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Cheetah in Chobe National Park, Botswana. Image: Gorgo
Flag of Botswana
Location map of Botswana
A virtual guide to Botswana, a landlocked country in southern Africa. It is bordered by Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
With an area of 582,000 sq km the country is slightly larger than France, or slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Texas.
Approximately two-thirds of the country lies within the Tropics. Botswana is well known for having some of the best wilderness and wildlife areas on the African continent. 38% of its total land area are devoted to national parks, reserves and wildlife management areas.
The country is sparsely populated because up to 70% of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert, the vast arid to semi-arid landscape in Southern Africa covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa. Botswana's population of 2.2 million people (in 2016) is concentrated in the eastern part of the country.
keywords: Botswana information, Botswana news papers, tourist information for Botswana, Botswana map
Background:
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. The economy, one of the most robust on the continent, is dominated by diamond mining.
Botswana has a flourishing multiparty constitutional democracy. Each of the elections since independence has been freely and fairly contested and has been held on schedule. The country's small white minority and other minorities participate freely in the political process.
Tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for almost 12% of GDP. One of the world's unique ecosystems, the Okavango Delta, is located in Botswana. The country offers excellent game viewing and birding both in the Delta and in the Chobe Game Reserve--home to one of the largest herds of free-ranging elephants in the world. Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve also offers good game viewing and some of the most remote and unspoiled wilderness in southern Africa.
(Source: various sources)
related countries: Angola, United Kingdom, Zambia
Official Name:
Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
ISO Country Code: bw
Actual Time: Mon-Sept-12 07:55
Local Time = UTC +2h
Country Calling Code: +267
Capital City: Gaborone (pronounced ha-bo-ro-neh), pop. 213,000
Other Cities:
Francistown (101,805 ), Selebi-Phikwe (49,017), Molepolole (47,094), Kanye (36,877), Serowe (33,335), Mahalapye (32,407), Lobatse (32,075), Maun (31,260), Mochudi (30,671).
Government:
Type: Republic, parliamentary democracy.
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK).
Geography:
Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa.
Area: 582,000 km² (224,710 sq. mi.)
Terrain: Desert and savanna, predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest.
Climate:
Mostly subtropical, warm winters and hot summers.
People:
Nationality: Motswana (sing.), Batswana (pl.).
Population: 2.2 million (2016)
GNI per capita PPP: $ 10 866 (year)
Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%; Kalanga 11%; Kgalagadi, Herero, Bayeyi, Himbukush, Basarwa ("Bushmen"), Khoi ("Hottentots"), whites 10%.
Religions: Christianity 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%.
Languages: English (official), Setswana, Ikalanga.
Literacy: 68.9%.
Natural resources:
Diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver.
Agriculture products: Livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts.
Industries: Diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles.
Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Exports partners: United Kingdom 85.2%, South Africa 17.3%, China 5%, Zimbabwe 4.5% (2013)
Imports partners: United Kingdom 24%, South Africa 23.4%, Namibia 10.9%, Nigeria 10.1%, Israel 5.0%
(2013)
(Source: Central Statistics Office CSO Botswana)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products
Currency: Pula (BWP)
Note: External links will open in a new browser window.
The Government of Botswana Web Site.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is responsible for the foreign policy of Botswana.
Diplomatic Missions
Address list of Botswana's Diplomatic Missions Abroad, Foreign Missions, and International Organizations based in Botswana.
Statistics
Botswana in figures.
Weather
met. Services and Department of Meteorological Services
Official websites of the Botswana Department of Meteorological Services.
Index of Botswana's National Government Agencies and Ministries.
Map
Detailed map of Botswana.
Searchable map/satellite view of Botswana.
Searchable map/satellite view of Botswana's capital city.
Political Map of Africa.
Okavango Delta is formed by the Okavango River draining into the Moremi Game Reserve an endorheic basin of the Kalahari. The river does not have a normal river mouth, all the water reaching the Delta will ultimately evaporate
.
Image: Justin Hall
Official Botswana news.
Weekly news from Botswana.
Daily independent newspaper in Botswana.
Current news from Botswana.
Bookmark/share this page
Information about the research and educational institution for natural and cultural heritage.
Organization dedicated to the preservation of Botswana's culture and heritage.
Since independence in 1966, Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country. Its the Diamond mining that has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for one quarter of GDP. Tourism is another main pillar of Botswana's economy. But many Batswana are still engaged in subsistence farming and cattle raising.
Botswana 's Central Bank, Gaborone.
Business and Investment - Republic of Botswana
Botswana Economic Information.
__Transportation
Botswana's national airline.
Commercial maintenance and air charter service provider.
Giraffes in the Okavango Delta, Botswana Image: Joachim Huber
Travel and Tour Consumer Information
Discover Botswana, Southern Africa: Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Kalahari desert region, Moremi, Mokolodi nature reserve.
Accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, biking, skiing, hiking, climbing, cruising, diving, tours and much more.
Official web site for Tourism of Botswana.
Online version of the Botswana Encyclopaedia.
A guide to Botswana's game reserves: Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Kalahari, and Moremi.
Tour guide to the Mokolodi nature reserve.
San information site of the NGO for the benefit of the San (Bushmen, Basarwa) and other rural peoples of the Kalahari desert region.
Official site of the ministry.
Gaborone, founded 1982.
University of Botswana Library Services (UBLIS)
Its mission is to contribute to the University's endeavours in the advancement of learning and academic enquiry.
BirdLife Botswana strives to conserve Botswana's birds and their habitats.
Conserving the wild cheetah population of Botswana.
Kalahari Conservation Society (KCS)
Oldest environmental NGO in Botswana for the conservation of Botswana's environment and wildlife resources.
Living With Elephants Foundation
Explore the relationship between the African Elephant and people.
Environment Watch Botswana, a NGO that aims to monitor, protect and increase awareness about Botswana's environment. Site offline, for information use the Wikipedia entry for Somarelang Tikologo
Cheetahs
© Cheetah Conservation Botswana
The almost complete Botswana Web Site Directory.
Africa South of Sahara (Karen Fung) Botswana
University of Pennsylvania/African Studies: Botswana
The World Factbook -- Botswana
Other Countries of Southern Africa:
Lesotho | Namibia | South Africa | Swaziland
Maps of other Countries of Southern Africa:
Namibia Map | South Africa Map | Swaziland Map
Searchable Maps of other Countries of Southern Africa:
Lesotho Interactive Map | Namibia Interactive Map | South Africa Interactive Map | Swaziland Interactive Map
Major Cities in Southern Africa:
Bloemfontein | Cape Town | Durban | Gaborone | Johannesburg | Maseru | Mbabane | Nelspruit | Polokwane
Port Elizabeth | Pretoria | Rustenburg | Windhoek
One World - Nations Online .:. let's care for this planet
Promote that every nation assumes responsibility for our world.
Nations Online Project is made to improve cross-cultural understanding and global awareness.
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