Portal:Botswana

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Coat of Arms of Botswana	Flag of Botswana

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Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the northeast. With a population of slightly over 2.4 million people and a comparable land area to France, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. It is essentially the nation-state of the Tswana people, who constitute nearly 80 percent of the population.

The Tswana ethnic group are descended mainly from Bantu-speaking peoples who migrated into southern Africa, including modern Botswana, in several waves before AD 600. In 1885, the British colonised the area and declared a protectorate named Bechuanaland. As part of the decolonisation of Africa, Bechuanaland became an independent Commonwealth republic under its current name on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has been a parliamentary republic with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections, although the Botswana Democratic Party was the only ruling party from independence until 2024. As of 2024^[update], Botswana is the third-least corrupt country in Africa, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International.

The economy is dominated by mining and tourism. Botswana has a per capita GDP (purchasing power parity) of about $20,158 as of 2024^[update]. Botswana is the world's biggest diamond-producing country. Its relatively high gross national income per capita (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the country a relatively high standard of living and the second-highest Human Development Index of continental Sub-Saharan Africa (after South Africa). Despite this, Botswana continues to grapple with high unemployment rates. Botswana is a member of the Southern African Customs Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations. (Full article...)

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The Bechuanaland Protectorate (/ˌbɛtʃuˈɑːnəlænd/) was a protectorate established on 31 March 1885 in Southern Africa by the United Kingdom. It became the Republic of Botswana on 30 September 1966. (Full article...)

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... that Botswana international footballer Donald Thobega was involved in the Test For Life campaign, which encourages supporters to get tested for HIV and AIDS?

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This is a good article, A-class article, featured list, or featured article, one of Wikipedia’s best work.

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The oribi (/ˈɔːrəbi/; Ourebia ourebi) is a small antelope found in eastern, southern and western Africa. The sole member of its genus, it was described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1783. While this is the only member in the genus Ourebia, eight subspecies are identified. The oribi reaches nearly 50–67 centimetres (20–26 in) at the shoulder and weighs 12–22 kilograms (26–49 lb). It possesses a slightly raised back, and long neck and limbs. The glossy, yellowish to rufous brown coat contrasts with the white chin, throat, underparts and rump. Only males possess horns; the thin, straight horns, 8–18 centimetres (3.1–7.1 in) long, are smooth at the tips and ringed at the base.

Typically diurnal, the oribi is active mainly during the day. Small herds of up to four members are common; males defend their group's territory, 25–100 hectares (62–247 acres) large. It is primarily a grazer, and prefers fresh grasses but also browses occasionally. A seasonal breeder, the time when mating occurs varies geographically. Unlike all other small antelopes, oribi can exhibit three types of mating systems, depending on the habitat – polyandry, polygyny and polygynandry. Gestation lasts for six to seven months, following which a single calf is born; births peak from November to December in southern Africa. Weaning takes place at four to five months. (Full article...)

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

Image 1CBD Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 2Gaborone aerial (from Gaborone)
Image 3Kombi (Minibus taxi) (from Gaborone)
Image 4Seretse Khama signing the oath of office to become Botswana's first President in 1966 (from History of Botswana)
Image 5CBD Mall (from Gaborone)
Image 6Gaborone Hindu Temple (from Gaborone)
Image 7Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) (from Gaborone)
Image 8St. Joseph's College students (from Gaborone)
Image 9A 1960 stamp of the Bechuanaland Protectorate featuring images of Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II, the first and last British monarchs of the protectorate (from History of Botswana)
Image 10Magadi (traditional wedding) (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 11Graduation daggers that were given to Tswana Fighting Regiments (from Tswana people)
Image 12I-Tower at Central Business District (from Gaborone)
Image 13The Jwaneng diamond mine is the second biggest in the world today. (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 14Street scene near the Main Mall (from Gaborone)
Image 15Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 16I-Towers, Gaborone Central Business District (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 17GDP per capita (current), compared to neighbouring countries (world average = 100) (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 18Tourist resort at Kasane (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 19An 1865 portrait of Kgosi Sechele I in Ntsweng Bechuanaland (from Tswana people)
Image 20Batswana Men dressed in traditional attire in 1946 (from Tswana people)
Image 21Ostriches at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana (from Gaborone)
Image 22Francistown Bus Terminal (from Francistown)
Image 23Road map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 24Satellite View of Gaborone. North is to the left of the image. (from Gaborone)
Image 25The National Assembly of Botswana (from Gaborone)
Image 26Mokgweetsi Masisi speaking at a conference on the illegal wildlife trade in London in 2018 (from History of Botswana)
Image 27Botswana Gaborone I Towers (from Gaborone)
Image 28Man on donkey herding goats in a dry river bed (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 29Aerial view over Okavango Delta (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 30Botswana traditional house at the National Museum (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 31Rail network map of Botswana (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 32View from Kgale Hill (Oodi Hill on horizon) (from Gaborone)
Image 33Homestead in the ancient City of Kaditshwene
Image 34Madila sour cultured milk (from Tswana people)
Image 35Gaborone Mosque (from Gaborone)
Image 36SSKI Airport (from Gaborone)
Image 37Flag map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 38Rev. Derek Jones, the first mayor of Gaborone
Image 39Rhodesia Railways car at the national museum (from Gaborone)
Image 40Tswana Baskets (from Tswana people)
Image 41New CBD (from Gaborone)
Image 42An illustration of a Tswana man and his wife in the early 1800s (from History of Botswana)
Image 43Bechuanaland Boys cleaning Aa Guns in the Twilight after Action, Syracuse, Sicily, 1944 art piece by Leslie Cole (from History of Botswana)
Image 44Botswana traditional baskets (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 45Francistown Stadium (from Francistown)
Image 46Jan Mashiani and Len Taunyane were the first black participants from Africa in the Olympics (from Tswana people)
Image 47Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 48Prehistoric cave paintings at Tsodilo (from History of Botswana)
Image 49Room 52 Roof Top Restaurant (from Gaborone)
Image 50A road in Gaborone (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 51Gaborone Hindu temple (from Gaborone)
Image 52A postage stamp circa 1943, the postmark reading "Gaborone's Village" (from Gaborone)
Image 53New Construction Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 54BR Express, the passenger train (from Francistown)
Image 55Festus Mogae alongside foreign presidents Joaquim Chissano, George W. Bush, and José Eduardo dos Santos in 2002 (from History of Botswana)
Image 56Francistown City Bus and Taxi Rank (from Francistown)
Image 57Christ The King Cathedral (from Gaborone)
Image 58Watch house in Gaborone Game Reserve (from Gaborone)
Image 59Orapa House (from Gaborone)