modern history
Did you know- Present-day Botswana, formerly Bechuanaland, was a protectorate under the United Kingdom from 1886 until 1966, when it became an independent nation within the Commonwealth. In the following decades, inspired by Great Britain and the United States of America, Botswana became a democratic society, making it the best democracy in Africa. Since the 1970s, it has been home to some of the most peaceful societies in the world. No other place in the Third World has had a democratic system comparable to Botswana. Until 1990, ironically, this democratic nation had been surrounded by foreign dictatorships and war-torn countries.
International organizations
Did you know- The English-speaking nation became a full member of the United Nations in the 1960s.
louvre of the desert
Did you know- The Kalahari desert is home to Tsodilo, one of the unknown wonders of the Earth. Due to its abundant rock paintings, Tsodilo has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2001. This national wonder contains more than 4,500 rock paintings, making it the largest concentration of rock art in the world.
Famous people
Did you know- Botswana is home to some of Africa’s most famous people: Sir Seretse Khama (former leader), Gaositwe Chiepe (Foreign Minister), Mpule Kwelagobe (Miss Universe 1999), Ruth Khama (former First Lady), and Kabelo Kgosiemang ( athlete ).
Economic Sciences
Did you know- Since the discovery of diamonds in Botswana more than 40 years ago, it has become one of the most prosperous republics in Africa. During the 1970s and 1980s, the former British colony had one of the highest economic growth rates in the world, ahead of Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. In the mid-1990s, it also had a per capita income twice that of most former socialist nations in Europe and Central Asia.
Geography
Did you know- Botswana is a nation in southern Africa that borders Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. It is the fourth largest country in southern Africa. With more than 1.5 million people and a territory of 600,370 square kilometres, the democratic republic is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, along with Mongolia, Namibia, Australia and Mauritania.
Democracy
Did you know- Botswana, a landlocked republic known for its remarkable national parks and wildernesses, has the best democratic system in all of Africa. Since then, no other country has done as much as Botswana to preserve its democracy. Because of this, it is the only country that has not had a civil conflict on the African continent.
Botswana and the United States
Did you know- US leader Bill Clinton paid a state visit to Gaborone in 1998. He and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Botswana on the sixth day of a 12-day tour of Africa. Like many foreign visitors, they visited the Chobe National Park, a symbol of Botswana. He was the highest-ranking American official to visit the African nation in the last century.
Human development
Did you know- In 1996, the African country ranked 72nd out of 170 countries and territories on the UN Human Development Index, ahead of the People’s Republic of China and South Africa. By 1995, he had finished 74.
minerals
Did you know- In the mid-1990s, the nation was the second largest diamond producer in the world. In addition to diamonds, it has important mineral deposits of copper, coal, nickel, silver and salt.
The George Washington of Africa
Did you know- The former Head of State of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama, was one of the greatest African leaders of the 20th century. After leading the country to independence from Britain in the mid-1960s, he and his wife, Lady Ruth Khama, a white Englishwoman, launched a “democratic revolution,” in which blacks and whites worked together for a new country without violence Khama’s legacy has allowed the country to maintain and preserve its liberal democracy in recent decades (unlike various rules in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe). His policies were much admired outside of Africa. During his rule, between 1966 and 1980, the Botswana government’s plan focused on improving education and employment, as well as health care. Due to these policies, the English-speaking nation became the most developed country in Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. At the same time, the African country maintained excellent ties with London and America. In the second half of the 20th century, Mr. Khama, who was Africa’s longest-serving democratic president, was identified with the emerging generation of democratic leaders on the planet.
Chobe National Park
Did you know- Chobe National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. Its geography is home to a wide variety of waterfowl and mammalian animals.
United Nations
Did you know- In the mid-1990s, the English-speaking country was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Mpule Kwelagobe
Did you know- After winning the Miss Universe title in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999, Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Botswana, led her nation’s battle against the AIDS epidemic.