Know About Your Botswana
Republic of Botswana
Lefatshe la Botswana (Tswana)
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Flag
Coat of arms
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Motto: "Pula!" (Tswana)
"Rain" |
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Anthem: Fatshe leno la rona (Tswana)
Blessed Be Our Noble Land |
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Location of Botswana (dark blue)
in the African Union (light
blue)
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Capital
and
largest city
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Gaborone
24°39.5′S 25°54.5′E |
Official languages
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English, Setswana
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Ethnic groups
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·
80% Tswana
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10% Kalanga
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2.9% Basarwa
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3.1% White
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4% Other
(including Shona and Kgalagadi)
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Religion
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·
73% Christian
·
20% No religion
·
6% African
traditional religion
·
1% Others
(includes Baha'i, Hindu, Islam, Rastafarian)[1]
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Demonym(s)
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·
Batswana (plural)
·
Motswana (singular)
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Government
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Unitary parliamentary constitutional
republic
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• President
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Mokgweetsi
Masisi[2]
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• Vice-President
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Slumber
Tsogwane
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• National Assembly Speaker
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Phandu
Skelemani
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• Chief Justice
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Terence
Rannowane
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Legislature
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National
Assembly
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Independence
from
the United Kingdom
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• Established (Constitution)
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30
September 1966
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Area
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• Total
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581,730 km2 (224,610 sq mi)
(47th)
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• Water (%)
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2.7
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Population
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• 2018 estimate
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2,254,068[3][4] (145th)
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• 2011 census
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1,914,228[5]
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• Density
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3.7/km2 (9.6/sq mi)
(231st)
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GDP (PPP)
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2019 estimate
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• Total
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$44.3
billion[6]
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• Per capita
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$18,653.68[6]
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GDP (nominal)
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2019 estimate
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• Total
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$19.651
billion[6]
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• Per capita
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$8,263.22[6]
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Gini (2015)
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53.3[7]
high |
HDI (2017)
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0.717[8]
high · 101st |
Currency
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Botswana
pula (BWP)
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Time
zone
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UTC+2 (Central
Africa Time)
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Date
format
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dd/mm/yyyy
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Driving
side
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left
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Calling
code
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+267
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ISO
3166 code
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BW
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Internet
TLD
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.bw
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Website
www |
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Botswana (/bɒtˈswɑːnə/ , also UK: /bʊt-, bʊˈtʃw-/[9]), officially the Republic of Botswana (Setswana: Lefatshe la Botswana), is a landlocked
country in Southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland,
Botswana adopted its name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on
30 September 1966.[10] Since then, it has been a representative
republic, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and
the best perceived corruption ranking in Africa since at least 1998.[11] It is currently Africa's oldest continuous democracy.[12]
Botswana is topographically flat, with up to 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, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. Its border with Zambia to
the north near Kazungula is poorly defined but is, at most, a few
hundred metres long.[13]
A mid-sized country of just over 2 million people,
Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the
world. Around 10 percent of the population lives in the capital and largest
city, Gaborone. Formerly one of the poorest countries in the world—with a
GDP per capita of about US$70 per year in the late 1960s—Botswana has since
transformed itself into one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The economy
is dominated by mining, cattle, and tourism. Botswana boasts a GDP (purchasing
power parity) per capita of about $18,825 per year as of 2015, which is one of
the highest in Africa.[14] Its high gross
national income (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the
country a relatively high standard of living and one of the highest Human
Development Index of continental Sub-Saharan Africa.[15]
Botswana is a member of the African Union, the Southern
African Development Community, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United
Nations. The country has been among the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS
epidemic. Despite the success in programmes to make treatments available to
those infected, and to educate the populace in general about how to stop the
spread of HIV/AIDS, the number of people with AIDS rose from 290,000 in 2005 to
320,000 in 2013.[16]:A20 As of 2014, Botswana has
the third-highest prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS, with roughly 20% of
the population infected.[17]
Contents
·
1Etymology
·
2History
o 2.1Early history
o 2.2Effects of the
Mfecane
o 2.3Colonialism and
the Bechuanaland Protectorate
o 2.4Independence
·
3Geography
o 3.1Ecology
o 3.2Environmental
problems
·
4Politics
and government
o 4.1Judiciary
o 4.2Foreign relations
and military
o 4.3Human rights
·
5Administrative
divisions
·
6Economy
o
6.1Gemstones
and precious metals
·
7Demographics
o 7.1Languages
o 7.2Religions
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8Culture
o 8.1Media
o 8.2Music
o 8.3Visual arts
o 8.4Food
o 8.5Sports
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9Education
·
10Science
and technology
·
11Transportation,
energy and infrastructure
·
12Health
o 12.1General
o 12.2HIV/AIDS epidemic
·
13Tourism
Etymology
The country's name means "land of the tswana",
referring to the dominant ethnic group in Botswana.[18] The term Batswana was originally applied to the
Tswana, which is still the case.[19] However, it has also
come to be used generally as a demonym for all citizens of Botswana.[20] Many English dictionaries also recommend the term Botswanan to
refer to people of Botswana.[21]
History
Main article: History
of Botswana
Early history
The
'Two Rhino' painting at Tsodilo. Botswana Rock Art.
Archaeological digs have shown that hominids have lived
in Botswana for around two million years. Stone tools and fauna remains have
shown that all areas of the country were inhabited at least 400,000 years ago.[22] In October 2019, researchers reported that Botswana was the
birthplace of all modern humans about 200,000 years ago.[23][24] Evidence left by modern humans such as cave paintings are about
73,000 years old.[25] The original inhabitants of southern Africa were
the Bushmen (San) and Khoi peoples. Both speak Khoisan languages and
hunted, gathered, and traded over long distances. When cattle were first
introduced about 2000 years ago into southern Africa, pastoralism became a
major feature of the economy, since the region had large grasslands free
of tsetse fly.[26]
Khoisan engaged
in roasting grasshoppers on grills-1805
It is unclear when Bantu-speaking peoples first
moved into the country from the north, although AD 600 seems to be a consensus
estimate. In that era, the ancestors of the modern-day Kalanga moved
into what is now the north-eastern areas of the country. These proto-Kalanga
were closely connected to states in Zimbabwe as well as to the Mapungubwe state.
These states, located outside of current Botswana's borders, appear to have
kept massive cattle herds in what is now the Central District—apparently at
numbers approaching modern cattle density.[27] This
massive cattle-raising complex prospered until 1300 AD or so, and seems to have
regressed following the collapse of Mapungubwe. During this era, the first
Tswana-speaking groups, the Bakgalagadi, moved into the southern areas of
the Kalahari. All these various peoples were connected to trade routes
that ran via the Limpopo River to the Indian Ocean, and trade goods from Asia
such as beads made their way to Botswana most likely in exchange for ivory,
gold, and rhinoceros horn.[citation needed]
The arrival of the ancestors of the Tswana-speakers who
came to control the region has yet to be dated precisely. Members of the Bakwena,
a chieftaincy under a legendary leader named Kgabo II, made their way into the
southern Kalahari by AD 1500, at the latest, and his people drove the
Bakgalagadi inhabitants west into the desert. Over the years, several offshoots
of the Bakwena moved into adjoining territories. The Bangwaketse occupied
areas to the west, while the Bangwato moved northeast into formerly
Kalanga areas.[28] Not long afterwards, a Bangwato offshoot known as
the Batawana migrated into the Okavango Delta, probably in the 1790s.[citation needed]
Effects of the Mfecane
Main article: Mfecane
British
colonial drawing of a "Booshuana village", 1806.
The first written records relating to modern-day Botswana
appear in 1824. What these records show is that the Bangwaketse had become the
predominant power in the region. Under the rule of Makaba II, the Bangwaketse
kept vast herds of cattle in well-protected desert areas, and used their
military prowess to raid their neighbors.[29] Other
chiefdoms in the area, by this time, had capitals of 10,000 or so and were
fairly prosperous.[30] This equilibrium came to end during the Mfecane period,
1823–1843, when a succession of invading peoples from South Africa entered the
country. Although the Bangwaketse were able to defeat the invading Bakololo in
1826, over time all the major chiefdoms in Botswana were attacked, weakened,
and impoverished. The Bakololo and Amandebele raided repeatedly, and
took large numbers of cattle, women, and children from the Batswana—most of
whom were driven into the desert or sanctuary areas such as hilltops and caves.
Only after 1843, when the Amandebele moved into western Zimbabwe, did this
threat subside.[citation needed]
Sechele
I who led a Merafe Coalition against Boers
During the 1840s and 1850s trade with Cape Colony-based
merchants opened up and enabled the Batswana chiefdoms to rebuild.
The Bakwena, Bangwaketse, Bangwato and Batawana cooperated to control the
lucrative ivory trade, and then used the proceeds to import horses and guns,
which in turn enabled them to establish control over what is now Botswana. This
process was largely complete by 1880, and thus the Bushmen, the Kalanga, the
Bakgalagadi, and other current minorities were subjugated by the Batswana.[31]
Following the Great Trek, Afrikaners from
the Cape Colony established themselves on the borders of Botswana in the Transvaal.
In 1852 a coalition of Tswana chiefdoms led by Sechele I resisted
Afrikaner incursions during Battle of Dimawe, and after about eight years
of intermittent tensions and hostilities, eventually came to a peace agreement
in Potchefstroom in 1860. From that point on, the modern-day border between
South Africa and Botswana was agreed on, and the Afrikaners and Batswana traded
and worked together 'peacefully'.[32][33]
Due to newly peaceful conditions, trade thrived between
1860 and 1880. Taking advantage of this were Christian missionaries.
The Lutherans and the London Missionary Society both became
established in the country by 1856. By 1880 every major village had a resident
missionary, and their influence slowly became felt. Khama III (reigned
1875–1923) was the first of the Tswana chiefs to make Christianity a state
religion, and changed a great deal of Tswana customary law as a result. Christianity
became the de facto official religion in all the chiefdoms by World War I.[34]
Colonialism and the Bechuanaland Protectorate
Main article: Bechuanaland
Protectorate
3
Dikgosi Khama III, Sebele I & Bathoen I who
negotiated a Protectorate
During the Scramble for Africa the territory of
Botswana was coveted by both Germany and Great Britain. During
the Berlin Conference, Britain decided to annex Botswana in order to
safeguard the Road to the North and thus connect the Cape Colony to its
territories further north. It unilaterally annexed Tswana territories in
January 1885 and then sent the Warren Expedition north to consolidate
control over the area and convince the chiefs to accept British overrule.
Despite their misgivings, they eventually acquiesced to this fait accompli.[35]
In 1890 areas north of 22 degrees were added to the
new Bechuanaland Protectorate. During the 1890s the new territory was
divided into eight different reserves, with fairly small amounts of land being
left as freehold for white settlers. During the early 1890s, the British
government decided to hand over the Bechuanaland Protectorate to the British
South Africa Company. This plan, which was well on its way to fruition despite
the entreaties of Tswana leaders who toured England in protest, was eventually
foiled by the failure of the Jameson Raid in January 1896.[36][37]
Stamp
of British Bechuanaland from 1960
When the Union of South Africa was formed in
1910 from the main British colonies in the region, the High Commission
Territories — the Bechuanaland Protectorate, Basutoland (now Lesotho),
and Swaziland (now Eswatini) — were not included, but provision
was made for their later incorporation. However, the UK began to consult with
their inhabitants as to their wishes. Although successive South African
governments sought to have the territories transferred to their jurisdiction,
the UK kept delaying; consequently, it never occurred. The election of
the Nationalist government in 1948, which instituted apartheid,
and South Africa's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961, ended
any prospect of the UK or these territories agreeing to incorporation into
South Africa.[citation needed]
An expansion of British central authority and the
evolution of tribal government resulted in the 1920 establishment of two
advisory councils to represent both Africans and Europeans.[38] The African Council consisted of the eight heads of the Tswana tribes
and some elected members.[38] Proclamations in
1934 regulated tribal rule and powers. A European-African advisory council was
formed in 1951, and the 1961 constitution established a consultative
legislative council.
Independence
See also: Independence
Day (Botswana)
In June 1964, the United Kingdom accepted proposals for a
democratic self-government in Botswana. The seat of government was moved in
1965 from Mahikeng in South Africa, to the newly established Gaborone,
which is located near Botswana's border with South Africa. Based on the 1965
constitution, the country held its first general elections under universal
suffrage and gained independence on 30 September 1966.[39] Seretse Khama, a leader in the independence movement and the
legitimate claimant to the Ngwato chiefship, was elected as the first
President, and subsequently re-elected twice.
The presidency passed to the sitting
Vice-President, Quett Masire, who was elected in his own right in 1984 and
re-elected in 1989 and 1994. Masire retired from office in 1998. He was
succeeded by Festus Mogae, who was elected in his own right in 1999 and
re-elected in 2004. The presidency passed in 2008 to Ian Khama (son
of the first President), who had been serving as Mogae's Vice-President since
resigning his position in 1998 as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force to
take up this civilian role.
A long-running dispute over the northern border
with Namibia's Caprivi Strip was the subject of a ruling by
the International Court of Justice in December 1999. It ruled
that Kasikili Island belongs to Botswana.[40]
Geography
Main articles: Geography
of Botswana and Climate of Botswana
Botswana
map of Köppen climate classification.
At 581,730 km2 (224,607 sq mi) Botswana is the world's 48th-largest
country. It is similar in size to Madagascar or France. It lies
between latitudes 17° and 27°S, and longitudes 20° and 30°E.
The country is predominantly flat, tending toward gently
rolling tableland. Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert,
which covers up to 70% of its land surface. The Okavango Delta, one of the
world's largest inland deltas, is in the northwest. The Makgadikgadi
Pan, a large salt pan, lies in the north.
The Limpopo River Basin, the major landform of
all of southern Africa, lies partly in Botswana, with the basins of its
tributaries, the Notwane, Bonwapitse, Mahalapye, Lotsane, Motloutse and
the Shashe, located in the eastern part of the country. The Notwane
provides water to the capital through the Gaborone Dam. The Chobe
River lies to the north, providing a boundary between Botswana and
Namibia's Zambezi Region. The Chobe River meets with the Zambezi
River at a place called Kazungula (meaning a small sausage
tree, a point where Sebitwane and his Makololo tribe crossed
the Zambezi into Zambia).
Ecology
Zebras
roaming the Okavango Basin
Botswana has diverse areas of wildlife habitat. In
addition to the delta and desert areas, there are grasslands and savannas,
where blue wildebeest, antelopes, and other mammals and birds are
found. Northern Botswana has one of the few remaining large populations of the
endangered African wild dog. Chobe National Park, found in the Chobe
District, has the world's largest concentration of African elephants. The
park covers about 11,000 km2 (4,247 sq mi) and supports about 350 species of birds.
The Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve (in
the Okavango Delta) are major tourist destinations. Other reserves include
the Central Kalahari Game Reserve located in the Kalahari desert
in Ghanzi District; Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and Nxai
Pan National Park are in Central District in the Makgadikgadi
Pan. Mashatu Game Reserve is privately owned: located where the Shashe
River and Limpopo River meet in eastern Botswana. The other privately
owned reserve is Mokolodi Nature Reserve near Gaborone. There are
also specialised sanctuaries like Khama Rhino Sanctuary (for rhinoceros)
and Makgadikgadi Sanctuary (for flamingos). They are both located in
Central District.
Environmental problems
The
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Botswana faces two major environmental problems,
drought and desertification, which are heavily linked. Three quarters of
the country's human and animal populations depend on groundwater due to
drought. Groundwater use through deep borehole drilling has somewhat
eased the effects of drought. Surface water is scarce in Botswana and less than
5% of the agriculture in the country is sustainable by rainfall. In the
remaining 95% of the country, raising livestock is the primary source of rural
income. Approximately 71% of the country's land is used for communal grazing,
which has been a major cause of the desertification and the accelerating soil
erosion of the country.[41]
Since raising livestock has proven to be profitable for
the people of Botswana, they continue to exploit the land. The animal
populations have continued to dramatically increase. From 1966 to 1991, the
livestock population has increased from 1.7 million to 5.5 million.[41]:64 Similarly, the human population has increased from 574,000 in 1971 to
1.5 million in 1995, a 161% increase in 24 years. "Over 50% of all
households in Botswana own cattle, which is currently the largest single source
of rural income." "Rangeland degradation or desertification is
regarded as the reduction in land productivity as a result of overstocking and
overgrazing, or as a result of veld product gathering for commercial use.
Degradation is exacerbated by the effects of drought and climate change."[41]
Environmentalists report that the Okavango Delta is
drying up due to the increased grazing of livestock.[42] The Okavango Delta is one of the major semi-forested wetlands in
Botswana and one of the largest inland deltas in the world; it is a crucial
ecosystem to the survival of many animals.[42]
The Department of Forestry and Range Resources has
already begun to implement a project to reintroduce indigenous vegetation into
communities in Kgalagadi South, Kweneng North and Boteti.[43] Reintroduction of indigenous vegetation will help with the
degradation of the land. The United States Government has also
entered into an agreement with Botswana, giving them $7 million US dollars to
reduce Botswana's debt by $8.3 million US dollars. The stipulation of the US
reducing Botswana's debt is that Botswana will focus on more extensive conservation of
the land.[42]
The United Nations Development Programme claims
that poverty is a major problem behind the overexploitation of
resources, including land, in Botswana. To help change this the UNDP joined in
with a project started in the southern community of Struizendam in Botswana.
The purpose of the project is to draw from "indigenous knowledge and
traditional land management systems". The leaders of this movement are
supposed to be the people in the community, to draw them in, in turn increasing
their possibilities to earn an income and thus decreasing poverty. The UNDP
also stated that the government has to effectively implement policies to allow
people to manage their own local resources and are giving the government
information to help with policy development.[44]
Politics and government
Main articles: Politics
of Botswana and Human rights in Botswana
Botswana is the continent's oldest democracy. The
constitution of Botswana is the rule of law, which protects the citizens
of Botswana and represents their rights. The politics of Botswana take place in
a framework of a representative democratic republic, whereby
the President of Botswana is both head of state and head
of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is
exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the
government and the Parliament of Botswana. The most recent election,
its eleventh, was held on 23 October 2019. Since independence was declared, the
party system has been dominated by the Botswana Democratic Party.
Botswana's
Government Enclave
Judiciary
The judiciary is independent of the executive
and the legislature.[45] Botswana ranked 30th out of 167 states in the
2012 Democracy Index.[46] According
to Transparency International, Botswana is the least corrupt country in
Africa and ranks close to Portugal and South Korea.[47]
Botswana
Parliament Building
It consists of a typical court system of local
Magistrates Courts, a High Court and a Court of Appeal. The High
Court is a superior court of record with unlimited original jurisdiction to
hear and determine any criminal, civil or constitutional cases under any law.
Appeals can be heard by the Court of Appeal. The Head of the High Court is the
Chief Justice.[48]
The Court of Appeal is the highest and final court in the
country and deals with appeals from the High Court and the Industrial Court.
The Head of the Court of Appeal is the Judge President.
Judges are appointed by the President of Botswana on the
recommendation of the Judicial Services Commission.
Chief Justices:[49]
·
1968–1971 John Richard
Dendy-Young
·
1972–1975 Akinola
Aguda
·
1975–1977 George O.L. Dyke
·
1977–1981 Hayfron Benjamin
·
1981–1987 O'Brien Quinn
·
1987–1992 Livesey Luke
·
1992–1997 Moleleki Didwell
Mokama
·
1997–2010 Julian Mukwesu
Nganunu
·
2010–2018 Maruping
Dibotelo
·
Incumbent Terence
Rannowane
With regard to the legal profession, although the Law
Society of Botswana has been in existence since 1997,[50] there is still no clear indication in their registry of attorneys as
to how certain demographics, such as women, have fared in the legal field.
Foreign
relations and military
Main articles: Foreign
relations of Botswana and Botswana Defence Force
Botswana
Air Force Presidential jet
At the time of independence, Botswana had no armed
forces. It was only after the Rhodesian and South African militaries
struck respectively against the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army and Umkhonto
we Sizwe[51] bases that the Botswana
Defence Force (BDF) was formed in 1977.[52] The
President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and appoints a
defence council and the BDF currently consists of roughly 60,000 servicemen. In
2019, Botswana signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[53]
Following political changes in South Africa and the
region, the BDF's missions have increasingly focused on prevention of poaching, preparing
for disasters, and foreign peacekeeping. The United States has been the
largest single foreign contributor to the development of the BDF, and a large
segment of its officer corps have received U.S. training. The Botswana
government gave the United States permission to explore the possibility of
establishing an Africa Command (AFRICOM) base in the country.[54]
Human rights
Main article: Human
rights in Botswana
Many of the indigenous San people have been
forcibly relocated from their land to reservations. To make them relocate, they
were denied access to water on their land and faced arrest if they hunted,
which was their primary source of food.[55] Their
lands lie in the middle of the world's richest diamond field.
Officially, the government denies that there is any link to mining and claims
the relocation is to preserve the wildlife and ecosystem, even though the San
people have lived sustainably on the land for millennia.[55] On the reservations, they struggle to find employment and alcoholism is
rampant.[55] On 24 August 2018 the UN Special Rapporteur on
Minorities, Fernand de Varennes issued a statement calling on Botswana, “to
step up efforts to recognize and protect the rights of minorities in relation
to public services, land and resource use and the use of minority languages in
education and other critical areas.”
Until June 2019, homosexuality was illegal in
Botswana. A Botswana High Court decision of June 11 of that year, however,
struck down provisions in the Criminal Code that punished "carnal
knowledge of any person against the order of nature" and "acts of
gross indecency", making Botswana one of only twenty-two African countries
that have either decriminalised or legalised homosexuality.[56]
Capital punishment in Botswana includes the death
penalty by hanging.
The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Ditshwanelo, was
established in 1993.[57]
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Districts
of Botswana and Sub-districts of Botswana
The
districts of Botswana. The appropriate article can be found by clicking over
the district. City districts are not shown.
Botswana's ten districts are:
·
Southern District
·
South-East District
·
Kweneng District
·
Kgatleng District
·
Central District
·
North-East District
·
Ngamiland District
·
Kgalagadi District
·
Chobe District
·
Ghanzi District
Botswana's councils created from urban or town councils
are: Gaborone City, Francistown, Lobatse Town, Selebi-Phikwe
Town, Jwaneng Town, Orapa Town and Sowa Township.
Economy
GDP
per capita of Botswana, 1950 to 2016
Graphical
depiction of Botswana's product exports in 28 colour-coded categories.
GDP
per capita (current), compared to neighbouring countries (world average = 100)
Main
article: Economy of Botswana
Since independence, Botswana has had one of the fastest
growth rates in per capita income in the world.[58] Botswana
has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to an
upper middle-income country. GDP per capita grew from $1,344 in 1950 to $15,015
in 2016.[59] Although Botswana was resource-abundant, a good
institutional framework allowed the country to reinvest resource-income in
order to generate stable future income.[60] By
one estimate, it has the fourth highest gross national income at purchasing
power parity in Africa, giving it a standard of living around that of
Mexico.[61]
Botswana
Investment Trade Center in CBD
Commerce
Park in Gaborone
The Ministry of Trade and Industry of Botswana is
responsible for promoting business development throughout the
country. According to the International Monetary Fund, economic growth
averaged over 9% per year from 1966 to 1999. Botswana has a high level of
economic freedom compared to other African countries.[62] The government has maintained a sound fiscal policy, despite
consecutive budget deficits in 2002 and 2003, and a negligible level
of foreign debt. It earned the highest sovereign credit rating in
Africa and has stockpiled foreign exchange reserves (over $7 billion in
2005/2006) amounting to almost two and a half years of current imports.
An array of financial institutions populates the
country's financial system, with pension funds and commercial banks being the
two most important segments by asset size. Banks remain profitable,
well-capitalised, and liquid, as a result of growing national resources and
high interest rates.[63] The Bank of Botswana serves as a central
bank. The country's currency is the Botswana pula.
Botswana's competitive banking system is one of Africa's
most advanced.[clarification needed] Generally adhering to global standards in the transparency of
financial policies and banking supervision, the financial sector provides ample
access to credit for entrepreneurs.[citation needed] The Capital Bank opened in 2008.[64] As
of August 2015, there are a dozen licensed banks in the country.[65] The government is involved in banking through state-owned financial
institutions and a special financial incentives program that is aimed at
increasing Botswana's status as a financial centre.[citation
needed] Credit is allocated
on market terms, although the government provides subsidised loans.[citation needed] Reform
of non-bank financial institutions has continued in recent years,
notably through the establishment of a single financial regulatory agency that
provides more effective supervision.[citation needed] The government has abolished exchange controls, and with the
resulting creation of new portfolio investment options, the Botswana Stock
Exchange is growing.[66]
Botswana's trading
partners in 2004 (Imports: $3.37 billion)
Southern African Customs Union (74%)
European Union (17%)
Zimbabwe (4%)
Other (5%)
Botswana's trading
partners in 2004 (Exports: $3.67 billion)
Southern African Customs Union (7%)
European Union (87%)
Zimbabwe (4%)
Other (2%)
Jwaneng
Diamond Mine
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary,
and the government respects this in practice. The legal system is sufficient to
conduct secure commercial dealings, although a serious and growing backlog of
cases prevents timely trials. The protection of intellectual property rights
has improved significantly. Botswana is ranked second only to South Africa
among sub-Saharan Africa countries in the 2014 International Property Rights
Index.[67]
While generally open to foreign participation in its
economy, Botswana reserves some sectors for citizens. Increased foreign
investment plays a significant role in the privatisation of state-owned
enterprises. Investment regulations are transparent, and bureaucratic
procedures are streamlined and open, although somewhat slow. Investment returns
such as profits and dividends, debt service, capital gains, returns on
intellectual property, royalties, franchise's fees, and service fees can be
repatriated without limits.
Botswana imports refined petroleum products and
electricity from South Africa. There is some domestic production of electricity
from coal.
Gemstones
and precious metals
In Botswana, the Department of Mines[68] and Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security[69] led by Hon Sadique Kebonang in Gaborone, maintains data regarding
mining throughout the country. Debswana, the largest diamond mining company
operating in Botswana, is 50% owned by the government.[70] The mineral industry provides about 40% of all government revenues.[71] In 2007, significant quantities of uranium were
discovered, and mining was projected to begin by 2010. Several international
mining corporations have established regional headquarters in Botswana, and
prospected for diamonds, gold, uranium, copper, and even oil,
many coming back with positive results. Government announced in early 2009 that
they would try to shift their economic dependence on diamonds, over serious
concern that diamonds are predicted to dry out in Botswana over the next twenty
years.
Botswana's Orapa mine is the largest diamond
mine in the world in terms of value and quantity of carats produced annually.[72] Estimated to have produced over 11 million carats in 2013, with an
average price of $145/carat, the Orapa mine was estimated to produce over $1.6
billion worth of diamonds in 2013.[73]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics
of Botswana
Population in Botswana[3][4]
|
|
Year
|
Million
|
1950
|
0.4
|
2000
|
1.7
|
2018
|
2.3
|
The Tswana are the majority ethnic group in
Botswana, making up 79% of the population. The largest minority ethnic groups
are the BaKalanga, and San or AbaThwa, also known as Basarwa.
Other tribes are Bayei, Bambukushu, Basubia, Baherero and Bakgalagadi.
In addition, there are small numbers of whites and Indians, both groups being
roughly equally small in number. Botswana's Indian population is made
up of many Indians of several generations, with some having migrated from Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, South
Africa, and so on, as well as first generation Indian immigrants.
Since 2000, because of deteriorating economic conditions
in Zimbabwe, the number of Zimbabweans in Botswana has risen
into the tens of thousands.[74]
Population
pyramid 2016
Fewer than 10,000 San people are still living
their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life. Since the mid-1990s
the central government of Botswana has been trying to move San out of their
historic lands.[75] James Anaya, as the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people for
the United Nations in 2010, described loss of land as a major
contributor to many of the problems facing Botswana's indigenous people, citing
the San's eviction from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) as a
special example.[76]:2 Among Anaya's recommendations in a report to
the United Nations Human Rights Council was that development programs
should promote, in consultation with indigenous communities such as the San and
Bakgalagadi people, activities in harmony with the culture of those communities
such as traditional hunting and gathering activities.[76]:19
Largest cities or towns
in Botswana
Census Botswana 2011[77]
|
|||||||||
Rank
|
Name
|
District
|
Pop.
|
Rank
|
Name
|
District
|
Pop.
|
||
1
|
Gaborone
|
South-East
|
227,333
|
11
|
Palapye
|
Central
|
36,211
|
||
2
|
Francistown
|
North-East
|
100,079
|
12
|
Tlokweng
|
South-East
|
35,982
|
||
3
|
Molepolole
|
Kweneng
|
67,598
|
13
|
Lobatse
|
South-East
|
29,032
|
||
4
|
Maun
|
Kweneng
|
55,784
|
14
|
Ramotswa
|
South-East
|
27,760
|
||
5
|
Mogoditshane
|
North-West
|
57,637
|
15
|
Letlhakane
|
Central
|
20,841
|
||
6
|
Selibe
Phikwe
|
Central
|
49,724
|
16
|
Tonota
|
Central
|
20,007
|
||
7
|
Serowe
|
Central
|
47,447
|
17
|
Moshupa
|
Southern
|
19,780
|
||
8
|
Kanye
|
Southern
|
45,196
|
18
|
Thamaga
|
Kweneng
|
19,365
|
||
9
|
Mochudi
|
Kgatleng
|
44,339
|
19
|
Jwaneng
|
Southern
|
18,063
|
||
10
|
Mahalapye
|
Central
|
41,316
|
20
|
Bobonong
|
Central
|
17,351
|
||
Languages
Main articles: Languages
of Botswana and Setswana
The official language of Botswana is English
although Setswana is widely spoken across the country. In
Setswana, prefixes are more important than they are in many other
languages, since Setswana is a Bantu language and has noun classes
denoted by these prefixes. They include Bo, which refers to the
country, Ba, which refers to the people, Mo, which is
one person, and Se which is the language. For example, the
main ethnic group of Botswana is the Tswana people, hence the name Botswana for
its country. The people as a whole are Batswana, one person is a Motswana, and
the language they speak is Setswana.
Other languages spoken in Botswana include Kalanga (sekalanga), Sarwa (sesarwa), Ndebele, !Xóõ and,
in some parts, Afrikaans.
Religions
Main article: Religion
in Botswana
Religion in Botswana (Pew
Research)[1]
|
||||
religion
|
percent
|
|||
Protestant
|
66%
|
|||
None
|
20%
|
|||
Catholic
|
7%
|
|||
Folk
|
6%
|
|||
Other
|
1%
|
|||
An estimated 77% of the country's citizens identify as
Christians. Anglicans, Methodists, and the United Congregational Church of
Southern Africa make up the majority of Christians. There are also
congregations of Lutherans, Baptists, Roman Catholics, The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), the Dutch Reformed
Church, Mennonites, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's
Witnesses in the country. According to the 2001 census, the country has
around 5,000 Muslims, mainly from South Asia, 3,000 Hindus and
700 Baha'is. Approximately 20% of citizens identify with no religion.
Dance
at a cultural day.
Culture
Main article: Culture
of Botswana
A rondavel at
a lodge near the Kalahari Desert.
Besides referring to the language of the dominant people
groups in Botswana, Setswana is the adjective used to describe the rich
cultural traditions of the Batswana—whether construed as members of the Tswana
ethnic groups or of all citizens of Botswana. In Botswana most of the tribes
have different ways that they use to greet one another, but for easy
communication and connection batswana use a three way hand shake or one can
just greet another by saying "Dumelang" as a way of saying
"hello" without having to use hand shakes. In community celebrations
like Dikgafela or during marriage ceremonies batswana women show excitement and
happiness by the use of ululations as part of their culture.
Media
Main article: Media
of Botswana
Botswana has Five (5) TV stations one of which is owned
by the government (Botswana television), Now TV, Khuduga HD, Maru TV, EBotswana
& five radio stations (RB1,RB2, Duma FM,Gabz FM, Yarona FM) and Thirteen
newspapers (Mmegi,Sunday Standard, The Telegraph, Business Weekely, Botswana
Gazette, The Voice, The Guardian, Echo, Botswana Peoples daily, DailyNews,
Tswana Times, Weekend Post, The Monitor) that publish on a weekly basis.
Music
Main article: Music
of Botswana
Botswana music is mostly vocal and performed, sometimes
without drums depending on the occasion; it also makes heavy use of string
instruments. Botswana folk music has instruments such as setinkane (a sort of
miniature piano), segankure/segaba (a Botswana version of the Chinese
instrument erhu), moropa (meropa -plural) (many varieties of drums), phala
(a whistle used mostly during celebrations, which comes in a variety of forms).
Botswana cultural musical instruments are not confined only to the strings or
drums. The hands are used as musical instruments too, by either clapping them
together or against phathisi (goat skin turned inside out wrapped around the
calf area, only used by men) to create music and rhythm. For the last few
decades, the guitar has been celebrated as a versatile music instrument for
Tswana music as it offers a variety in string which the segaba instrument does
not have. The national anthem is "Fatshe leno la rona". Written and
composed by Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete, it was adopted upon independence in
1966.[citation needed]
Visual arts
In the northern part of Botswana, women in the villages
of Etsha and Gumare are noted for their skill at crafting
baskets from Mokola Palm and local dyes. The baskets are
generally woven into three types: large, lidded baskets used for storage,
large, open baskets for carrying objects on the head or for winnowing threshed
grain, and smaller plates for winnowing pounded grain. The artistry of these
baskets is being steadily enhanced through colour use and improved designs as
they are increasingly produced for international markets.
Other notable artistic communities include Thamaga
Pottery and Oodi Weavers, both located in the south-eastern part of
Botswana.
The oldest paintings from both Botswana and South Africa
depict hunting, animal and human figures, and were made by the Khoisan (!Kung
San/Bushmen) over twenty thousand years ago within the Kalahari desert.
Food
Boerewors
Main
article: Cuisine of Botswana
The cuisine of Botswana is unique but also shares some
characteristics with other cuisine of Southern Africa. Examples of Botswana
food are pap (maize porridge), boerewors, samp, Magwinya
(fried dough bread) and mopane worms. Foods unique to Botswana
include seswaa, heavily salted mashed-up meat.
Sports
Main article: Sport
in Botswana
Botswana's
Olympic Medalist Nijel Amos
Football is the most popular sport in Botswana, with
qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations being the national
team's highest achievement to date. Other popular sports are softball, cricket, tennis, rugby, badminton, handball, golf,
and track and field.[78][79] Botswana is an associate member
of the International Cricket Council. Botswana became a member of The
International Badminton Federation and Africa Badminton Federation in 1991.
The Botswana Golf Union offers an amateur golf league in
which golfers compete in tournaments and championships.
Botswana won the country's first Olympic medal in
2012 when runner Nijel Amos won silver in the 800
metres. In 2011, Amantle Montsho became world champion in
the 400 metres and won Botswana's first athletics medal on the world level.
High jumper Kabelo Kgosiemang is a three-time African champion.
The card game bridge has a strong following; it
was first played in Botswana over 30 years ago, and it grew in popularity
during the 1980s. Many British expatriate school teachers informally taught the
game in Botswana's secondary schools. The Botswana Bridge Federation (BBF) was
founded in 1988 and continues to organise tournaments. Bridge has remained
popular and the BBF has over 800 members.[80] In
2007, the BBF invited the English Bridge Union to host a week-long
teaching program in May 2008.[81]
Education
See also: Ministry of
Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology (Botswana)
Physicist
in a Lab at Botswana International University of Science and Technology
Main
article: Education in Botswana
Botswana has made great strides in educational
development since independence in 1966. At that time there were very few
graduates in the country and only a very small percentage of the population
attended secondary school. Botswana increased its adult literacy rate from 69%
in 1991 to 83% in 2008.[82]
With the discovery of diamonds and the increase in
government revenue that this brought, there was a huge increase in educational
provision in the country. All students were guaranteed ten years of basic
education, leading to a Junior Certificate qualification. Approximately half of
the school population attends a further two years of secondary schooling
leading to the award of the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary
Education (BGCSE). Secondary education in Botswana is neither free nor
compulsory.
After leaving school, students can attend one of the
seven technical colleges in the country, or take vocational training courses
in teaching or nursing. Students enter the University of
Botswana, Botswana College of Agriculture, Botswana International
University of Science and Technology and the Botswana Accountancy
College in Gaborone. Many other students end up in the numerous private
tertiary education colleges around the country. Notable amongst these is Botho
University, the country's first private university which offers undergraduate
programmes in Accounting, Business and Computing. Another international
university is the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology which
offers various associate degrees in Creative Arts.[83] Other
tertiary institutions include Ba Isago, ABM University College the largest
school of business and management, New Era, Gaborone Institute of
Professional Studies, Gaborone University College Of Law And Professional
Studies etc. Tremendous strides in providing quality education have been
made by private education providers such that a large number of the best
students in the country are now applying to them as well. A vast majority of
these students are government sponsored. The nation's second international
university, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology,
was completed in Palapye in 2011. The quantitative gains have not
always been matched by qualitative ones. Primary schools in particular still
lack resources, and the teachers are less well paid than their secondary school
colleagues. The Botswana Ministry of Education[84] is working to establish libraries in primary schools in partnership
with the African Library Project.[85] The Government
of Botswana hopes that by investing a large part of national income in
education, the country will become less dependent on diamonds for its economic
survival, and less dependent on expatriates for its skilled workers.[86] Those objectives are in part pursued through policies in favour of
vocational education, gathered within the NPVET (National Policy on Vocational
Education and Training), aiming to "integrate the different types of
vocational education and training into one comprehensive system".[86] Botswana invests 21% of its government spending in education.[82]
In January 2006, Botswana announced the reintroduction of
school fees after two decades of free state education[87] though the government still provides full scholarships with living
expenses to any Botswana citizen in university, either at the University of
Botswana or if the student wishes to pursue an education in any field not
offered locally, such as medicine, they are provided with a full scholarship to
study abroad.
Science and technology
Main article: Science
and technology in Botswana
Botswana is planning to use science and technology to
diversify its economy and thereby reduce its dependence on diamond mining. To
this end, the government has set up six hubs since 2008, in the agriculture,
diamonds, innovation, transport, health and education sectors.[88]
Ditec
Smartphone manufactured in Botswana
Botswana published its updated National Policy on
Research, Science and Technology in 2011, within a UNESCO project
sponsored by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development
(AECID). This policy aims to take up the challenges of rapid technological
evolution, globalisation and the achievement of the national development goals
formulated in high-level strategic documents that include Botswana's Tenth
National Development Plan to 2016 and Vision 2016.[88] The National Policy on Research, Science, Technology and
Innovation (2011) fixes the target of raising gross domestic
expenditure on research and development (R&D) from 0.26% of GDP in 2012 to
over 2% of GDP by 2016. This target can only be reached within the specified
time frame by raising public spending on R&D.[88]
Despite the modest level of financial investment in
research, Botswana counts one of the highest researcher densities in
sub-Saharan Africa: 344 per million inhabitants (in head counts), compared to
an average of 91 per million inhabitants for the subcontinent in 2013.[88]
In 2009 a Botswana-based company Deaftronics launched its
solar-powered hearing aid Six years after developing the prototype. Since the
launch of the company in 2009, Deaftronics has sold over 10 000 solar-powered
hearing aids. Priced at $200 per unit, each unit hearing aid comes with four
rechargeable batteries that can last up to three years and a solar charger for
the rechargeable batteries. The product is cheaper than many popular hearings
aids, that can start from around $600. [89][90] In
2011 Botswana's Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) unveiled Musi breed,
designed to ultimately optimise the overall efficiency for beef production
under Botswana conditions. The process of selective breeding that resulted in
this hardy beast 29 years ago, it is hoped that the composite breed with lead
to increased beef production. The objective of the research was to find a
genetic material that could perform like crossbreeds already found in Botswana
and well above the indigenous Tswana breed while retaining the hardiness and adaptability
of the native stock in one package.[91] Botswana
Institute of Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) in 2016 developed the
Foot and Mouth rapid testing kit in collaboration with Botswana Vaccine
Institute and Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The existing diagnostic methods
require highly trained laboratory personnel, special equipment thereby causing
delays in the implementation of control procedures whereas the kit developed in
Botswana allow for on-site diagnosis to be made in a case of a suspected
disease outbreak there speeding up the diagnostic process.[92] In the ICT sector in 2016 a Botswana Company Almaz opened the first
of its kind computer assembly company in Botswana. The company will not only be
about computer assembly but also expansion of electronics manufacturing and a
catalyst for content development and Research & Development.[93][94] Ditec a Botswana company also customizes, designs and manufactures
mobile phones. Ditec is one of the leading experts in design, development and
customisation of Microsoft powered devices.[95]
Transportation, energy and
infrastructure
Sir
Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone, Botswana
Botswana has 971 kilometres (603 mi) of rail lines,
18,482 kilometres (11,484 mi) of roads, and 92 airports, of which 12 have
paved runways. The engineered paved road network has almost entirely been
constructed since independence in 1966. The national airline is Air
Botswana, which flies domestically and to other countries in Africa. Botswana
Railways is the national railways company forms a crucial link in the
Southern African regional railway systems. Botswana Railways offers rail-based
transport logistics solutions to move a range of commodities for the mining
sector and primary industries, passenger trains services and dry ports.[96][97]
In terms of power infrastructure in Botswana, the country
produces coal for electricity and oil is imported into the country. Recently,
the country has taken a large interest in renewable energy sources and has
completed a comprehensive strategy that will attract investors in the wind,
solar and biomass renewable energy industries. Botswana's power stations
include Morupule B Power Station (600 MW), Morupule A Power
Station (132 MW), Orapa Power Station (90 MW), Phakalane
Power Station (1.3 MW) and Mmamabula Power Station (300 MW)
which is expected to be online in the near future. A 200 MW solar power
plant is at planning and designing stage by Ministry of Mineral Resources,
Green Technology and Energy Security.[98][99][99]
Health
Main article: Health
in Botswana
Ministry
of Health Botswana
General
The Ministry of Health in Botswana is
responsible for overseeing the quality and distribution of healthcare throughout
the country. Life expectancy at birth was 55 in 2009 according to the
World Bank, having previously fallen from a peak of 64.1 in 1990 to a low of 49
in 2002.[100] After Botswana's 2011 census, current life
expectancy is estimated at 54.06 years.[14]
The Cancer Association of Botswana is a
voluntary non-governmental organisation. The association is a member of the
Union for International Cancer Control. The Association supplements existing
services through provision of cancer prevention and health awareness
programmes, facilitating access to health services for cancer patients and
offering support and counseling to those affected.[101]
HIV/AIDS epidemic
Main article: HIV/AIDS
in Botswana
Life
expectancy in several African countries from 1960 to 2012. Botswana had the
highest life expectancy until HIV/AIDS began to reduce it in the late
1980s.
Like elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, the economic
impact of AIDS is considerable. Economic development spending was cut by
10% in 2002–3 as a result of recurring budget deficits and rising expenditure
on healthcare services. Botswana has been hit very hard by the AIDS
pandemic; in 2006 it was estimated that life expectancy at birth had dropped
from 65 to 35 years.[102] However, after
Botswana's 2011 census current life expectancy is estimated at 54.06 years.[14]
Scottish
Livingstone Hospital in Molepolole
The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Botswana was estimated at
25.4% for adults aged 15–49 in 2009 and 21.9% in 2013,[16]:A8 exceeded by Lesotho and Swaziland in sub-Saharan African nations.
This places Botswana at the third highest prevalence in the world, in 2013,
while "leading the way in prevention and treatment programmes".[17] In 2003, the government began a comprehensive program involving free
or cheap generic antiretroviral drugs as well as an information
campaign designed to stop the spread of the virus; in 2013, over 40% of adults
in Botswana had access to antiretroviral therapy.[16]:28 In the age group of 15–19 years old, prevalence was estimated at
about 6% for females and 3.5% for males in 2013,[16]:33 and for the 20–24 age group, 15% for females and 5% for males.[16]:33 Botswana is one of 21 priority countries identified by the UN AIDS
group in 2011 in the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children
and to keep their mothers alive.[16]:37 From
2009 to 2013, the country saw a decrease over 50% in new HIV infections in
children.[16]:38 A further measure of the success, or reason for
hope, in dealing with HIV in Botswana, is that less than 10% of pregnant
HIV-infected women were not receiving antiretroviral medications in 2013, with
a corresponding large decrease (over 50%) in the number of new HIV infections
in children under 5.[16]:39, 40 Among the UN
Global Plan countries, people living with HIV in Botswana have the highest
percentage receiving antiretroviral treatment: about 75% for adults (age 15+)
and about 98% for children.[16]:237
With a nationwide Prevention of Mother-to-Child
Transmission program, Botswana has reduced HIV transmission from infected
mothers to their children from about 40% to just 4%. Under the leadership
of Festus Mogae, the Government of Botswana solicited outside help in
fighting HIV/AIDS and received early support from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, the Merck Foundation, and together formed the African
Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (ACHAP). Other early partners include
the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute, of the Harvard School of Public
Health and the Botswana-UPenn Partnership of the University
of Pennsylvania. According to the 2011 UNAIDS Report, universal access to
treatment – defined as 80% coverage or greater – has been achieved in Botswana.[103]
Potential reasons for Botswana's high HIV prevalence
include concurrent sexual partnerships, transactional sex, cross-generational
sex, and a significant number of people who travel outside of their local
communities in pursuit of work. The polyamorous nature of many sexual
relationships further impacts the health situation, to the extent that it has
given rise to a love vocabulary[104] that is unique to
the region.
Tourism
Main article: Tourism
in Botswana
BW
Tour Boats
The Botswana Tourism Organisation[105] is the country's official tourism group. Primarily, tourists visit
Gaborone due to the city having numerous activities for visitors. The Lion Park
Resort[106] is Botswana's first permanent amusement park and hosts
events such as birthday parties for families. Other destinations in
Botswana include the Gaborone Yacht Club and the Kalahari Fishing Club and
natural attractions such as the Gaborone Dam and Mokolodi Nature Reserve. There
are golf courses which are maintained by the Botswana Golf Union
(BGU).[107] The Phakalane Golf Estate is a multimillion-dollar clubhouse that
offers both hotel accommodations and access to golf courses. Museums in
Botswana include:
·
Botswana National Museum in
Gaborone
·
Kgosi Bathoen II
(Segopotso) Museum in Kanye
·
Kgosi Sechele I Museum in
Molepolole
·
Khama III Memorial Museum
in Serowe
·
Nhabe Museum in Maun
·
Phuthadikobo Museum in
Mochudi
·
Supa Ngwano Museum Centre
in Francistown
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