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Geography of Botswana

Botswana is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, north of South Africa. Botswana occupies an area of 581730 km2, of which 566730 km2 are land. Botswana has land boundaries of combined length 4347.15 km, of which the constituent boundaries are shared with Namibia, for 1544 km; South Africa 1969 km; Zimbabwe, 834 km and Zambia, 0.15 km. Much of the population of Botswana is concentrated in the eastern part of the country.

Sunshine totals are high all year round although winter is the sunniest period. The whole country is windy and dusty during the dry season.

Area data

 * Area:
 * Total: 581,730 km²
 * country rank in the world: 48th
 * Land: 566,730 km²
 * Water: 15,000 km²

 * Area comparative
 * Australia comparative: approximately $5⁄7$ the size of New South Wales
 * Canada comparative: approximately $1⁄10$ smaller than Saskatchewan
 * United Kingdom comparative: approximately 2$2⁄5$ times the size of the United Kingdom
 * United States comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
 * EU comparative: slightly larger than Metropolitan France

Geography
The land is predominantly flat to gently undulating tableland, although there is some hilly country, where mining is carried out. The Kalahari Desert is in the central and the southwest. The Okavango Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas, is in the northwest and the Makgadikgadi Pans, a large salt pan lies in the north-central area. The Makgadikgadi has been established as an early habitation area for primitive man; This large seasonal wetland is composed of several large component pans, the largest being Nwetwe Pan, Sua Pan and Nxai Pan. Botswana's lowest elevation point is at the junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers, at a height of 513 m. The highest point is Monalanong Hill, at 1494 m. The country is divided into four drainage regions, which are sometimes indistinct due to the arid nature of the climate: Except for the Chobe, Okavango, Boteti and Limpopo rivers, most of Botswana's rivers cease to flow during the dry and early rainy seasons.
 * the Chobe River on the border with the Caprivi Strip of Namibia together with a small adjacent swampy area is part of the Zambezi basin;
 * most of the north and central region of the country is part of the Okavango inland drainage basin;
 * the easternmost part of the country falls into the Limpopo drainage basin;
 * the southern and southwestern regions, which are the driest of all, are drained by the Molopo river along the South African border and the Nossob river through the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, and are technically part of the basin of the Orange River. None of these rivers normally flows as far as the Orange, however. (The last recorded confluence was in the 1880s.)

Climate
Botswana is semi-arid, due to the short rain season. However, the relatively high altitude of the country and its continental situation gives it a subtropical climate. The country is remote from moisture-laden air flows for most of the year. The dry season lasts from April to October in the south and to November in the north where, however, rainfall totals are higher. The south of the country is most exposed to cold winds during the winter period (early May to late August) when average temperatures are around 14 °C. The whole country has hot summers with average temperatures around 26 °C. Sunshine totals are high all year round although winter is the sunniest period. The whole country is windy and dusty during the dry season.

Natural hazards
Botswana is affected by periodic droughts, and seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust, which can obscure visibility.

Environment
Current environmental issues in Botswana are overgrazing, desertification and the existence of only limited fresh water resources.

Research from scientists has found that the common practice of overstocking cattle to cope with drought losses actually depletes scarce biomass, making ecosystems more vulnerable. The study of the district predicts that by 2050 the cycle of mild drought is likely to become shorter —18 months instead of two years—due to climate change.

International agreements
Botswana is a party to the following international agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Organization, Ozone Layer Protection and Wetlands.

Extreme points
This is a list of the extreme points of Botswana, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

 * Northernmost point – the border with Zambia upon the Zambezi River at Chobe District
 * Easternmost point – the tripoint with South Africa and Zimbabwe, Central District
 * Southernmost point – Bokspits, Kgalagadi District
 * Westernmost point – the western section of the border with Namibia*
 * note: Botswana does not have a westernmost point as the western section is formed by the 22nd meridian of longitude east of Greenwich.

title: Geography of Botswana


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Demographics of Botswana

Demographic features of the population of Botswana include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.

Botswana, like many nations in southern Africa, suffers from a high HIV infection rate, estimated among adults ages 15 to 49 to be 20.7%.

Bechuanaland Protectorate
The seven censuses of Botswana before its independence happened irregularly. Due to the Anglo-Boer War, the first census of Bechuanaland Protectorate, originally set to occur in 1901, took place on 17 April 1904. The 1931 census was postponed to 1936 because of the Great Depression. The early censuses were unreliable and took several years to tabulate; the results were outdated by the time they were calculated.

Post-independence
There have been six censuses after the independence of Botswana, each occurring every ten years in the year ending in 1 (i.e. 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2022). The 1971 census was the first census in Botswana to use de facto enumeration; this method counts people based on how many people spent census night at a specific location. Previously, the citizens were counted based on their usual place of residence. The 2001 census was the first census in Botswana to comply with the SADC 2000 Census Project, the guidelines of which unify the demographic statistics in southern Africa. The 2011 Census was the fifth census after independence  the 2011 Botswana Population and Housing Census, it occurred in August 2011. The most recent sixth and most recent census is the 2022 Population and Housing Census which was carried out in April 2022.

UN estimates
According to the total population was  in, compared to only 413,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2020 was about 33.4%, 62.1% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4.5% of the population were 65 years or older.

United Nations estimates
Registration of vital events is in Botswana not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. Population estimates account for under numeration in population censuses.

Births and deaths Source: Vital Statistics Report 2012.

Life expectancy at birth
Life expectancy from 1950 to 2020 (UN World Population Prospects):

Ethnic groups

 * Tswana 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, Other 7% (including Kgalagadi, Indians and Whites).

Languages
Setswana 77.3%, Kalanga 7.4%, Sekgalagadi 3.4%, English 2.8%, Shona 2.0%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sehambukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1.0%, Others 2.8%. (2011 est.)

Religions

 * Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, Other 1.4% (includes the Baháʼí Faith, Hindu, Islam, Rastafari), None 15.2%, Unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Other demographic statistics
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.

 * One birth every 10 minutes
 * One death every 37 minutes
 * One net migrant every 180 minutes
 * Net gain of one person every 12 minutes

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.

Population

 * 2,359,609 (2022)
 * 2,350,667 (July 2021 est.)
 * 2,214,858 (July 2017 est.)

Religions
Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Age structure

 * 0-14 years: 30.54% (male 357,065/female 350,550)
 * 15-24 years: 18.31% (male 208,824/female 215,462)
 * 25-54 years: 39.67% (male 434,258/female 484,922)
 * 55-64 years: 5.92% (male 59,399/female 77,886)
 * 65 years and over: 5.56% (male 53,708/female 75,159) (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

 * 2.39 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 74th
 * The total fertility rate is 2.42 children born/woman (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 74th

Population growth rate

 * 1.4% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 68th
 * 1.43% (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 67th
 * 1.55% (2017 est.)

Birth rate

 * 20.28 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 70th
 * 20.6 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 71st
 * 22.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Death rate

 * 9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 59th
 * 9.12 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 61st
 * 9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Median age

 * Total: 25.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 157th
 * Male: 24.5 years
 * Female: 26.7 years (2020 est.)

 * Total: 24.5 years
 * Male: 23.5 years
 * Female: 25.6 years (2017 est.)

Net migration rate

 * 2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 41st
 * 2.85 migrants/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 38th

Urbanization

 * urban population: 72.2% of total population (2022)
 * rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

 * Urban population: 70.9% of total population (2020)
 * Rate of urbanization: 2.87% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)

Sex ratio

 * At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
 * 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
 * 15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
 * 25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
 * 55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female
 * 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
 * Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

 * total population: 65.64 years
 * male: 63.6 years
 * female: 67.74 years (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 200th

 * Total population: 65.2 years
 * Male: 63.2 years
 * Female: 67.3 years (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

 * 67.4% (2017)

Maternal mortality rate

 * 144 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) Country comparison to the world: 59th

HIV/AIDS

 * Adult prevalence rate: 22.2% (2019 est.)
 * People living with HIV/AIDS: 380,000 (2019 est.)
 * Deaths due to AIDS: 5,000 (2019 est.) Country comparison to the world: 25th

Physicians density

 * 0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

 * 1.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

 * 18.9% (2016)

Major infectious diseases

 * Degree of risk: high (2020)
 * Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
 * Vectorborne disease: malaria

Nationality

 * Noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
 * Adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Literacy

 * Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * Total population: 88.5%
 * Male: 88%
 * Female: 88.9% (2015 est.)

Education expenditure

 * 8.7% of total GDP (2007)

Sanitation facility access

 * Improved:
 * Urban: 92.9% of population
 * Rural: 60.8% of population
 * Total: 82.8% of population

 * Unimproved:
 * Urban: 7.1% of population
 * Rural: 39.2% of population
 * Total: 17.2% of population (2017 est.)

Migrants
According to the United Nations, there were 110,596 international migrants in Botswana in 2019. Their most common countries of origin were as follows:

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Politics of Botswana

Botswana is a parliamentary republic in which the President of Botswana is both head of state and head of government. The nation's politics are based heavily on British parliamentary politics and on traditional Batswana chiefdom. The legislature is made up of the unicameral National Assembly and the advisory body of tribal chiefs, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. The National Assembly chooses the president, but once in office the president has significant authority over the legislature with only limited separation of powers. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) rules as a dominant party; while elections are considered free and fair by observers, the BDP has controlled the National Assembly since independence. Political opposition often exists between factions in the BDP rather than through separate parties, though several opposition parties exist and regularly hold a small number of seats in the National Assembly.

Botswana achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. The BDP led by Seretse Khama formed the first government, and continued winning elections every five years. Quett Masire became president following Khama's death in 1980, and the BDP was enveloped by factionalism in the 1990s. This factionalism persisted through the presidencies of Festus Mogae from 1998 to 2008 and Ian Khama from 2008 to 2018. Khama's successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, became president in 2018 and developed a strong political rivalry with Khama, which came to define politics in Botswana over the following years.

Botswana has an above average human rights record, and it is recognised by human rights groups as one of the strongest democracies in Africa. Economic policy in Botswana revolves around the nation's lucrative diamond industry, which makes up a significant portion of the economy. The country has been praised as an economic success as it pursued free market policies in the 20th century, and it has since shifted to more redistributive economic policy. Wealth inequality remains high and welfare programs are limited, but public services and infrastructure receive strong funding. Foreign policy in Botswana has historically emphasised multilateralism and realpolitik. Apartheid-era South Africa was the nation's primary foreign policy concern until 1994 and then instability in Zimbabwe thereafter.

Pre-statehood
The location of present day Botswana was historically controlled by Bantu peoples, primarily the Tswana people. Many legal traditions practiced by the Tswana people, such as respect for traditional authority and protection of property rights, have played a role in the development of post-colonial Botswana politics. Centralised political structures developed prior to colonisation have also been retained. Politics of the Tswana people prior to statehood was often led by chiefs, who continue to have a role in Botswana politics. In the early-19th century, these chiefdoms developed into nation states. These nation states incorporated limited government and ethnic pluralism.

The United Kingdom first began influencing the region in the 1820s, and the region became part of the British Empire in 1885 as the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The Tswana people were made subjects of the Crown and placed under British law. The first significant movement for independence was led by the radical Bechuanaland People's Party. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) was formed by Seretse Khama in 1962 as part of a negotiated independence process. Botswana became self-governing in 1965, and it became an independent republic in 1966. The United Kingdom continued to invest in the country financially and pay some of its expenses through 1971. Institutions and traditions from both precolonial Tswana society and colonial British rule were retained following independence and continue to influence the politics of Botswana.

Presidency of Seretse Khama
Upon receiving self-governance, the nation held the 1965 Bechuanaland general election, in which the BDP won a large victory: of the 31 seats in the legislature, the BDP won 28. Three members of the Botswana People's Party made up the opposition, all elected from relatively urbanised constituencies. The government under the first president, Seretse Khama, was based heavily on collaborative governance similar to that of the pre-colonial tribal governments. Policies were often considered by several ministries and a commission before being adopted. Khama also ensured that foreign involvement was welcome, opposed to a nationalism that restricted opportunity.

While Khama was president, his vice president, Quett Masire, held considerable power as well. In addition to being the vice president, he was the minister of finance, and he was the secretary general of the BDP. He oversaw a series of National Development Plans that dispensed much of the government's policies. Regional instability prompted the creation of a military, the Botswana Defence Force, in 1977. Prior to this, the Botswana Police Service handled all of the nation's security responsibilities. The Botswana National Front (BNF) was founded by Kenneth Koma as a left-wing party, and it became the opposition party in the 1969 general election.

Presidency of Quett Masire
Khama served as president until his death in 1980, at which point Vice President Masire became president. The opposition gained support in the 1980s and 1990s as the country urbanised and the BDP's rural political base shrank.

The Kgabo Commission, part of a corruption controversy involving Vice President Peter Mmusi and BDP Secretary General Daniel Kwelagobe, dominated the politics of Botswana in 1991 and brought about an era of factionalism in the BDP. Mmusi's resignation led to Festus Mogae being chosen as the next vice president. The incident firmly established a growing factional conflict within the BDP. Mmusi and Kwelagobe formed one faction, the Big Two. Mompati Merafhe and his supporters—namely David Magang, Bahiti Temane, Roy Blackbeard, and Chapson Butale—formed an opposing faction, the Big Five. Merafhe later took on Jacob Nkate as his closest ally, and they dubbed themselves the A-Team. The Big Two appealed the findings of the commission in court, but they were ultimately suspended from parliament. Their supporters then gained power after the 1994 general election. Amid this inter-party conflict, the BNF became a significantly stronger opposition, winning thirteen seats. Kwelagobe aligned with Ponatshego Kedikilwe following Mmusi's death, and they renamed themselves the Barata-Phathi.

After the BDP's poor performance in the 1994 election, South African academic Lawrence Schlemmer was brought in by the party to provide a political strategy. He recommended replacing the long-standing members of the BDP with newer, non-factional members, with a particular focus on the presidency. Multiple constitutional reforms were enacted in Botswana following a referendum in 1997: the vice president was designated the automatic successor of the president, the voting age was lowered to eighteen, and an independent electoral commission was established. These reforms were championed by Masire, as automatic succession allowed him to anoint a successor.

1998–present
Masire stepped down as president in 1998, and Vice President Mogae became president. He chose Ian Khama as vice president, and while the two were nominally non-factional, they effectively supported the A-Team faction of Merafhe and Nkate. This caused the factional differences in the party to further escalate. A schism also formed in the oppositional BNF, which led to the creation of the Botswana Congress Party in 1998. Enough assemblymen defected that this new party became the primary opposition, but they were replaced by BNF candidates in the 1999 general election.

Mogae's tenure as president ended in 2008, and Ian Khama, the son of President Seretse Khama, became president. The BDP underwent its first split in 2010 when Khama encouraged the Barata-Phathi faction to leave the party, and they formed the Botswana Movement for Democracy, led by Gomolemo Motswaledi. Freedom House lowered Botswana's rating in the 2010s as a crackdown took place against journalists.

Khama stepped down in 2018, and Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi became president. He immediately reversed Khama's policies and replaced top officials who had been appointed by Khama. The two former allies quickly became political rivals, and Khama defected from the Botswana Democratic Party. He instead aligned with the newly formed Botswana Patriotic Front in addition to supporting the Umbrella for Democratic Change. This made the 2019 general election the first competitive election in the nation's history, but the BDP remained in power with 52.7% of the total vote, winning 38 of the 57 seats in the assembly. The rivalry significantly escalated when Masisi's pursued criminal charges against Khama for illegal ownership of firearms in 2022, causing Khama to seek asylum in South Africa.

National government
Botswana is a parliamentary republic governed by the Constitution of Botswana. The constitution has been in effect since Botswana became independent from the United Kingdom on 30 September 1966. This makes it the longest uninterrupted democracy in Africa. Botswana operates under a blend of Roman-Dutch law, customary law, and common law. Its seat of government is in Gaborone.

Legislative branch
The legislature of Botswana is derived from the Westminster system of the United Kingdom, though it has several aspects that distinguish it from this system. Unlike in the United Kingdom, the leader of the legislature has no executive powers, and it is subject to the Constitution of Botswana. Its official function under the constitution is to "make laws for the peace, order and good government of Botswana". The legislature is intended to act as a check on the executive, but it has little direct power to limit the executive's power.

The legislative body of Botswana is the National Assembly, a unicameral body consisting of 63 members. 57 of these members are directly elected by their constituents and six of these members are chosen by the National Assembly. The President of Botswana and the Speaker of the National Assembly are ex officio members. For a bill to become a law, it must be approved by the National Assembly and by the president. The assembly uses a question time procedure to obtain information.

The Ntlo ya Dikgosi is an advisory body established by the constitution. Its members include eight chiefs of the Tswana people, five members appointed by the president, and 22 members chosen by the eight chiefs. Any bill that affects the constitution or traditional tribal laws must be referred to the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, where it reads the bill and passes a resolution stating its position on the bill. It has no legislative powers of its own.

Executive branch
The executive branch of Botswana is headed by the President of Botswana, who serves as both the head of state and head of government. The president is indirectly elected by members of the National Assembly, and the position has historically been associated with a major tribe. The executive is the strongest branch of government in Botswana, and the president wields significant power, effectively heading the legislative branch of government as well. The judiciary is the only de facto check on the president's power. The president has the power to veto legislation by refusing to sign it, which returns the legislation to the National Assembly. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the nation's military. The Vice-President of Botswana and the Cabinet of Botswana operate underneath the President of Botswana. The president chooses the vice president and the members of the cabinet from the members of the National Assembly.

Judicial branch
The highest court of Botswana is the Court of Appeal, which is constituted under section 99 of these Constitution and consists of a president and such number of justices of appeal as may be prescribed by the National Assembly. There are eight judges of the Court of Appeal, who are all expatriates drawn from different parts of the Commonwealth. To date, no Motswana has ever been appointed to the Court of Appeal.

The High Court is a superior court of record with unlimited original jurisdiction to hear and determine any criminal and civil cases under any law. The High Court is constituted under section 95 of the Constitution, and consists of a Chief Justice and such number of other judges of the High Court as may be prescribed by the National Assembly. There are sixteen permanent judges of the High Court. Until 1992, the judges of the High Court were expatriate judges who were appointed on short-term contracts of two to three years. In 1992 the first citizen judges were appointed to the bench. There are three High Court divisions in Lobatse, Gaborone and Francistown.

Most cases are settled by customary courts, which are presided over by tribal chiefs. These courts are often preferred by the community due to their relative simplicity. There are also Magistrates' Courts in Botswana. These courts are subordinate to the High Court and hear a range of civil, criminal and family law matters. There are nineteen Magistrates' Courts in the country, with fifty magistrates of whom seventeen are expatriate.

Local and tribal government
Botswana's government is centralised, and the powers of local government are determined by national law. Local government is authorised under the Local Government (District Councils) Act, 1965. The smallest division of government in Botswana is the local council. Cities in Botswana are under the jurisdiction of a mayor and a city council, which is led by a council chairperson. Smaller towns also have town councils, while rural areas are collected under district councils. These councils are primarily responsible for education, health, roads, water, local development, and general welfare. Local governmental bodies do not collect significant funds, and nearly all local spending is funded by the national government.

Tribes are led by tribal chiefs, who often have significant influence over the affairs of local government. Chiefs are responsible for chairing kgotlas, traditional tribal meetings of the community, and for presiding over customary courts. Kgotlas predate Botswana's independence and represent the traditional mode of government in which a chief ruled as the first among equals. Tswana chiefs were historically more accountable to the people than in other African societies, as the region's main industry, cattle farming, allowed farmers more mobility and independence than would be provided by growing crops. Tribal land is held and allocated by Land Boards. These Land Boards are made up of members chosen by the tribal community and members appointed by the Minister of Lands.

Botswana is divided into 28 districts. Each district is under the jurisdiction of a district administration, led by a district commissioner.

Political parties
Botswana is a dominant-party state led by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). This party was formed by Seretse Khama in 1962 during the nation's movement toward independence, and it has ruled with a majority in every government since. A multi-party system allows several opposition parties to stand for election and seek representation in the legislature. Despite never holding a majority, opposition parties in Botswana wield more power than those of most other African countries, as there are no legal barriers to restrict the creation or growth of an opposition party.

Historically, the Botswana National Front has been the strongest opposition party, advocating left-wing politics. The opposition in the Botswana legislature has often been fragmented, with several parties competing with one another in addition to challenging the BDP. The opposition has mainly been supported by urbanites, tribes outside of the majority Tswana population, and certain tribal chiefs. Increasing urbanisation has given more strength to opposition parties.

Factionalism is common in Botswana political parties, and several parties have split from the Botswana National Front, including the Botswana Congress Party that became another significant opposition party after its creation in 1998. Some attempts have been made to create alliances between opposition parties, though none have ever prevented the BDP from achieving a majority in the legislature. In 2012, the Botswana National Front, the Botswana Movement for Democracy, and the Botswana People's Party joined together as the Umbrella for Democratic Change.

Elections
Botswana has held regular elections since its independence at five year intervals, all of which have been won by the Botswana Democratic Party. Elections are overseen by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Elections in Botswana use first-past-the-post voting in which the winner is the candidate that receives a majority or plurality of votes. Botswana is rare among African countries in that its elections have never been associated with widespread political violence.

The independence of Botswana's elections have been the subject of scrutiny. While elections are free and opposition parties are unrestrained, the incumbent party has access to other advantages. Prior to the creation of the IEC, the ruling party controlled elections through the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. The creation of the IEC has mitigated this to some extent, though its power to regulate elections is questioned.

Economic policy
Botswana is an upper middle income country with a mixed economy, and it has one of the strongest economies in Africa. The foundation of Botswana's economic policy was set by the first post-independence government in the 1960s, incorporating a self-sustaining budget system through a series of national development plans. There is significant income inequality in Botswana, particularly between the relatively developed urban areas and the poorer rural areas. The unemployment rate in Botswana was 20% as of 2015. Botswana's dependence on the diamond industry has led to diversification of the economy becoming one of the nation's major economic policy goals throughout its history. Government programs such as the National Development Bank, the Botswana Development Corporation, the Financial Assistance Policy, and the Economic Diversification Drive have been implemented to spur economic growth in other industries, but they have not significantly decreased the nation's dependence on its diamond industry.

The economy of colonial Bechuanaland focused on cattle farming, and this was the primary industry for the first decade of Botswana's independence. As most of the nation was involved with this field in some form, there was little cause for class conflict in the predominantly rural population. While land distribution was sometimes an issue, there was enough unclaimed land that cattle farmers could operate as nomads, further reducing disagreement over economic issues. In 1967, diamond deposits were found in Botswana. This incentivised the government to pursue a commodity economy from mining, supplemented with smaller industries such as beef farming, manufacturing, and tourism. The country's economic success is attributed to neoliberal policies of free markets and private property protections, significantly increasing the population's post-independence living standards. Botswana was one of the only sub-Saharan governments that did not engage in significant regulatory or redistributive policy following decolonisation. This, as well as its fiscally responsible management of the diamond industry, led to some of the world's largest economic growth over the following decades. More recent development has emphasised welfare statehood through redistributive economic policy.

Foreign policy
The president is responsible for the foreign policy of Botswana, overseeing the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Botswana's political and economic success relative to other countries in Africa has led it to play a larger role in regional and global affairs. By the end of the 20th century, Botswana had begun sending financial and military support to neighbouring countries and international organisations. Botswana has emphasised multilateralism in its foreign policy. Its landlocked territory and export-driven economy have incentivised it to maintain strong diplomatic ties with other countries, and it's low population and proximity to unstable governments have caused Botswana to work closely with international organisations for security and resources.

From 1966 to 1994, the countries bordering Botswana were unstable or otherwise hostile to Botswana. It did not establish formal relations with its largest neighbour, South Africa, during the latter's discriminatory apartheid rule. In its first years, Botswana had no military. The Botswana Defence Force was eventually created in response to regional instability. As South Africa liberalised after 1994, Botswana's primary foreign policy concern became the instability in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

For much of its history as an independent country, Botswana practiced a realpolitik foreign policy. During the presidency of Ian Khama, it shifted to an idealist foreign policy, in which it routinely criticised governments for human rights violations. During this period, it was often the only member of the African Union to support the International Criminal Court or to condemn human rights violations in autocratic nations.

Social policy
Botswana's relative wealth compared to other countries in the region has allowed for high spending on public services such as education, health, and infrastructure. As of 2014, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development had the largest budget of any government initiative. Approximately 10,000 kilometres of road were paved in the first fifty years of the country's independence, compared to the 50 kilometres that existed before independence.

Welfare programs in Botswana are relatively limited and subject to means testing, and there is no national level social security. The country's predominantly arid environment results in droughts becoming a frequent public welfare concern. HIV/AIDS is the most serious healthcare issue in the country, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana is one of the most severe outbreaks in the world. Botswana received less foreign aid when combating the epidemic in the 1990s, allowing it to spread.

Human rights
Freedom House considers Botswana to be free with a score of 72/100 in its 2022 Freedom in the World report. It scored high in political rights, though Freedom House expressed concerns regarding the representation of women and minorities and the lack of freedom of information laws. It also scored high in civil rights, though Freedom House expressed concerns regarding freedom of the press and the right to strike. Transparency International has regularly recognised Botswana as the least corrupt country in Africa, and it is often described as comparable to the liberal democracies of Western Europe. One potential issues for human rights in Botswana is the lack of strong checks and balances in the government, which allows the president to exercise wide latitude over policy and arbitrarily curtail free speech. Early focus on public works projects after Botswana's independence rather than militarisation is credited for early legitimacy of the government, permitting stability in the nation's politics.

Conceptions of human rights in Botswana are shaped by collectivist traditions such as botho philosophy rather than individualist traditions. Confrontational approaches to human rights such as protest, strike action, and public condemnation are often seen as uncivil foreign inventions. Activism in Botswana instead focuses mainly on providing goods and services to those in need. Human rights Non-governmental organisations are relatively uncommon in Botswana. Among the most active is the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS, which emphasises response to HIV but also addresses other areas such as the rights of women, children, and LGBT people.

title: Politics of Botswana


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Economy of Botswana

The economy of Botswana is currently one of the world's fastest growing economies, averaging about 5% per annum over the past decade. Growth in private sector employment averaged about 10% per annum during the first 30 years of the country's independence. After a period of stagnation at the turn of the 21st century, Botswana's economy registered strong levels of growth, with GDP growth exceeding 6–7% targets. Botswana has been praised by the African Development Bank for sustaining one of the world's longest economic booms. Economic growth since the late 1960s has been on par with some of Asia's largest economies. The government has consistently maintained budget surpluses and has extensive foreign-exchange reserves.

Botswana's impressive economic record compared to some of its neighbors has been built on a foundation of diamond mining, prudent fiscal policies, and a cautious foreign policy. Botswana's economy is mostly dependent on diamond mining. Diamond mining contributes to 50% of the government revenue mainly through its 50:50 joint venture with De Beers in the Debswana Diamond Company. It is rated as the least corrupt country in Africa in the Corruption Perceptions Index by international corruption watchdog Transparency International. It has the fourth highest gross national income per capita in purchasing power in Africa and above the world average.

Trade unions represent a minority of workers in the Botswana economy. In general they are loosely organised "in-house" unions, although the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) is consolidating its role as the sole national trade union centre in the country.

Although Botswana's economy is considered a model for countries in the region, its overreliance on mining and its high rate of HIV/AIDS infection (one in every three adults is seropositive) and unemployment may threaten its future success. Botswana has become the first high-burden country to be certified for achieving an important milestone on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV by the World Health Organization (WHO).

History
[[File:GDP per capita (current), % of world average, 1960-2012; Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique.png|thumb|300px [[Agriculture]] still provides a livelihood for 70% of the rural population but supplies only about 50% of food needs and accounted for only 1.8% of GDP as of 2016. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. Diamond mining and tourism are also important to the economy. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 38% in 1998.
 * GDP per capita (current), compared to neighbouring countries (world average = 100)]]

Economic growth slowed in 2005–2008 and turned negative in 2009 as a result of the Great Recession, contracting by 5.2%. This was exacerbated by a major global downturn in the industrial sector, which shrank by 30%, Botswana's steep economic downturn contrasted with most other African nations which experienced continued growth through this period.

Trade
Botswana is crossed by the trans-African automobile route - the Cairo-Cape Town Highway and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor. Botswana is part of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) with South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Namibia. The World Bank reports that in 2001 (the most recent year for which World Bank data is available), the SACU had a weighted average common external tariff rate of 3.6%. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, "there are very few tariff or non-tariff barriers to trade with Botswana, apart from restrictions on licensing for some business operations, which are reserved for [Botswana] companies." Based on the revised trade factor methodology, Botswana's trade policy score is unchanged.

The main export of Botswana is diamonds. As of 2024 it is the world’s second largest diamond exporter. Due to Botswana's heavy reliance on diamonds, strong global demand is vital to the health of the economy. Diamond exports provide Botswana's economy with strong supplies of foreign exchange and have offered a basis for industrial development and stimulated improvements in Botswana's infrastructure. However, despite their preeminent role in Botswana's economy, there are concerns that diamond mines are not labour-intensive enough to provide sufficient employment for Botswana's workforce, and this mismatch has been cited as a factor in the country's structurally high unemployment rate.

Mining
Two large mining companies, Debswana (formed by the government and South Africa's De Beers in equal partnership) and Bamangwato Concessions, Ltd. (BCL, also with substantial government equity participation) operate in the country. BCL was placed in provisional liquidation in late 2016, following years of loss-making operations, and was placed into final liquidation by the High Court in June 2017.

Diamonds and other gems
Since early 1980s, the country has been one of the world's largest producers of gem diamonds. Eight large diamond mines have opened since independence. De Beers prospectors discovered diamonds in northern Botswana in the early 1970s. The first mine began production at Orapa in 1972, followed by a smaller mine at Letlhakane. What has become the single richest diamond mine in the world opened in Jwaneng in 1982. The mine was discovered when termites looking for water brought grains of diamond to the surface. Botswana produced a total of 24 million carats of diamonds from Debswana in 2022, and is the highest producer of diamonds by value in the world as of 2023. The Orapa 2000 Expansion of the existing Orapa mine was opened in 2000. According to Debswana, the Orapa 2000 Expansion project increase the Orapa's mine annual output from 6 million carats to 12 million carats and raised total production to 26 million carats. In 2003, Debswana opened the Damtshaa diamond mine about 220 kilometers (140 mi) west of the city of Francistown. The mine was placed into care and maintenance in December 2015 due to weak global demand but was scheduled to reopen in January 2018. In 2008, Australia's Kimberley Diamond Company opened a mine in Lerala, Botswana's fifth mine and the first not operated by Debswana. However, Kimberley shut down the mine in May 2017, citing weak market conditions.

Most of Botswana's electricity is imported from South Africa's Eskom. Debswana operates the nearby Morupule Colliery to supply coal to it. Botswana exported a measly $3.12k worth of electricity from 2021-2022, all going to Zimbabwe. In early 2008, the entire southern African region was hit hard by massive shortages of power, since the region works to share its power resources through the Southern African Power Pool, with most of its capacity coming from South Africa. Botswana has in turn put in place plans to become a net exporter of power to the regional pool, through governmental expansion of the Morupule power station, as well as encouraging private investment in the form of a 4 gigawatt power station by the Canadian greenfield company CIC Energy. In 2012, CIC Energy was acquired by India's Jindal Steel and Power. Jindal Africa currently aims to operate three surface mines in the coalfields of Mmamabula, as well as a power plant. According to the company, "the mine’s development will meet the demands of 600MW power stations and export region coal markets, with the potential to employ more than 2,000 people."

Botswana also produces soda ash through Botash, a joint venture between the government and South Africa's Chlor-Alkali Holdings (CAH) Group. Botash has been operating in the Sua Pan in northeastern Botswana since April 1991.

Tourism
Tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for approximately 13.1% of GDP in 2019. However,, it was reported to be less than 10%. One of the world's unique ecosystems, the Okavango Delta, is located in Botswana. The country offers game viewing and birding both in the Delta and in the Chobe National Park—home to one of the largest herds of free-ranging elephants in the world. Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve also offers game viewing and some of the remotest and most unspoiled wilderness in southern Africa.

A number of national parks and game reserves, with their abundant wildlife and wetlands, are major tourist attractions.

The main safari destinations for tourism are Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, and Chobe National Park. Botswana is also participating in community-based natural resource management projects by trying to involve villagers in tourism. One example is the village of Khwai and its Khwai Development Trust.

Botswana was the setting for the 1980 movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, although the movie was mostly filmed in South Africa. The seventh season of The Amazing Race visited Botswana. Tourism has been stimulated by the series of detective novels by Alexander McCall Smith and the American dramatisation that followed them.

Agriculture
More than half of Botswana's population lives in rural areas and depends on subsistence crops and livestock farming. Agriculture meets only a small portion of food needs and contributes just 1.8% of Botswana’s GDP as of 2017, according to the CIA World Factbook. 2024 estimates stated that it was still less than 2% of Botswana’s GDP. Cattle raising dominated Botswana's social and economic life before independence. The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has a monopoly on beef production, however in late 2023, it ended. The national herd was about 2.5 million in the mid-1990s, though the 1995 government-ordered slaughter of the entire herd in Botswana's north-west Ngamiland District, to prevent the spread of "cattle lung disease" to other parts of the country, reduced the number by at least 200,000.

Botswana produced, in 2018:

 * 102 thousand tons of root and tubers;
 * 46 thousand tons of vegetables;
 * 17 thousand tons of sorghum;
 * 13 thousand tons of maize;
 * 8 thousand tons of cabbage;
 * 6 thousand tons of onion;
 * 5 thousand tons of tomato;

In addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products.

Manufacturing
Manufacturing industries in Botswana include food processing, predominantly beef processing, diamond processing, textile and garment manufacturing, beverage making, jewellery making, metals and metal products, soap making, construction materials manufacturing, and glass production.

Manufacturing has potential growth, however, accounting for roughly 5% of the nation’s gross domestic product. Over the years, there has been a notable decline in the role of the manufacturing sector in the national economy. The reason for this can be pinned to a number of factors, the main ones being lack of skills, failing to keep up with the latest technology, lack of competitiveness along with bad marketing techniques.

Science and technology
There is a growing science sector in Botswana. The number of publications by Botswanan scientists catalogued in international databases increased from 133 in 2009 to 210 in 2014. In 2018, Botswana produced 281 scientific and technical journal articles. The country has one of the highest levels of scientific productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country also has a high-tech industry, being home to a number of information technology companies. In 2022, Botswana's high-tech exports were worth about $38 million.

Private sector development and foreign investment
Botswana seeks to diversify its economy away from minerals, the earnings from which have levelled off.

External investment in Botswana has grown fitfully. In the early 1990s, two American companies, Owens Corning and H.J. Heinz, made major investments in production facilities in Botswana. In 1997, the St. Paul Group purchased Botswana Insurance, one of the country's leading short-term insurance providers. An American Business Council (ABC), with over 30 member companies, was inaugurated in 1995. Hyundai operated a car assembly plant in Botswana from 1994 to 2000.

Botswana seeks to further diversify its economy away from minerals, which account for a quarter of GDP, down from nearly half of GDP in the early 1990s. Foreign investment and management are welcomed in Botswana and, as a result, the financial and services sectors have increased at an exponential rate in the 2000s to replace mining as the leading industry. Botswana abolished foreign exchange controls in 1999, has a low corporate tax rate (15%), no prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies, and as of January 2024 it is roughly 4%

The government considers private-sector participation as being critical to the success of the country's Tenth National Development Plan (2009–2016) and enhancing the role of research and development as being the most effective way to nurture entrepreneurship and private-sector growth. The government is considering additional policies to enhance competitiveness, including a new Foreign Direct Investment Strategy, Competition Policy, Privatisation Master Plan and National Export Development Strategy.

Botswana is known to have vast coal deposits making it possibly one of the most coal-rich countries in the world. Large coal mines, massive coal-fired power plants, as well as a coals to liquid plant (through the Fischer–Tropsch process) to produce synthetic automotive fuel have been planned.

With its proven record of good economic governance, Botswana was ranked as Africa's third least corrupt country in the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2020, ahead of many European and Asian countries. The World Economic Forum rated Botswana as the third most economically competitive nation in Africa in 2002. However, Botswana is not a member of the WEF anymore. In 2001 Botswana was once again assigned "A" grade credit ratings by Moody's and Standard & Poor's. This ranks Botswana as by far the best credit risk in Africa and puts it on par with or above many countries in central Europe, East Asia, and Latin America. However, as of 2024, Botswana has been ranked BBB+ in S&P’s rating, while being ranked A3 in Moody’s grade credit rating.

U.S. investment in Botswana remains at relatively low levels but continues to grow. Major U.S. corporations, such as Coca-Cola and H.J. Heinz, are present through direct investments, while others, such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, are present via franchise. The sovereign credit ratings by Moody's and Standard & Poor's clearly indicate that, despite continued challenges such as small market size, landlocked location, and cumbersome bureaucratic processes, Botswana remains one of the best investment opportunities in the developing world.

Due to its history and geography, Botswana has long and deep ties to the economy of South Africa. The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), presently comprising Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and South Africa, dates from 1910. Under this arrangement, South Africa has collected levies from customs, sales, and excise duties for all five members, sharing out proceeds based on each country's portion of imports. The exact formula for sharing revenues and the decision-making authority over duties—held exclusively by the Government of South Africa—became increasingly controversial, and the members renegotiated the arrangement in 2001. The new structure has now been formally ratified and a SACU Secretariat has been established in Windhoek, Namibia. Following South Africa's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Botswana also joined; many of the SACU duties are thus declining, making products from outside the area more competitive in Botswana. Currently, the SACU countries and the U.S. are negotiating a free trade agreement. Botswana is currently also negotiating a free trade agreement with Mercosur and an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union as part of SADC.

Gaborone is host to the headquarters of the fourteen-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), a successor to the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC, established in 1980), which focused its efforts on freeing regional economic development from dependence on apartheid South Africa. SADC embraced the newly democratic South Africa as a member in 1994 and has a broad mandate to encourage growth, development, and economic integration in Southern Africa. SADC's Trade Protocol, which was launched on 1 September 2000, calls for the elimination of all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade by 2012 among the 11 signatory countries. If successful, it will give Botswana companies free access to the far larger regional market.

Botswana has successfully carried an Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, which was adopted in the period 2006–2007. Free the Children delisted Botswana as a nation harbouring child-labour facilities in 2008.

Financial sector
Botswana has a growing financial sector, and the country's national stock market, the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE), based in Gaborone, is given the responsibility to operate and regulate the equities and fixed interest securities market. Formally established in 1989, the BSE continues to be pivotal to Botswana's financial system, and in particular the capital market, as an avenue on which government, quasi-government and the private sector can raise debt and equity capital. Although the BSE has just under 40 companies listed, it plays host to the most pre-eminent companies doing business in Botswana. These companies represent a spectrum of industries and commerce, from Banking and financial services to Wholesaling and Retailing, Tourism and Information Technology.

Botswana's currency, the pula, is fully convertible and is valued against a basket of currencies heavily weighted toward the South African Rand. Profits and direct investment can be repatriated without restriction from Botswana. The Botswana Government eliminated all exchange controls in 1999. The Central Bank devalued the Pula by 7.5% in February 2004 in a bid to maintain export competitiveness against the real appreciation of the Pula. There was a further 12% devaluation 1 year later in 2005 and the policy of a "Crawling peg" was adopted.

The recently established Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) is responsible for the oversight of all non-banking financial services entities in the country. As of 2020, about 82% of Botswana's population had access to formal or informal financial services. Mobile banking services have just started to be offered. In recent years the government and Central Bank have undertaken serious steps to modernize the country's payment system infrastructure. These efforts included the establishment of a code-line clearing system for the exchange of cheques and electronic funds as well as a Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, including SWIFT connection.

Gaborone is host to the headquarters of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC). A successor to the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), which focused its efforts on freeing regional economic development from dependence on apartheid in South Africa, SADC embraced the newly democratic South Africa as a member in 1994 and has a broad mandate to encourage growth, development, and economic integration in Southern Africa. SADC's Trade Protocol, which was launched on 1 September 2000, calls for the elimination of all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade by 2012 among the 11 signatory countries. If successful, it will give Botswana companies free access to the far larger regional market. The Regional Centre for Southern Africa (RCSA), which implements the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Initiative for Southern Africa (ISA), is headquartered in Gaborone as well.

title: Economy of Botswana


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Telecommunications in Botswana

Telecommunications in Botswana include newspapers, radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.

In addition to the government-owned newspaper and national radio network, there is an active, independent press (six weekly newspapers). Foreign publications are sold without restriction in Botswana. Two privately owned radio stations began operations in 1999. Botswana's first national television station, the government-owned Botswana Television (BTV), was launched in July 2000. It began broadcasting with three hours of programming on weekdays and five on weekends, offering news in Setswana and English, entertainment, and sports, with plans to produce 60% of its programming locally. The cellular phone providers Orange and MTN cover most of the country.

Radio stations

 * 2 state-owned national radio stations; 3 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2007);
 * AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001).

Television stations
One state-owned and one privately owned; privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available (2007).

Television sets in use:

 * 101,713 (2001);
 * 98,568 (2003).
 * 173,327 (2006)
 * 297,233 (2008)
 * 297,971 (2011)
 * 365,650 (2014).

Telephones
Main lines in use:
 * 160,500 lines, 134th in the world (2012);
 * 136,900 (2006).

Mobile cellular in use:
 * 3.1 million lines, 129th in the world (2012);

Telephone system
 * general assessment: Botswana is participating in regional development efforts; expanding fully digital system with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east as well as a system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relays links, and radiotelephone communication stations (2011);
 * domestic: fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 7 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity now pushing 140 telephones per 100 persons (2011);
 * international: country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011).

ISDB-T
Features:

 * Supports ISDB-T broadcast (13 segments).
 * MPEG-2/ MPEG-4 AVC/ H.264 HD/ SD video.
 * DiVX Compatible with 480i / 480p / 720p / 1080i/ 1080p video formats. Auto and manually scan all available TV and radio channels.
 * Aspect ratio 16:9 and 4:3.
 * 1000 channels memory.
 * Parental control.
 * Teletext / Bit map subtitle.
 * Compliant with ETSI.
 * Supported 7 days EPG function.
 * VBI Teletext support 6 MHz software setting Auto / Manual program search.
 * Multi language supported.

Internet
Internet top-level domain: .bw

Internet users:
 * 241,272 users, 148th in the world; 11.5% of the population, 166th in the world (2012);
 * 120,000 users, 154th in the world (2009);
 * 80,000 users (2007).

Internet broadband:
 * 16,407 fixed broadband subscriptions, 134th in the world; 0.8% of the population, 143rd in the world;
 * 348,124 wireless broadband subscriptions, 102nd in the world; 16.6% of the population, 76th in the world.

Internet hosts:
 * 1,806 hosts (2012);
 * 6,374 hosts (2008).

Internet IPv4 addresses: 100,096 addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 47.7 addresses per 1000 people (2012).

Internet Service Providers:
 * 11 ISPs (2001);
 * 2 ISPs (1999).

ADSL has been introduced in the following areas: Gaborone, Tlkokweng, Mogoditsane, Phakalane, Francistown, Lobatse, Palapye, Maun, Kasane, Selibe-Phikwe, Letlhakane, Jwaneng, and Orapa.

title: Telecommunications in Botswana


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Transport in Botswana

Transportation in Botswana is provided by an extensive network of railways, highways, ferry services and air routes that criss-cross the country. The transport sector in Botswana played an important role in economic growth following its independence in 1966. The country discovered natural resources which allowed it to finance the development of infrastructure, and policy ensured that the transport sector grew at an affordable pace commensurate with demands for services.

Rail transport
Rail services are provided by Botswana Railways, with most routes radiating from Gaborone. Botswana has the 93rd longest railway network in the world at 888 km, it is one of the busiest railways in Africa. The track gauge is 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (cape gauge). Botswana is an associate member of the International Union of Railways (UIC).

Regional trains (BR Express)
Botswana Railways run 2 nightly passenger trains, one from Lobatse to Francistown, and the other from Francistown to Lobatse, with stops in Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye, and Serule. The passenger train is termed the "BR Express" (Botswana Railways). Passenger services were suspended from 2009 to 2016, with the exception of an international link to Zimbabwe from Francistown.

Commuter/suburban trains
In Botswana, the (Botswana Railways) "BR Express" has a commuter train between Lobatse and Gaborone. The train departs to Lobatse at 0530hrs and arrives at Gaborone at 0649hrs. This train returns to Lobatse in the evening, departing in Gaborone at 1800hrs. Arrival time at Lobatse is 1934hrs. The train stops at Otse, Ramotswa, and Commerce Park Halt.

BR Express Sleeping & Dining Department
From the beginning, the BR decided to operate its own sleeping cars, thus building bigger-sized berths and more comfortable surroundings. Providing and operating their cars allowed better control of the services and revenue. While the food was served to passengers, the profits were never result of serving the food. Those who could afford to travel great distances expected better facilities, and favorable opinions from the overall experience would attract others to Botswana and the BR's trains.

Freight trains
Over half of BRs freight traffic is in coal, grain and intermodal freight, and it also ships automotive parts and assembled automobiles, sulphur, fertilizers, other chemicals, soda ash, forest products and other types of the commodities.

Locomotives

Diesel locomotives

As of March 2009:
 * 8 General Electric UM 22C diesel-electric locomotive, 1982.
 * 20 General Motors Model GT22LC-2 diesel-electric locomotive, 1986.
 * 10 General Electric UI5C diesel-electric locomotive, 1990.
 * 8 new gt142aces were delivered in the end of 2017.

Network

 * total: 888 km (since 2015)
 * number of stations: 13
 * standard gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) cape gauge.

Railway links with adjacent countries
Existing
 * South Africa (same gauge)

 * Zimbabwe (same gauge)

Currently under construction

 * Zambia - being built at Kazungula Bridge in Kazungula.

Proposed

 * Namibia
 * Mozambique

Vehicle population

 * Botswana had 584,000 locally registered vehicles at the end of June 2019 - more than double the number compared to 10 years prior. This equates to around 250 vehicles per 1,000 people in the country.
 * 30,583 vehicles were registered in the first 6 months of 2019.
 * Secondhand imports from Asia and the UK are a significant source of vehicles in Botswana.

A-roads
A-roads are highways and other major roads.

B-roads
B-roads are smaller distributor roads.

Motorways
Motorways in Botswana have a set of restrictions, which prohibit certain traffic from using the road. The following classes of traffic are not allowed on Botswana motorways:
 * Learner drivers
 * Slow vehicles (i.e., not capable of reaching 60 km/h on a level road)
 * Invalid carriages (lightweight three-wheeled vehicles)
 * Pedestrians
 * Pedal-cycles (bicycles, etc.)
 * Vehicles under 50cc (e.g. mopeds)
 * Tractors
 * Animals

Rules for driving on motorways include the following:
 * The keep-left rule applies unless overtaking
 * No stopping at any time
 * No reversing
 * No hitchhiking
 * Only vehicles that travel faster than 80 km/h may use the outside lane
 * No driving on the hard-shoulder

The general motorway speed limit is 120 km/h.

Road signs
Traditionally, road signs in Botswana used blue backgrounds rather than the yellow, white, or orange that the rest of the world uses on traffic warning signs. In the early 2010s, officials announced plans to begin phasing out the distinctive blue signs in favour of more typical signs in order to be more in line with the neighbouring Southern African Development Community member states.

Existing

 * Kenneth Nkhwa Interchange at the junction of A1 / Blue Jacket Street and A3 in Francistown.
 * Boatle Interchange in Boatle.

Under construction
The Government of Botswana is building three interchanges along K.T Motsete Drive (Western Bypass) in Gaborone. This project started in August 2019, and deadline date is set 2022.

Longest bridges
The Kazungula Bridge in Kazungula and the Okavango River Bridge (constructed 2022) in Mohembo are the two longest bridges.

Existing

 * Namibia by Trans-Kalahari Corridor.
 * South Africa by A1 highway (Botswana), A2 highway (Botswana), A11 road (Botswana) and A12 highway (Botswana).
 * Zambia by A33 road (Botswana).
 * Zimbabwe by A1 highway (Botswana).

Taxicabs
In most parts of Botswana, there are many taxicabs of various colours and styles. Botswana has no limitation in taxicab design, so each taxicab company adopts its own design.

Minibus taxis

Minibus taxis, also known as Combi, are the predominant form of transport for people in urban areas of Botswana. Most of them are found within cities, towns, major villages, and even the least populated areas.

They also have their own minibus station within a particular area; only transporting people within that specific area using different and unique routes. This is due to their availability and affordability to the public.

Most minibus taxis do not have a specific departure time that is allocated by the state and most of them have 15-seaters. The minibuses are owned and operated by many individual minibus owners.

Coach bus
Coach buses are used for longer-distance services within and outside Botswana. These are normally operated by private companies and are the only buses that have departure times allocated by the Ministry of Transport. Coach buses have multiple departures, routes, and stations all over Botswana.

Ferries
The Kazungula Ferry was a pontoon ferry that crossed the 400 m Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia.

Aviation

In 2004 there were an estimated 85 airports, 10 of which (as of 2005), were paved. The country's main international airport is Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone. The government-owned Air Botswana operates scheduled flights to Francistown, Gaborone, Maun, and Selebi-Phikwe. There is international service to Johannesburg, South Africa; Mbabane, Eswatini; and Harare, Zimbabwe. A new international airport near Gaborone was opened in 1984. Air passengers arriving to and departing from Botswana during 2003 totalled about 183,000.

International airports
Botswana has 4 international airports.

 * Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone.
 * Francistown Airport in Francistown.

 * Kasane Airport in Kasane.

 * Maun Airport in Maun.

Proposed airports

 * "Mophane International Airport" is planned in Palapye Sub-District near Moremi village.

Pedestrian elevated walkways
Botswana has many pedestrian elevated walkways at different places.

North-South Carrier
NSC is a pipeline in Botswana that carries raw water, south for a distance of 360 km to the capital city of Gaborone. It was done in phases. However, phase 1 was completed in 2000.

Phase 2 of the NSC, still under construction, will duplicate the pipeline to carry water from the Dikgatlhong Dam, which was completed in 2012.

A proposed extension to deliver water from the Zambezi would add another 500 to 520 km to the total pipeline length.

Lesotho-Botswana Water Transport
The Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer is an ongoing project which is expected to provide two hundred million cubic meters per year to transfer water to the south-eastern parts of Botswana.

The scheme involves the supply of water to Gaborone from Lesotho via a 600 to 700 km pipeline.

The project commenced on the 1 August 2018 and is set for completion in June 2020.

Sea water desalination project
The Government of Botswana intends to sign the Sea Water Desalination Project from Namibia. The project is at a tendering stage.

Border posts

 * Bokspits Border Post
 * Kazungula Border Post
 * Ramatlabama Border Post
 * Ramokgwebana Border Post
 * Mamuno Border Post
 * Pandamatenga Border Post

title: Transport in Botswana


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Foreign relations of Botswana

Botswana has put a premium on economic and political integration in southern Africa. It has sought to make the Southern African Development Community (SADC) a working vehicle for economic development, and it has promoted efforts to make the region self-policing in terms of preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution, and good governance.

Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Botswana maintains diplomatic relations with:

Botswana and the Commonwealth of Nations
Botswana has been a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations since independence in 1966.

Botswana and FOSS
Bahrain has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

title: Foreign relations of Botswana