47 Facts About Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. 

Botswana is a sparsely populated country. 

Despite being one of the world's poorest countries, the country has evolved into an upper-middle-income country as one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

Botswana is located in the centre of southern Africa. The country is nearly triangular in shape.

Botswana is bordered by Namibia and Zambia.

Botswana derives its name from "Tswana," the name of the region's dominant ethnic group. The language is referred to as SeTswana, while the people are referred to as baTswana.

Although English is the official language of Botswana, Tswana is the national language (sometimes Sechuana or Setswana). Tswana is a Bantu language that is widely spoken in the continent's south.

Over 130,000 elephants live and thrive in the country, making it an ideal location for viewing these gentle giants. The majority of them are found in Chobe National Park.

Botswana is primarily desert. The Kalahari Desert, one of the world's most famous deserts, covers roughly 70% of the land. The Kalahari Desert, despite its name, is actually an arid sandy area, making it a semi-desert. It is home to some of the most important wildlife in Africa.

The Kalahari Desert gets its name from the Tswana word "keir," which means "great thirst" in Tswana. Its name may also have been taken from tribal terms, "kalagare" or "khalagari", which means "waterless place".

The Kalahari is known for its salt pans, which are clay-made spots in the sand that contain salt. Salt is consumed by animals as part of their diet. Botswana is home to one of the world's largest salt pans, the Makgadikgadi Pan.

Botswana's subtropical climate results in mostly semi-arid to arid temperatures. The country's winters are mild, while its summers are (unsurprisingly) hot. Rain usually begins to fall in October and lasts until April.

Botswana was known as Bechuanaland when it was a British protectorate. After gaining independence in 1966, it changed its name.

Botswana is home to eight major tribes: the Bamangwato, the Bakwena, the Bangwaketse, the Bakgatla, the Barolong, the Bamalete, and the Batlokwa, the Batawana. Each tribe has a Kgosi leader, which is the equivalent of a tribal chief.

Botswana's main ethnic group consists of twenty tribes. The Bushmen (Basarwa), Kalanga, and Tswana are the three main groups.

The Okavango Delta is one of Botswana's treasures. This inland delta is located in the Kalahari Desert and is the world's largest.

The Pula, which means "rain" or "blessing," is Botswana's currency.

Diamonds are forever in Botswana. It is the world's second largest diamond producer. The country produced 40 million carats of this precious stone in 2016. To put that figure into perspective, a 910-carat diamond once sold for $40 million in 2018.

Botswana has produced some of the largest gems ever discovered. The 1,098-carat rough stone discovered in June 2021 was one such gem. The rock was about the size of a chicken egg. Only a few weeks after the 1,098-carat stone was discovered, another (larger) one was discovered. The rough stone was 1,174 carats in weight. Both stones were discovered in Botswana's Karawe mine.

The 1,109-carat diamond was one of the largest stones discovered by miners in Botswana. It was named "Lesedi La Rona," which translates to "Our Light" in Tswana. It was worth around $70 million in 2016.

The Caprivi Strip is made up of four countries, one of which is Botswana. Namibia formed the Strip, which is bordered by Botswana, Angola, and Zambia.

Approximately 40% of Botswana is purely natural. This area is protected by the government as sanctuaries, reserves, wildlife management areas, and national parks.

Gaborone is Botswana's capital city. It was affectionately dubbed "Gabs" by the locals. Chief (Kgosi) Gaborone, the Tswana leader in 1880, was honoured with the capital's name.

Botswana and Zambia have the shortest land border. The border is only 443 feet long (135 meters). It is the world's shortest land boundary.

Botswana's land area is 581,730 square kilometres. With a population of over 2 million people, it has a population density of 4 people per square kilometre.

Botswana has an impressive biodiversity. Botswana is home to over 150 mammalian species, including the Big Five: lions, African elephants, leopards, cape buffaloes, and black rhinos. It also has over 200 amphibian and reptile species, as well as over 460 bird species.

The San Bushmen live in areas of the Kalahari Desert that are part of Botswana's territory. The San people of southern Africa speak a click language that is related to the Khoisan group of languages. The language makes clicks with the mouth and tongue.

Botswana was named the best tourist destination in 2016 by Lonely Planet. This is due to the government's "high quality, low impact" approach to tourism. This means that, despite the high price, tourists have the best experiences.

Rain on a wedding day is considered a blessing in Botswana. However, bad luck is associated with stormy weather on this special day.

Bogobe, a porridge made from millet or maize, is a staple food in Botswana. It can be accompanied by relishes such as onions, tomato sauce, and chicken stock.

Batswana either hold out both hands or use their right hand when giving a gift or handing out something. If only one hand is used, place the left hand under the right elbow to support the right hand.

Soccer is a popular sport in Botswana. Villages even have their own teams that compete against one another on occasion.

Weddings are costly affairs. The celebrations in traditional ceremonies can last at least two days. Food and drinks are served, music is played for dancing, and speeches are delivered during the celebrations. This is why more than half of all couples prefer to live together.

People in Botswana avoid wearing red during thunderstorms because the colour is thought to attract lightning.

In Botswana, greetings consist of shaking hands and saying "Dumela Rra" (if meeting a man) or "Dumela Mma" (if meeting a woman) (if meeting a woman). Even if they are strangers, it is considered polite to greet them.

Holding hands is a sign of trust, closeness, and friendship in Batswana.

The national animal of Botswana is the Burchell's Zebra. The country's coat of arms features two of these zebras. The Burchell Zebra was chosen for its neutrality as a tribal symbol, as well as its black and white stripes, which match the colours of the country's flag.

Botswana's terrain is mostly flat. Tsodilo Hills, with an elevation of 4,511 feet, is one of its high points.

The economy of Botswana is thriving, thanks in large part to precious stones. Because of the excellent revenue generated by diamonds, the country can afford to provide free education to children until the age of 13.

Botswana beverages include madila, which is fermented milk, and Bojalwa ja Setswana (Botswana beer), which is made from fermented sorghum seeds.

Botswana's cuisine features some unusual dishes. A dish made of mopane worms is one example. These worms are emperor butterfly larvae, which are endemic to the area. Boiling, frying, drying, or roasting in hot ashes are all options for the worms.

Originally, tribes practised their own religion centred on a supreme being known as Modimo. Rituals were also used to celebrate their religion, with ceremonies including initiation rites for males and females, as well as rainmaking rites known as the gofethla pula.

Botswana's population is roughly half Christian, with many practising independent Christianity and Protestantism. Traditional beliefs are held by approximately one-third of the population.

Cattle is important in Botswana's culture, particularly among the Batswana tribe. Cattle is regarded as a symbol of status and wealth; the more cattle a person owns, the wealthier he is.

Botswana's national bird is the kori bustard, also known as the kgori. It is the heaviest flying bird in Africa due to its size.

Botswana's national dish is Seswaa, a type of meat stew. Meat on the bone (usually beef or goat) is cooked in water and salt until soft enough to be pounded until tender. It is then accompanied by cornmeal or pap. Because the dish is so popular, it is served on special occasions such as weddings and funerals.

Although the term "Batswana" originally referred to members of the Tswana tribe, it is now used to refer to all Botswanans. "Motswana" is the singular form of the term.