Portal:Botswana

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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 South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zambia to the north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. 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^[update], 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^[update] (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...)

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Coat of arms 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 the Westminster system and on traditional Setswana chiefdom. The legislature is made up of the unicameral National Assembly and the advisory body of tribal chiefs, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi.

The president is, by convention, the leader of the political party capable of commanding the confidence of the National Assembly. Once in office, executive dominance over the legislature is structurally reinforced by the first-past-the-post electoral system, which tends to manufacture large parliamentary majorities for the governing party. This dynamic is further entrenched by a high cabinet-to-MP ratio, which leaves behind a small backbench thus weakening legislative oversight capacity as cabinet collective responsibility binds a large proportion of governing party legislators to the executive. (Full article...)

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... that the main tourist attractions of Botswana are its game reserves?

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

T. d. derbianus
Senegal

The giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus), also known as Lord Derby's eland or greater eland, is an open-forest and savanna antelope. A species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus, it was described in 1847 by John Edward Gray. The giant eland is the largest species of antelope, with a body length ranging from 220–290 cm (7.2–9.5 ft). There are two subspecies: T. d. derbianus and T. d. gigas.

The giant eland is a herbivore, eating grasses, foliage and branches. They usually form small herds consisting of 15–25 members, both males and females. Giant elands are not territorial, and have large home ranges. They are naturally alert and wary, which makes them difficult to approach and observe. They can run at up to 70 km/h (43 mph) and use this speed as a defence against predators. Mating occurs throughout the year but peaks in the wet season. They mostly inhabit broad-leafed savannas, woodlands and glades. (Full article...)

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

Image 1The National Assembly of Botswana (from Gaborone)
Image 2Typical Kgotla setting (from Tswana people)
Image 3Orapa House (from Gaborone)
Image 4King Bathoen II 1947 of Bangwaketse (from Tswana people)
Image 5South African ANC activist, writer and author, (from Tswana people)
Image 6Gaborone Hindu temple (from Gaborone)
Image 7Flag of Bophuthatswana (from Tswana people)
Image 8Francistown City Bus and Taxi Rank (from Francistown)
Image 9The Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, named after the first president of Botswana (from History of Botswana)
Image 10Watch house in Gaborone Game Reserve (from Gaborone)
Image 11Rail network map of Botswana (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 12Flag map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 13Botswana traditional house at the National Museum (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 14A road in Gaborone (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 15BR Express, the passenger train (from Francistown)
Image 16A 1960 stamp of the Bechuanaland Protectorate featuring images of Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II, the first and last British monarchs of the protectorate (from History of Botswana)
Image 17I-Towers, Gaborone Central Business District (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 18Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 19New Construction Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 20Tswana Baskets used for storing grain (from Tswana people)
Image 21Rhodesia Railways car at the national museum (from Gaborone)
Image 22Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) (from Gaborone)
Image 23Ian Khama meeting with William Hague in London (from History of Botswana)
Image 24Christ The King Cathedral (from Gaborone)
Image 25Magadi (traditional wedding) (from Culture of Botswana)
Image 26Duma Boko signing an agreement with the United States in 2025 (from History of Botswana)
Image 27South African politician (from Tswana people)
Image 28Prehistoric cave paintings at Tsodilo (from History of Botswana)
Image 29Tourist resort at Kasane (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 30A postage stamp circa 1943, the postmark reading "Gaborone's Village" (from Gaborone)
Image 31Universal Plaza building in Gaborone CBD (from Gaborone)
Image 32An illustration of a Tswana man and his wife in the early 1800s (from History of Botswana)
Image 33Aerial view over Okavango Delta (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 34Satellite view of Gaborone. North is to the left of the image. (from Gaborone)
Image 35Robert Moffat (1795-1883), Scottish Missionary (from Tswana people)
Image 36Gaborone Mosque (from Gaborone)
Image 37Man on donkey herding goats in a dry river bed (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 38Gaborone Dam (from Gaborone)
Image 39The Jwaneng diamond mine is the second biggest in the world today. (from Economy of Botswana)
Image 4018th Century Tswana Warrior (from Tswana people)
Image 41CBD Developments (from Gaborone)
Image 42Young Tswana maiden dressed in Leteisi (from Tswana people)
Image 43Batswana men dressed in traditional attire during the visit of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to Lobatse, Bechuanaland, on 17 April 1947 (from Tswana people)
Image 44Road map of Gaborone (from Gaborone)
Image 45Gaborone aerial (from Gaborone)
Image 46Room 52 Roof Top Restaurant (from Gaborone)
Image 474th President of Botswana, King of Bamangwato (Khama IV) (from Tswana people)
Image 48Painting of Sechele on top a hill overlooking the battle of Dimawe in 1852 (from Tswana people)
Image 49Depiction of a Precolonial Homestead in the ancient City of Kaditshwene circa early 1400
Image 50King Khama (III) of Bamangwato (from Tswana people)