or Afrikaans.
Approximately 3% of the total population is white.
The prevalence of AIDS is very high in the country.
In 2006, the rate of AIDS infection was calculated to be 24% in adults.

Botswana is ruled by a parliamentary democratic government.
Administrative divisions consist of nine districts and five town councils.
The nine districts are: Central, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kweneng, Kgatleng, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southern.
The five town councils are: Central, Francistown, Gaborone, Jwaneng, Lobatse and Selebi-Pikwe.
Independence Day or Botswana Day (30 September 1966) is observed as a national holiday.
The constitution was founded in March 1965 and brought into effect on 30 September 1966.
The legal system is founded on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law.
Judicial review is limited to matters of interpretation.
Botswana accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations.
The president is the chief of state and head of government.
The Cabinet is appointed by the president.
The president is indirectly elected for a five-year term.
The vice president is appointed by the president.
The legislative branch is represented by a bicameral Parliament consisting of the House of Chiefs and the National Assembly.
The judicial branch is represented by the High Court, Court of Appeal and Magistrates' Courts.

English and Setswana are the official languages of Botswana.
Lesotho is considered a sister country as the native tribe there called the Sotho speaks a similar language.
Rural women from the northern region are skilled at weaving baskets from Mokola Palm and local dyes.
The baskets are generally woven into 3 types: lidded baskets used for storage, open baskets for carrying objects on the head and smaller plates for winnowing pounded grain.
The Thamaga Pottery and Oodi Weavers communities from the Southern region are adept at traditional arts and crafts.
The oldest paintings from Botswana and South Africa depict hunting, animal and human figures.
These paintings were made by the Khoisan over twenty thousand years ago within the Kalahari Desert.
Botswana has also produced numerous novelists and writers of international repute.

Botswana is one of the fastest growing economies since its independence.
Diamond trade is the most important industry in the country.
Botswana faced a financial deficit in 1999 during a slump in the international diamond market.
The country also ranked high among the credit-risks.
Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle breeding also contribute significantly to the economy.
The high prevalence of AIDS hinders the economic growth.
The GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 was $25.68 billion.
7.5% of the population is unemployed.
Agricultural produce includes livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers and groundnuts.
The main industries are diamonds, , nickel, copper, salt, soda ash, potash, livestock processing and textiles.
Export commodities include diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat and textiles.
Import commodities include foodstuffs, electrical goods, machinery, textiles, transport equipment, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products.

Telecommunication systems are well established and modernized.
Mobile cellular services are fast gaining popularity over fixed line connections.
There are 25 radio broadcast stations and 2 television broadcast stations.
Internet facilities are well established.
Botswana has 85 airports of which 11 have paved runways.
The railway network covers an area of 888 km.
The roadways span a distance of 24,455 km.

All students are guaranteed ten years of basic education after which they receive a Junior Certificate qualification.
Secondary education leads to the Botswana General Certificate of Education (BGCSE). The country has six technical colleges.
Vocational training courses in teaching and nursing are also available in colleges.
The University of Botswana in Gaborone is the premier institute of the country.
Primary education often faces a lack of resources and adequate teaching staff.
The government invests a large part of the national income in education.
School fee was re-introduced in 2006.
The government provides scholarships for higher education or overseas study.

Botswana is surrounded by:

Botswana is located in Southern Africa.
Its geographical coordinates are 22 00 S, 24 00 E.
The country covers a total area of 600,370 sq km.
Botswana is a landlocked country.
The climate is mostly semiarid with warm winters and hot summers.
The terrain is mostly flat with a rolling plateau and the Kalahari Desert in the southwest.
The highest point is Tsodilo Hills standing at 1,489 m.
Natural resources include diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore and silver.
0.65% of the land is arable.
Periodic droughts and seasonal dust storms are common in the region.
Overgrazing and desertification of the land are the main environmental concerns.