Botswana Facts

Botswana Facts
Botswana is a country in Southern Africa. It is landlocked, sharing borders with South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and a short border with Zambia. Botswana is made up of mostly desert, and its population is estimated at roughly 2 million. Prior to 1966 Botswana was known as Bechuanaland, a British territory. Once it gained its independence in 1966 Botswana began to run itself with a stable democracy. In the 1960s Botswana was one of the world's poorest countries but has since grown to become one the fastest growing world economies. Botswana covers an area of 224,610 square miles (about the same size as France).
Interesting Botswana Facts:
Britain gained control of Botswana's area in 1885 to help ensure peace in the area between the Zulu and Boers.
Approximately 70% of Botswana is made up of the Kalahari Desert.
Botswana is one of the countries in the world worst hit by HIV and AIDS. Approximately 25% of the population is believed to have been infected with the disease. Botswana has a very progressive program for helping to deal with the disease.
Ethnic groups in Botswana include the Tswana, Kalanga, Basarwa, Kgalagadi, whites, and others.
85% of the people in Botswana have indigenous religious beliefs while 15% are Christian.
Africa's oldest democratic country is Botswana.
Botswana's capital city is Gaborone, where more than 10% of the country's population lives.
Botswana is home to natural resources including diamonds, which make it a wealthy African country.
Botswana is home to several species of endangered birds and mammals. These include the cheetah, the Kori bustard, the brown hyena, and the Pel's fishing owl.
Botswana's national dish is the boiled meat, corn meal, and greens, which are combined to create Seswaa.
The largest concentration of African elephants exists in Botswana, in Chobe National Park.
Roughly 38% of Botswana's land is designated as reserves, national parks, and wildlife management regions.
The Okavango Delta in Botswana became UNESCO's 1000th inscribed site of the World Heritage List in 2014.
Botswana's official language is English. The national language is Setswana and most commonly spoken language in Botswana, but most can speak English.
Botswana's currency is Pula, which is then divided into Thebe.
Botswana's border with Zambia is the shortest border in the world at only 150 meters.
Where Botswana's north western region borders three other countries it may be the only place in the world where cell signals from four countries can be picked up.
Botswana is responsible for more than 17% of the diamond production in the world. Diamonds account for half of Botswana's value and provide free education for all children until they are 13 years old.
Botswana's rainy season begins in November and ends in March, while wildlife viewing for tourists is best from May to October, when it is not rainy season.
Major agricultural products in Botswana include corn, beans, sunflowers, sorghum, and ground nuts.
Major exports from Botswana include diamonds, textiles, meat, nickel, and copper.
The national symbol of Botswana is the zebra.
Botswana celebrates its Independence Day on September 30th each year.


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