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| About Botswana | ||||
| Botswana The Republic of Botswana is a multi-party democracy. It has an executive president as Head of State. The National Assembly elects the President for a term of five years. The current President is Festus Mogae. |
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| Capital Gaborone. Other main towns: Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe, Mahalapye, Maun, Kasane and Lobatse. |
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| Geography is roughly the size of France, covering 581,730 square km. Its neighbours are South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The country is 80% covered by the Kalahari, based on sand, though much of the area is grassed, scrub or lightly forested. |
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| Languages In Botswana “Setswana” is the national language while English is the official language of the country. English is widely spoken by the younger generation of Batswana, however, it is nevertheless courteous to become to become acquainted with Batswana customary way of greetings and addresses. Several other local languages are also used in different parts of the country, namely; Yeyi is the main language of the north-west, Subiya of the far north, Kalanga of the north-east, Birwa/Tswapong of the far east- central, and Tswana of central and south-eastern Botswana. There are, however, about 34 home languages which may be listed by language-family. |
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| Religions Most Christian denominations are represented in Botswana with just over half of the population nominally Christian. A small but active Muslim community has mosques in the capital city Gaborone, Francistown and Lobatse town. There is also a smaller population of Hindus in the country. Animist beliefs and traditional practices still exist in the country especially among rural communities. |
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| National Flag The national flag consists of a sky blue background, broad horizontal black stripe sandwiched between two narrow horizontal white stripes. The blue represents rain and water (a precious commodity in Botswana) and the black and white symbolize the nation’s plural (multi-racial) society. |
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| National Coat of
Arms The national coat of arms shows a shield supported by two zebras. At the top of the shield are three cogwheels in mesh, representing the country’s industry. Across its centre are three wavy blue bands, representing reliance on water. Below is the bulls head representing livestock farming. The Zebra supporting an elephant tusk, represents Botswana’s wildlife, while the other supporting a sorghum head stands for agriculture. |
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| Currency The pula divided into 100 thebes. There are no currency controls in Botswana and most hotels, lodges, travel agents and larger shops accept international credit cards and travellers cheques. Impressive buildings in Gaborone |
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| Banks Five main commercial banks operate in Botswana, as well as a number of foreign exchange bureau. Most banks are open at 8.30am but close fairly early in the afternoon. There are no currency controls in Botswana and most hotels, lodges, travel agents and larger shops accept major international credit cards and travellers cheques. |
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| Climate Summer: October to March with temperatures soaring to more than 40 degrees at midday. The rains come between September and April, especially in December and January. Highest rainfall in Chobe in the north-east up to 650mm. Lowest rainfall in the south-west as low as 250mm. |
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| Population The population is 1.5 million, one of the lowest population densities in Africa. Eighty per cent of the population live in the eastern third of the country. Population growth is estimated at 3.5% per annum. |
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| Economy The discovery of diamonds in 1967 transformed the economy and made Botswana one of the wealthiest countries in Africa on a per capita basis. Other major industries are beef production and tourism. |
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| People The Batswana are the largest tribal group forming about 50% of the population. The second largest group are the Bakalanga living in the Francistown area. Other groups are the Bakhalagari, Bayei, Hambukushu, Basubyia and Ovaherero originally from Namibia. The oldest inhabitants are the Khoi (Hottentots) and San (Bushmen). |
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| Air Travel Best air communications are via Johannesburg in South Africa. There are several flights a day to Gaborone and regular connections to Maun and Kasane. There are also regular flights from Windhoek (Namibia) and Harare (Zimbabwe). European airlines do not fly into Gaborone direct. |
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| By Road Botswana is accessible by tarred road from all neighbouring countries. There are a number of connections by main roads from South Africa to Gaborone and important tourist destinations. Border posts are open by day only. Main roads in Botswana are tarred and driving conditions are good. However, minor roads can be treacherous in the wet season (September to April) and fuel can be scarce in certain parts of the country. Four-wheel-drive vehicles carrying water, fuel and necessary provisions are recommended for self-drive safaris. |
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| Visas Visitors from the European Union and the USA do not require visas. Visitors from other countries should check with Botswana embassies or consulates. |
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| Climate Summer: October to March, with temperatures soaring to more than 40 degrees at midday. The rains come between September and April, especially in December and January. Highest rainfall (up to 650mm) is in Chobe in the north-east. Lowest rainfall is in the south-west. |
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| Clothing Comfortable, casual clothes are recommended for holidays. Hats are important as it can be very hot by day. In some parts it can be cold by night so a fleece, jersey or coat can be useful. Long-sleeved clothes reduce the risk of mosquito bites. Brightly coloured or white clothes are not recommended on safari as they can disturb the animals. Sun block cream, insect repellents and dark glasses are thoroughly recommended. |
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| Health Malaria is a serious problem, especially in the north of the country. The mosquito is becoming increasingly resistant to drugs. Get medical advice on what malaria tablets to take before leaving and start taking the tablets at least a week before entering Botswana. Also get immunisation against tetanus and typhoid. Bilharzia is also endemic and swimming in untreated waters is dangerous. Travellers should be aware that the incidence of Aids is high throughout southern Africa, including Botswana. It is safe to drink water in urban centres but check elsewhere. |
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