Portal:Botswana

WikiProject Botswana

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Coat of Arms of Botswana	Flag of Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70% of its territory being a part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by Zimbabwe to the northeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zambia (via a tiny border of Chobe District) to the north, and South Africa to the south and southeast. Botswana has 17 administrative Districts of Botswana. 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. While it is not enshrined by statutory law, Botswana is de facto the nation state of the Batswana people, who constitute nearly 80% of the population while legally undistinguished Kalanga people, who account for another 11%, are the single largest ethnic minority.

The Batswana 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, though dominated by the Botswana Democratic Party until 2024. As of 2024, Botswana is the least corrupt country in mainland Africa according to the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International.

Botswana's economy has generally experienced stable growth since independence. It is dominated by tourism and mining; Botswana produces more diamonds than any other country. Its gross national income per capita (purchasing power parity) of about $20,158 as of 2024 (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 Botswana’s economic gains, Botswana continues to grapple with high unemployment, severe income inequality, and one of the world's most critical HIV/AIDS epidemics. 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...)

Selected article -

Masire in 1980

Ketumile Quett Joni Masire GCMG (23 July 1925 – 22 June 2017) was a Motswana politician and statesman who was the second and longest-serving president of Botswana, in office from 1980 to 1998. He was given an honorary knighthood of the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George by Queen Elizabeth II (GCMG) in 1991.

He was a leading figure in the independence movement and then the new government, and played a crucial role in facilitating and protecting Botswana's steady financial growth and development. He stepped down in 1998 and was succeeded by Vice-President Festus Mogae, who became the third president of Botswana. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know -

... that World War II air ace Johnny Gibson formed Bechuanaland National Airways and Botswana National Airways in the 1960s?

Good content -

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

A mob of meerkats in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body length is around 24–35 cm (9.4–13.8 in), and the weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kg (1.4 and 2.1 lb). The coat is light grey to yellowish-brown with alternate, poorly defined light and dark bands on the back. Meerkats have foreclaws adapted for digging and have the ability to thermoregulate to survive in their harsh, dry habitat. Three subspecies are recognised.

Meerkats are highly social, and form packs of two to 30 individuals each that occupy home ranges around 5 km² (1.9 sq mi) in area. There is a social hierarchy—generally dominant individuals in a pack breed and produce offspring, and the nonbreeding, subordinate members provide altruistic care to the pups. Breeding occurs around the year, with peaks during heavy rainfall; after a gestation of 60 to 70 days, a litter of three to seven pups is born. (Full article...)

List of Good content

General images -

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

Image 1Robert Moffat (1795-1883), Scottish Missionary (from Tswana people)
Image 2Prehistoric cave paintings at Tsodilo (from History of Botswana)
Image 3Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 4Satellite view of Gaborone. North is to the left of the image. (from Gaborone)
Image 5New Construction Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 6Bechuanaland Boys cleaning Aa Guns in the Twilight after Action, Syracuse, Sicily, 1944 art piece by Leslie Cole (from History of Botswana)
Image 7Orapa House (from Gaborone)
Image 8The Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, named after the first president of Botswana (from History of Botswana)
Image 9King Bathoen II 1947 of Bangwaketse (from Tswana people)
Image 10Duma Boko signing an agreement with the United States in 2025 (from History of Botswana)
Image 11Quett Masire visiting the United States in 1984 (from History of Botswana)
Image 12Botswana traditional baskets (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 13King Khama (III) of Bamangwato (from Tswana people)
Image 14Gaborone Hindu Temple (from Gaborone)
Image 15Magadi (traditional wedding) (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 16View from Kgale Hill (Oodi Hill on horizon) (from Gaborone)
Image 17Tswana Baskets used for storing grain (from Tswana people)
Image 18Man on donkey herding goats in a dry river bed (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 19South African politician (from Tswana people)
Image 20Rev. Derek Jones, the first mayor of Gaborone
Image 21Francistown City Bus and Taxi Rank (from Francistown)
Image 22Francistown Bus Terminal (from Francistown)
Image 23Rhodesia Railways car at the national museum (from Gaborone)
Image 24Watch house in Gaborone Game Reserve (from Gaborone)
Image 25Ian Khama meeting with William Hague in London (from History of Botswana)
Image 26An illustration of a Tswana man and his wife in the early 1800s (from History of Botswana)
Image 27Flag map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 28Ostriches at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana (from Gaborone)
Image 29A postage stamp circa 1943, the postmark reading "Gaborone's Village" (from Gaborone)
Image 30Tebogo Letsile, the 2024 Summer Olympics 200 metres gold medalist (from Tswana people)
Image 31The Jwaneng diamond mine is the second biggest in the world today. (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 32Flag of Bophuthatswana (from Tswana people)
Image 334th President of Botswana, King of Bamangwato (Khama IV) (from Tswana people)
Image 34I-Tower at Central Business District (from Gaborone)
Image 35SSKI Airport (from Gaborone)
Image 36Painting of Sechele on top a hill overlooking the battle of Dimawe in 1852 (from Tswana people)
Image 37Gaborone Mosque (from Gaborone)
Image 38Aerial view over Okavango Delta (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 39Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) (from Gaborone)
Image 40BR Express, the passenger train (from Francistown)
Image 41New CBD (from Gaborone)
Image 42Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 43South African billionaire mining businessman, CAF President (from Tswana people)
Image 44Typical Kgotla setting (from Tswana people)
Image 45Botswana traditional house at the National Museum (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 46St. Joseph's College students (from Gaborone)
Image 47Young Tswana maiden dressed in Leteisi (from Tswana people)
Image 48Tourist resort at Kasane (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 49Gaborone Hindu temple (from Gaborone)
Image 50Setswana traditional house (from Tswana people)