BOTSWANA. Brief Sumary

World GeographyRepublic of Botswana

General Information2

Index1. 2. 3. 3.1. 3.2. 3.3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 10.1. 10.2. 10.3. 10.4. 10.5. 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 2. 3. General Information..............................................................................................................3 Location and boundaries.......................................................................................................4 Geography............................................................................................................................4 Geographical Features.......................................................................................................4 Climate..............................................................................................................................5 Biodiversity and Environmental concerns..........................................................................5 History..................................................................................................................................6 Population and Demographics..............................................................................................6 Government..........................................................................................................................6 Economy and Resources.......................................................................................................7 Transportation and Communications....................................................................................8 Energy...................................................................................................................................9 Culture and Society............................................................................................................9 Ethnic Groups.................................................................................................................9 Languages......................................................................................................................9 Religion.........................................................................................................................10 Family and lifestyle.......................................................................................................10 Traditions and Attires...................................................................................................11 Gastronomy.....................................................................................................................12 Education and Sports.......................................................................................................13 Health..............................................................................................................................14 Tourism...............................................................................................................................14 Bibliography........................................................................................................................15

Bibliography

Republic of Botswana


1. General Information Republic of Botswana

Capital (and largest city)

Gaborone

Official language(s)

English, Setswana

Demonym

Batswana

Government Independence From the United Kingdom

Parliamentary republic 30 September 1966 581,730 km2 (47th) 224,610 sq milles 2.6 % 2,029,307 (144th) 3.4/km2 (229th) or 8.9/sq mi Tswana, Kalanga, Basarwa 36 years (male), 37 years (female) Total Per capita $28.491 billion $15,489

Total Area

Water Area (%) Population 2010 estimate Density Ethnicities:

Life Expectancy:

GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate

Currency

Pula (BWP)

Time zone

Central Africa Time(UTC+02)



Drives on the

left

2. Location and boundariesBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana (Tswana: Lefatshe la Botswana), is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa between Namibia to the west, South Africa to the south, Zimbabwe to the east, and Zambia and Angola to the north. A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas.

Botswana is divided into 16 districts 10 rural districts and 6 urban districts. The urban districts are:

Central District Ghanzi District Kgalagadi District Kgatleng District Kweneng District North-East District Ngamiland District South-East District Southern District Chobe District

1. Geography 1.1.Geographical FeaturesAt 600,370 km2 (231,804 sq mi) Botswana is the world's 47th-largest country (after Ukraine). It is comparable in size to Madagascar, and is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Texas or the Canadian province of Manitoba. It lies between latitudes 17 and 27S, and longitudes 20 and 30E. 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, the world's largest inland delta, 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, in the southeast of the country. The Chobe River lies to the north, providing a boundary between Botswana and Namibia (Caprivi 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). 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.


General Information5The 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 the Khama Rhino Sanctuary (for Rhinoceros) and Makgadikgadi Sanctuary (for Flamingos). They are both located in Central District. Elevation extremes: Lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m Highest point: Tsodilo Hills- 1,489 m

1.2.ClimateThe climate is dry and semi-arid. The northern part of the country lies within the tropics, but because of the altitude and distance from the oceans, the climate is more temperate than tropical. Rainfall is low, erratic and unevenly distributed. It ranges from 650 mm in the northeast to less than 250 mm in Kgalagadi. Major rain falls during the summer months, between November and April. The mean temperatures vary according to the regions. Maximum temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius and may fall during the winter to 0 degrees Celsius in the extreme south. Throughout the country, potential evapotranspiration far exceeds the rainfall. This means that agriculture without irrigation is only viable in some years, even during the wet months. Natural hazards, environmental problems: Floods; periods of droughts (the southern part of the country is most susceptible to drought); overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; veld fires

1.3.Biodiversity and Environmental concernsEastern Botswana is shrub land with umbrella-shaped acacia species. Mophane is very common in the north and the baobab is seen around the makgadikgadi and eastern Botswana (Bobirwa area). The Kgalagadi has undulating sand dunes, short shrubs and a horizonless grassland with fossil rivers. The Kalahari sands, with fossil rivers and fossil lakes, cover more than two-thirds of the country, while eastern Botswana is dotted with low hills, bare rocks and few perennial rivers. Large surfaces of water are found in the northwest, Okavango, Moremi and Chobe Rivers. The ancient lakes of Okavango and Makgadikgadi are evidence of ancient tectonic movements in northern Botswana. Geologists believe that in earlier days the Okavanago and Chobe-Zambezi rivers flowed through the area of the Makgadikgadi to the middle Limpopo valley and then to the sea. But the folding of the earth's crust (tectonic) opened a new passage for the Zambezi to the Indian Ocean over Victoria Falls. It blocked off the old ZambeziLimpopo course by a new ridge southeast of Makgadikgadi. The water backed up behind this ridge formed lake Makgadikgadi and Lake Okavango. Present day drainage of the Okavango Delta is complex and not well understood. The perennial river flows southward into its delta across the Caprivi Strip, originating in Angola's highlands. Most of the water evaporates from the delta wetlands. During the 20th century less and less water flowed through the western side of the Okavango marshes, so that Lake Ngami is today dry and almost unrecognizable as a lake. Most rivers in Botswana are ephemeral and flow rarely above ground except during the rainy season. Seventeen percent of the area of Botswana is reserved as parks. The country has adopted a policy of low-volume, high-cost for tourism, which is intended to facilitate protection of the fragile natural environment and stimulate sustainable tourism development. Among the major tourist attractions are the enigmatic Okavango Delta, said to be the largest inland delta in the world; Chobe National Park, home of the largest elephant population in the world; the golden sands of the vast Kalahari Desert; the Tuli Block with its rugged terrain and the Moremi Game Reserve. The national estimates for species numbers for fauna are: 162 for mammals; 496 for birds; 38 for amphibians; 160 for reptiles; and 796 for insects. Environmental problems Botswana is currently facing two major environmental problems: drought and desertification. The desertification problems predominantly stem from the severe times of drought in the country. Due to the drought, 75% of the countrys human and animal populations are dependent on groundwater. Groundwater use has eased the effects of drought, but has left a toll on the land. Groundwater is retrieved through drilling deep boreholes, which leads to the erosion of the land. Surface water is very scarce in Botswana and less than 5% of the agriculture in the country is


General Information6sustainable by rainfall. Due to this 95% of the country raises cattle and livestock as a means for an income. Therefore, it is not a surprise to see that 71% of the countrys land is used for communal grazing, which has been a major cause for the desertification of the country. Since raising livestock has proven to be profitable for the people of Botswana, the land is continuing to be exploited. 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: 64. Similarly, the human population has increased from 574,000 in 1971 to 1.5 million in 1995, nearly a 200% increase. Over 50% of all households in Botswana own cattle, which is presently 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. It has been reported that the Okavango Delta is drying up due to the increased grazing of livestock. The Okavango Delta is one of the major semi-forested wetlands in Botswana, the largest inland delta in the world and is a crucial ecosystem to the survival of many animals.

2. HistorySan (Bushmen) were the aboriginal inhabitants of what is now Botswana, but they constitute only a small portion of the population today. The Tswana supplanted the San, who remained as subjects. Beginning in the 1820s, the region was disrupted by the expansion of the Zulu and their offshoot, the Ndebele. However, Khama II, chief of the Ngwato (the largest Tswana nation), curbed the depredations of the Ndebele and established a fairly unified state. A new threat arose in the late 19th cent. with the incursion of Boers (Afrikaners) from neighboring Transvaal. After gold was discovered in the region in 1867, the Transvaal government sought to annex parts of Botswana. Although the British forbade annexation, the Boers continued to encroach on native lands during the 1870s and 80s. German colonial expansion in South West Africa (Namibia) caused the British to reexamine their policies, and, urged on by Khama III, they established (188485) a protectorate called Bechuanaland. The southern part of the area was incorporated into Cape Colony in 1895. Until 1961, Bechuanaland was administered by a resident commissioner at Mafikeng, in South Africa, who was responsible to the British high commissioner for South Africa. Britain provided for the eventual transfer of Bechuanaland to the Union of South Africa; in succeeding years, however, South Africa's attempts at annexation were countered by British insistence that Bechuanaland's inhabitants first be consulted. The rise of the National party in South Africa in 1948 and its pursuit of apartheid turned British opinion against the incorporation of Bechuanaland into South Africa. Although Bechuanaland spawned no nationalist movement, Britain granted it internal self-government in 1965 and full independence as Botswana on Sept. 30, 1966. Shortly after, Botswana became a member of the United Nations. Seretse Khama, grandson of Khama III, was elected the first president, and served until his death in 1980, when he was succeeded by Dr. Quett Ketumile Joni Masire. In the period after independence, the country generally maintained close ties with its white-ruled neighbors and refused to let its territory harbor guerrilla operations against them. Prior to Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, however, Botswana became a refuge for guerrillas. In the years before a multiracial government was established in South Africa, Botswana was the target of South African reprisals. Despite the increased importance of mining in the Botswanan economy, unemployment has been a problem since the 1970s, as subsistence farming has become less profitable and migrant workers have returned from the South African mines in search of work. By 1997, Botswana also had one of the highest rates of HIV infection (25%). On the political scene, the Botswana National Front, an organization acting on behalf of labor, has grown in popularity since independence, but elections in 1989 and 1994 again gave the ruling Botswana Democratic party (BDP) a majority in the national assembly. President Masire resigned in 1998 and was succeeded by his vice president, Festus Gontebanye Mogae. Mogae won election to the presidency in 1999, after the BDP retained its hold on the national assembly. The BDP remained in power after the Oct., 2004, national assembly elections, and Mogae was subsequently reelected president. In Apr., 2008, Mogae resigned and was succeeded as president by Vice President Seretse Khama Ian Khama, son of Botswana's first president.



3. Population and DemographicsBotswana's main ethnic groups are Batswana, BaKalanga, Bushmen or AbaThwa also known as Basarwa. Other tribes are Bayei, Bambukushu, Basubia, Baherero and Bakgalagadi. Other groups of ethnicities in Botswana include whites and Indians, both groups being roughly equally small in number. Botswana's Indian population is made up of many Indian-Africans of several generations, from Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa, and so on, as well as first generation Indian immigrants. The white population is native to Botswana or from other parts of Africa including Zimbabwe and South Africa. The white population speaks either English or Afrikaans and makes up roughly 3% of the population. Since 2000, because of deteriorating economic conditions in Zimbabwe, the number of Zimbabweans in Botswana has risen into the tens of thousands. Fewer than 10,000 Bushmen are still living the traditional hunter-gatherer style of life. Since the mid-1990s the central government of Botswana has been trying to move San out of their lands. The UN's top official on indigenous rights, Prof. James Anaya, has condemned Botswana's persecution of the Bushmen in a report released in February 2010.

4. GovernmentThe 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 tenth, was held on 16 October 2009. Since independence was declared, the party system has been dominated by the Botswana Democratic Party. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. According to Transparency International, Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa and ranks similarly close to Portugal and South Korea. Nevertheless the country is considered having the most secretive public institutions. The national anthem is Fatshe leno la rona. Botswana has a flourishing multiparty constitutional democracy. General elections are held every 5 years. Each of the elections since independence has been freely and fairly contested and has been held on schedule. The country's minority groups participate freely in the political process. The openness of the country's political system has been a significant factor in Botswana's stability and economic growth. The president of Botswana is indirectly elected. The presidential candidate from the political party that wins the majority of the 57 seats in the National Assembly is sworn in as president. The cabinet is selected by the president from the National Assembly; it consists of a vice president and a flexible number of ministers and assistant ministers. The National Assembly has 57 elected and 4 specially elected members; it is expanded following each 10-year census. There are four main parties and a number of smaller parties. In national elections held October 16, 2009, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) won 45 of 57 contested National Assembly seats, the Botswana National Front (BNF) won 6 seats, and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP)/Botswana Alliance Movement pact won 5 seats. For the first time in the history of the country, an independent candidate won a seat in parliament during the 2009 election. Four additional seats filled by individuals elected by the National Assembly went to the ruling BDP. In the city of Gaborone, the BDP took all but one of the five constituencies from the opposition, taking control of the city council. In May-July 2010, 7 BDP parliamentarians and the lone independent changed their membership to the newly created Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). In August 2010, 2 BMD members returned to the BDP, leaving the BMD with 6 seats in parliament. The advisory House of Chiefs represents the eight principal subgroups of the Batswana tribes, five members specially elected by the president, and 22 members elected from designated regions. The eight principal chiefs are members for life, while the elected members hold office for a period of 5 years. A draft of any National Assembly bill of tribal concern must be referred to the House of Chiefs for advisory opinion. Chiefs and other leaders preside over customary traditional courts, though all persons have the right to request that their case be considered under the formal British-based legal system. The roots of Botswana's democracy lie in Setswana traditions, exemplified by the Kgotla, or village council, in which the powers of traditional leaders are limited by custom and law. Botswana's High Court has general civil and criminal jurisdiction. Judges are appointed by the president and may be removed only for cause and after a hearing. The constitution has a code of fundamental human rights enforced by the courts, and Botswana has a good human rights record. Local government is administered by nine district councils and five town councils. District commissioners have executive authority and are appointed by the central government and assisted by elected and nominated district councilors and district development committees. There has been ongoing debate about the political, social, and economic marginalization of the San (an indigenous tribal population). The government's policies for the Basarwa (San) and other remote area dwellers continue to spark controversy.



5. Economy and ResourcesBotswana has enjoyed one of the fastest growth rates in per capita income in the world since independence, although it slowed considerably due to the global economic downturn. The economic growth rate averaged 9% per year from 1967-2006, but slowed during 2007 and 2008 to only 3% before dropping to minus 3.7% in 2009. In 2010, real GDP grew by approximately 7.5%, and it is expected to post an average growth of 6% in 2011 and 2012. The government reported that the average consumer price inflation rate dropped to 7.0% for 2010 as compared to 8.1% for 2009. The government has maintained a sound fiscal policy and a negligible level of foreign debt. Foreign exchange reserves were estimated to be $8.4 billion in September 2010, representing approximately 19 months' cover of imports of goods and services. Botswana's impressive economic record has been built on the foundation of wisely using revenue generated from diamond mining to fuel economic development through prudent fiscal policies and a cautious foreign policy. The government recognizes that HIV/AIDS will continue to affect the economy and is providing leadership and programs to combat the epidemic, including free anti-retroviral treatment and a nationwide Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission program. Mining: Debswana (formed by the government and South Africa's DeBeers in equal partnership) is the largest mining operation in Botswana. Several other mining operations exist in the country, including the Bamangwato Concessions, Ltd. (BCL, also with substantial government equity participation) and Tati Nickel. Since the early 1980s, the country has been the world's largest producer of gem-quality diamonds. Four large diamond mines have opened since independence. DeBeers prospectors discovered diamonds in northern Botswana in the late 1960s. The first mine began production at Orapa in 1972, followed by the smaller mines of Lethlakane and Damtshaa. What has become the single-richest diamond mine in the world opened in Jwaneng in 1982. The Orapa 2000 Expansion of the existing Orapa mine was opened in 2000. In December 2004, Debswana negotiated 25-year lease renewals for all four of its mines with the Government of Botswana. Diamond mining accounts for approximately one-third of Botswana's GDP and 70% of export earnings. However, the industry is capital intensive and accounts for less than 5% of private sector employment. The global economic crisis greatly reduced worldwide demand for diamonds, and the government reports that Botswana's diamond sales volume for 2009 was 37% lower than that of 2007. Demand has somewhat recovered, and Debswana plans to increase diamond production by 20% in 2011. Diamond mining will continue to be the mainstay of Botswanas economy, with known current reserves sufficient for at least the next 20 years. Exploration for additional kimberlite pipes continues. As part of Botswana's drive to diversify and increase production of value-added goods within the mining sector, De Beers opened the Diamond Trading Center Botswana (DTCB) in 2008 to localize some sorting, cutting, polishing, and marketing. Through DTCB, 16 diamond cutting and polishing firms obtain diamonds (about 20% of the total). Known as sightholders, these firms have opened cutting and polishing factories in Botswana, creating roughly 3,000 jobs. In 2011, DeBeers and the Government of Botswana announced that they had agreed to shift DeBeers aggregation and sorting operation from London to Gaborone by 2013, effectively making Gaborone the major sales point for the companys diamonds. This will bring additional jobs to Botswana and may entail additional opportunities for diamond cutters, polishers, and jewelers. BCL, which operates a copper-nickel mine at Selebi-Phikwe, has had a troubled financial history but remains an important employer, although the life of the mine is expected to end in the next 5 to 10 years. Other copper-nickel mines include Tati Nickel near Francistown. Botash, the sole producer of soda ash in the region and supported by substantial government investment, produced 215,000 tons of soda ash in 2009. Coal-bed methane gas has been discovered in the northeastern part of the country, estimated by the developers at a commercially viable quantity of 12 trillion cubic feet. Development of the gas fields has been slow, however. Tourism: Tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for approximately 11% of GDP, and has grown at an annual rate of 14% in the past 8 years. 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. Agriculture: More than one-half of the population lives in rural areas and is largely dependent on subsistence crop and livestock farming. Agriculture meets only a small portion of food needs and makes up only 2.3% of GDP-primarily through beef exports--but it remains a social and cultural touchstone. Cattle raising in particular dominated Botswana's social and economic life before independence. The national herd is estimated between 2 and 3 million head, but the cattle industry is experiencing a protracted decline. Private Sector Development and Foreign Investment: Botswana seeks to further diversify its economy away from minerals, which accounts for more than one-third of GDP. Foreign investment and management are welcomed in Botswana. Botswana abolished foreign exchange controls in 1999, has a low corporate tax rate (15%), and has no prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies. Botswana's currency--the Pula--is fully convertible and is valued against a basket of currencies heavily weighted toward the South African Rand. Profits and direct investment can be repatriated without restriction from Botswana.


General Information9With its proven record of good economic governance, Botswana was ranked as Africa's least corrupt country by Transparency International in 2010 (33rd out of 178 countries, ahead of many European and Asian countries). Botswana is consistently ranked by international organizations as among the freest economies in sub-Saharan Africa. The Heritage Foundation's 2010 Index of Economic Freedom ranked Botswana at 28th in the world with a score of 70.3, the best of any country in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2011, Moodys preserved Botswanas A2 credit rating due to the governments refusal to give in to striking public sector workers, and Botswana is viewed as one of the best credit risks in Africa, on par with many countries in central Europe, East Asia, and Latin America. U.S. investment in Botswana remains at relatively low levels. Major U.S. corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard, H.J. Heinz, and AON Corporation, are present through direct investments, while others, such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Remaxx, are present via franchise. Because of history and geography, Botswana has long had deep ties to the economy of South Africa. The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), comprised of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa, dates from 1910, and is the world's oldest customs union. Under this arrangement, South Africa has collected levies from customs, sales, and excise duties for all five members, sharing out proceeds based on each country's portion of imports. The exact formula for sharing revenues and the decision-making authority over duties--held exclusively by the Government of South Africa--became increasingly controversial, and the members renegotiated the arrangement in 2001. A new structure was formally ratified and a SACU Secretariat was established in Windhoek, Namibia. Following South Africa's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO, of which Botswana also is a member), many of the SACU duties are declining, making American products more competitive in Botswana. Botswana signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union in December 2007, and, as a member of SACU, it signed a preferential trade agreement in 2004 with Mercosur. Botswana is a member of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Gaborone hosts the SADC Secretariat's headquarters. SADC has a broad mandate to encourage growth, development, and economic integration in Southern Africa. SADC's Trade Protocol, calls for the elimination of all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade among the 12 signatory countries. However, implementation of the protocol has been slow and is not yet complete.

6. Transportation and CommunicationsA sparsely populated, semi-arid country about the size of Texas, Botswana has nonetheless managed to incorporate many rural areas into the national economy. An "inner circle" highway connecting all major towns and district capitals is completely paved, and the all-weather Trans-Kalahari Highway connects the country (and, through it, South Africa's commercially dominant Gauteng Province) to Walvis Bay in Namibia. A fiber-optic telecommunications network has been completed in Botswana connecting all major population centers. The Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) has been established as a regulator of the air transport services to further enhance the transport system. In addition to the government-owned newspaper and national radio network, there is an active, independent press (one daily and seven weekly newspapers). Two privately owned radio stations began operations in 1999, and a third began operations in 2008. In 2000, the government-owned Botswana Television (BTV) was launched, which was Botswana's first national television station. GBC is a commercially owned television station that broadcast programs to the Gaborone area only. Foreign publications are sold without restriction in Botswana, and there are 22 commercial Internet service providers. Three cellular phone providers cover most of the country.

Railways - 971 km The main railway line which runs from Zimbabwe to South Africa, is an important transit route betweenZambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Highways - 18,482, of which 4,343 paved Botswana's road network is well developed, with tarred roads of a good standard linking all majorpopulation centres. The Trans-Kalahari highway links Botswana with all four of its neighbours.

Airports with paved runways - 12; unpaved - 80

1. EnergyEnergy in Botswana is a growing industry with tremendous potential. Most electric power is generated thermally in installations run by the Botswana Power Corporation, a public enterprise established in 1970. Electric generating capacity consists of the 132 MW Morupole coal-fired plant. The 60 MW coal-fired plants at Selebi-Phikwe has been closed. Total capacity in 2002 stood at 132 MW. Production of electricity in that same year totaled 930 GWh. Fossil fuels were used exclusively. Consumption of electricity totaled 1.989 TWh. Coal production in 2002 consisted entirely of the bituminous type and totaled 992,000 tons. Coal is mined solely at Morupule Colliery by Debswana, mostly for the generation of electricity. The government is


General Information10considering constructing a coal-fired power plant at the same coal field, which would be designed to export power to South Africa. Several companies are prospecting for oil, but none had been discovered as of 2002. However, Amoco (now BP) has studied the possibility of coalbed methane extraction.

2. Culture and SocietyBotswana is made up of different tribes . Each tribe has adopted a "not so evident culture" of its own. However, overall cultures are very similar from tribe to tribe. This is because even though we may be from different tribes, we still consider ourselves Batswana and the Botswana culture is what has molded our own individual tribal cultures

2.1.Ethnic GroupsAll of the citizens of Botswana are collectively referred to as Batswana (plural form) or Motswana (singular form), and can be grouped into two broad categories: the Setswana-speaking people and the non-Setswana-speakers. Over 60 percent of the population traces their heritage to one of the Setswana-speaking groups: The Bangwato, who constitute the largest of the Setswana-speaking groups, come from Serowe. The Bakgatla, Bakwena, Barolong and Bangwaketse come from the southern regions around Gaborone, Kanye and Molepolole. The Batawana, who broke away from the Bangwato, settled further north around the southern edges of the Okavango. The Babirwa come from the Tuli Block. The Batswapong come from the eastern regions around Selebi Phikwe. The Bakgalagadi, who are one of the oldest groups, live in the central regions of the Kalahari around Ghanzi and Kang. The major non-Setswana speaking groups: The Bakalanga, largest group in the country, live around Francistown. The Basarwa, who were the earliest inhabitants of Botswana, live throughout the Central Kalahari and in the west. The Banoka, who are often referred to as the River Bushmen, traditionally were those who lived in the Okavango Delta. There are few true Banoka surviving today. The Baherero, who came from Namibia, have settled in towns such as Sehitwa and Toteng, along the western edges of the Okavango Delta, and in Maun. The Bayei live along the Panhandle in the northern regions of the Okavango Delta. The Mbukushu live along the Panhandle and in villages at Etsha 6 and Etsha 13. The Basubiya live in the north-east in Kasane and along the Chobe River. Europeans and Asians, who began arriving in the early 19th century, have settled mostly in the urban areas and the Okavango Delta. The Ghanzi district was settled by a group of Afrikaans-speakers from South Africa.

2.2.LanguagesThe 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. These prefixes 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 tribe 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. While English is the official language and Setswana the national language, there are over 20 other languages spoken in the country, which are mostly used by the non-Setswana-speaking groups. Sekalanga, spoken by the Bakalanga, is the most commonly used of these languages. Almost 90 percent of citizens speak Setswana as their mother tongue and, although English is spoken throughout the urban areas and within all tourist facilities, you may have to try a little harder to be understood in the rural areas. Below are some words and phrases to help.



2.3.ReligionAn estimated 70 percent of the country's citizens identify themselves as Christians. Anglicans, Methodists, and the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa make up the majority of Christians. There are also congregations of Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, the Dutch Reformed Church, Mennonites, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other Christian sects. According to the 2001 census, the country's Muslim community, primarily of South Asian origin, numbers slightly more than 5,000. The 2001 census also lists approximately 3,000 Hindus and 700 Baha'is. Approximately 20 percent of citizens espouse no religion. Religious services are well attended in both rural and urban areas.

2.4.Family and lifestyleIn the past, with the exception of the semi-nomadic Bushmen, most other groups lived pastoral lifestyles in permanent settlements. Traditionally, these villages were located (for defensive reasons) in hilly regions, or around reliable water sources where grazing conditions were best. Homesteads, which consisted of circular huts, built with reeds or mud, had grass roofs and were usually surrounded by a pole or reed fence. Communal eating places and smaller huts built for storage purposes were situated in the centre of the village. Every family was entitled to land, where agricultural fields were planted, and a cattle post for keeping livestock. The village heads or chiefs (kgosi) were responsible for looking after the affairs of the community. The kgotla, or traditional meeting place, was the most significant spot within any village. Recognised by all as a place of respect, it was always to be found in the middle of the village or under the largest tree. This is where all social, judicial and political affairs of the community were discussed and dealt with. Today, while most of the homesteads in the rural villages are built using modern fabricated materials of some sort, the kgotla and cattle posts remain integral to the stability of these communities. Botswana 30 life and soul 6 Maize porridge (papa to the locals) and boiled fish are the staple foods in and around the Okavango Delta. Your typical Botswana family has 3 homes and lifestyles: 1. The first is the modern home in the large towns or cities: This is where they work, kids go to school and where the families spend most of their time.

2. The second is the Home village , referred to as "ko Gae" in Setswana: Usually this is where they were raised or where their parents or grandparents were born and raised.Activities at the home village include rearing of goats and subsistence farming where crops like maize,sweet reed and sorghum are grown as well as ground nuts ,sweet potato, water melon and others.The crops are grown in the rainy season when water is abundant enough to support the farming. Most Batswana visit the home village over the Christmas holidays. This is usually the time when people are off work for a few days and families get together... 3. The Cattle post (Known as Moraka in setswana): This is where cattle and sometimes goats and sheep are reared. Almost every family in Botswana has a cattle post.This is because cattle are not only a symbol of wealth , but also a source of livelihood for Batswana.They are the main source of meat during celebrations as well as funerals...and are usually sold to the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) to source money.Activities at the cattle post usually include hunting, cattle branding and vaccinating. People,(often men and boys) visit the cattle post on weekends and public holidays. For locals the cattle post is the main getaway place for fresh air away from all the busy and fast life in town.

1.1.Traditions and AttiresCattle, and to a lesser extent goats and sheep, have always played an important social and economic role within Batswana society. Animal husbandry was central to the survival and success of most groups, other than the Basarwa and Bayei. Cattle in particular were kept, not only for food and clothing, but also as a measure of wealth.


General Information12The larger their herds size the greater the influence an individual or family had within the community. Cattle were also traditionally used as the primary means of exchange. Disputes and punishments handed down by the kgotla were settled with payments of cattle, and men paying their bogadi (bride price) would deliver cattle to the womans family. Cattle still retain a prominent place in rural Botswana, and for many the herd remains the preferred store of wealth. Totems The occurrence of totems is common throughout Africa, and indeed the world. While some groups have non-animal totems, most within Botswana have animals as their group or community totem. The totem serves as a symbolic representation of a strong association with a specific animal, and with the natural world in general. The totem is given extraordinary respect, usually because of a specific event that has occurred in a groups history, or more generally because of the nature of the interaction between the group and their particular totem animal. The Basubiya live along the waterways of the Chobe River, which has always had a large population of hippopotamus, and so this species is their totem. For the Bakwena it is the crocodile, and for the Batawana the lion. Two more interesting associations concern the Bangwato and a community of Banoka, known as the Xaniqwee. The Bangwato totem is the duiker, a small nondescript antelope species, which is revered in their mythology for saving the life of a chief. The aardvark serves as the Xaniqwee totem, because when the group first trekked up to the Okavango region hundreds of years ago they had to cross the parched lands of the Kalahari. It was the aardvark that provided them with food, and more importantly with water that was found trapped in the animals burrows. Out of respect, there are very specific restrictions on hunting or handling the totem animal. Marriage Traditionally, the Batswana were polygynous, with marriages mostly pre-arranged and taking place shortly after men and women complete their initiation rites into adulthood. Today, with the exception of the Baherero, most Batswana choose their own partners and the marriage ceremony has become an expression of the more contemporary nature of society. The arrangements are the responsibility of the grooms uncle, rather than the parents, and are negotiated over the course of a number of meetings between the respective families. The traditional custom of the groom paying a bogadi to the brides family still exists amongst rural families. Pula The word 'pula', which appears on the national coat of arms, is a significant one for the people of Botswana, as it embraces many meanings. In its literal sense it means 'let there be rain' in a country that is mostly semi-arid, rainfall is precious and appreciated as a blessed event. Hence 'pula' is also the name given to the local currency, with one Pula consisting of 100 thebe. Pula is also the country's motto and rallying cry (in this context it means 'shield'), and is shouted out by crowds at football matches whenever the national team, 'The Zebras', scores a goal. Those attending traditional village gatherings (kgotla) or political rallies may respond with cries of 'pula' as a way of enthusiastically supporting the speaker. Normal Attire: In general, the people of Botswana are like people everywhere. They are more than likely to be seen in jeans or shorts and a shirt when going about everyday business. As Botswana is mainly a desert with very warm temperatures, lightweight clothing is the norm. During the winter, when temperatures can fall below the freezing mark at night, most simply wear additional layers to protect from the cold. Civil Servants: Civil servants have a strict dress code by which they must abide in the nation of Botswana. They are not allowed to wear shorts, tight skirts or t-shirts. Men must always wear long sleeve shirts even when it is very hot. Traditional Attire: Botswana's Bushmen are a tribe of nomads. Although many have adopted a more modern lifestyle others continue to live a traditional way of life and typically wear very little clothing. The men wear animal skins that cover their private areas, while the women can go naked. Men of the Tswana tribe wear loin clothes called Tshega, which expose their backside. Textile & Clothing Industries: The textile and clothing sectors constitute two major parts of the national economy. These clothes are worn in Botswana and exported throughout the African continent. Made in Botswana clothing is also sold in the European Union and the United States.



Men would wear a loin cloth and women would wear a skirt of some sort. Usually women went topless, unless they were married and then they would put a shawl on over themselves. For an example of how the BaYei tribe dressed

1.1.GastronomyThe food in Botswana is very diverse. From fast food restaurants to ones that specialize in Italian, Indian and local cuisine. Among the locals, home cooked traditional food seems to be the favorite. Step into any Botswana home and i bet that they will be having our old time favorite dish of "bogobe, nama and morogo"....at least twice a week! The bogobe is made from sorghum or maize, nama is meat (could be goat,cow,lamb or wild animal meat) and morogo is a green leafy veggie that looks like spinach... Now this dish and others have been served for centuries in Botswana and are still being served today as they were by our ancestors.

A cup of dry mophane worms

Because of their high protein and fat content, reproductive termites are a sought-after food source in the rural areas. They leave their mounds after the first rains and are collected with the aid of lanterns and candles, which attract the insects in their thousands.

Seswaa or Chotlho is a very popular traditional meat dish made for most special occasions. Usually prepared by men, it is cooked in a three-legged iron pot, simmered until soft, with only salt and water. Another popular dish is Serobe: the intestines and some inside parts of goat, sheep or cow are cooked until soft. If the animal is sheep or goat, the trotters are included.


General Information14Traditionally grown chicken (free range) is considered to be better flavoured than commercially grown chickens. By cooking a traditionally grown chicken for a guest, a host shows special hospitality. Cooking chicken in a threelegged iron pot on an open fire gives it the best flavour. Porridge (bogobe) is made by putting sorghum, maize or millet flour into boiling water, stirring into a soft paste, and then cooking it slowly. Sometimes the sorghum or maize is fermented, and milk and sugar added. This dish is called ting. Without the milk and sugar, ting is sometimes eaten with meat or vegetables as lunch or dinner. Another way of making bogobe is to add sour milk and a cooking melon (lerotse). This dish is called tophi by the Kalanga tribe.

Bread flour is not part of the basic diet, but has been imported for some years, so there are various bread recipes that have become part of the national food. The most common are dumplings (matemekwane), flat cakes (diphaphatha) and fat cakes (magwinya). For these, the flour is made into dough which is cooked in different ways such as boiling with meat, cooking in hot oil or in hot coals. Popular foods in remote areas include morama, a huge underground tuber, and an edible fungus. Mopane worm, a grub that looks a bit like a caterpillar, is cooked in hot ashes, or boiled, or dried and fried Food in Daily Life: Sorghum or corn meal porridge is the staple of most Botswana meals. People wake in the morning to a thinner version of the porridge, sometimes enriched with soured milk and/or sugar, and tea. A thicker version of the porridge, known as bogobe , anchors the substantial midday meal, accompanied by a stew of meat and/or cabbage, spinach (or wild greens), or beans. People also use rice, but it is considered more expensive and associated with Europeans. Meats include chicken, goat, sheep, cattle, fish, a caterpillar known as phane and various wild game. Village evening meals may include leftovers from midday, but for many people is often just tea and buttered bread. There are many restaurants representing food from around the world in the urban areas. Fast food chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Nando's chicken, and Pie City are quite popular. In smaller villages, there are likely to be no restaurants. Fatcakes, somewhat like round doughnut holes, are sold as snacks fairly ubiquitously. Locally brewed beer made from sorghum is popular in the rural areas and is available commercially as chibuku; people also drink the stronger honey/sugar-based khadi. Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions: At large public events, such as the opening of a new government building, and at weddings and funerals, men prepare the centerpiece: meat cooked in large iron pots until in shreds. Women prepare porridge and/ or rice, pumpkin/squash, and often cole slaw or beet salad, and people are served heaping plates of food, arguing to get more meat for themselves. Beer is often served at weddings, and ginger beer at other events; tea and fatcakes are prepared for weddings and funerals that have all-night components.

1.2.Education and SportsBotswana 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. 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 six technical colleges in the country, or take vocational training courses in teaching or nursing. The best students enter the University of Botswana, Botswana College of Agriculture , and The Botswana Accountancy College in Gaborone. Many other students end up in the numerous private tertiary education colleges around the country. A high majority of these students are government sponsored. A larger influx of tertiary students is expected when construction of the nation's second international university, The Botswana International University of Science and Technology, is completed in Palapye.


General Information15One notable International University is Limkokwing University of Creative Technology that offers various Associate Degree(s) in Creative Arts. This has helped many youths develop and create their own businesses across the country. 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 is working to establish libraries in primary schools in partnership with the African Library Project. 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. Botswana invests 21% of its government spending in education. In January 2006, Botswana announced the reintroduction of school fees after two decades of free state education 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. Football is the most popular sport in Botswana, been the qualification for the African Cup 2012 its highest achievement. Other popular sports are cricket, tennis, rugby, softball, handball, golf and track and field. Botswana is an associate member of the International Cricket Council. Botswana has yet to win a medal at the Olympics, but in 2011 Amantle Montsho became world champion in the 400 metres and won Botswanas first athletics medal on world level. Another famous Botswana athlete is high jumper Kabelo Kgosiemang, three times African champion. The card game bridge has a strong following; it was first played in Botswana over 30 years ago and grew in popularity during the 1980s. Many British expatriate school teachers informally taught the game in Botswanas secondary schools. The Botswana Bridge Federation (BBF) was founded in 1988 and continues to organize tournaments. Bridge has remained popular and the BBF has over 800 members. In 2007, the BBF invited the English Bridge Union to host a week-long teaching program in May 2008

1.3.HealthAlthough Botswana's economic outlook remains strong, the devastation that AIDS has caused threatens to destroy the country's future. In 2001, Botswana had the highest rate of HIV infection in the world (350,000 of its 1.6 million people). With the help of international donors, however, it launched an ambitious national campaign that provided free antiviral drugs to anyone who needed them, and by March 2004, Botswana's infection rate had dropped significantly. But with 37.5% of the population infected, the country remains on the brink of catastrophe. President Mogae won a second and final four-year term in Oct. 2004. After serving 10 years as deputy president, Ian Khama, the son of Botswana's first president, Seretse Khama, was inaugurated as president in April 2008. Festus Mogae stepped aside after 10 years in office. Khama won another five-year term in October 2009, when his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) party won 45 out of 57 seats in Parliament.

2. TourismBotswana's principal tourist attractions are its game reserves, with hunting and photographic safaris available. Other attractions include the Okavango Delta region, which during the rainy season is a maze of waterways, islands, and lakes.[1] The tourism industry also helped to diversify Botswana's economy from traditional sources such as diamonds and beef and created 23,000 jobs in 2005. The Botswanan government's "National Conservation Strategy and Tourism Policy" was created to promote tourism while protecting wildlife areas. Citizens of the United States, South Africa, British Commonwealth countries, and most Western European countries do not need visas for stays of less than 91 days. Passports are required for travel in the country. Proof of yellow fever and cholera immunizations are required of tourists from infected areas.[1] The World Economic Forum report on Travel and Tourism Global Competitiveness ranked Botswana 87 out of 130 countries in its 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index. The same report praised Botswana's attractions, and the low rating was due to challenges confronting tourists, including lack of access to modern technologies, poor hygiene standards, and poor roads and communications


General Information16Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert covers about three quarters of the western part of the country, characterised by heavy sands to the golden-sand dunes, with shrubs, acacia, open grasslands and horizonless landscapes. It is home to the San people, a semi-nomadic people who are expert hunters and gathers. Khama Rhino Sanctuary This sanctuary of 4300 ha, is home to some of the few remaining rhinos in Botswana. The Sanctuary provides excellent viewing opportunities for rhinos and many other types of wildlife including zebra, wildebeest, heartbeest, gemsbok, leopard, brown hyena and jackal. Gemsbok National Park In the south-eastern part of Botswana has an amazing number of cheetahs, gemsbok, hartebeests, springboks, eland, lions and others. This park is situated in Botswana but entry is available from the South African as well as the Botswana side, through the newly built Trans Kalahari Highway, because the park is on the South Africa / Botswana border. Okavango Delta The Okavango Delta is reputed to be the largest inland delta in the world. It offers great scenic beauty and sustains phenomenal numbers of wildlife, crocodile, hippo, water bucks and various fish species are among the many wild animals that could be viewed from safari vans and boats. The meeting of dry land and wet land gives that breath-taking contrast, popularly referred to as the 'Jewel of the Kalahari'. With forests of palms, grasslands, islands, flood plains and lagoons to be seen, tourists seeking the pleasure of adventure are sure to have one of the best experiences of their life. Tuli Block The Tuli Block is located in the extreme east of Botswana. Here the Shashe and the Limpopo rivers make a confluence. Freehold cattle and game farms comprise this magnificent area and its history dates back to the time of Cecil Rhodes. It is said that Tuli Block has topography very unlike most other parts of Botswana. Its hills and rock crops, sometimes preposterously shaped are compellingly beautiful.

3. Bibliography http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0863769.html http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1830.htm http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/POP/pde/briefs/bw-geo.html http://www.iss.co.za/AF/profiles/Botswana/Geography.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botswana http://www.qppstudio.net/diasferiados2011/botswana.htm http://www.safaris-in-botswana.com/botswana-culture.html http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Botswana.html#b




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BOTSWANA. Brief Sumary