Botswana Facts

Size of Botswana
581, 730 km2, nearly 17% of which is protected wildlife area.

Climates
Summer: November to March. High temperatures average 8s6-95°F with lows around 65°F.
Winter: June to August. Daytime temperatures around 75°F with nighttime lows averaging 41°F.

Country
Population Estimated 1.7 million (2001 census).

Language
The official language is English and the national language is Setswana.

History
The semi-nomadic San people were Botswana’s first inhabitants. Bantu-speaking tribes form the north moved into the area before the first millennium, and European missionaries arrived in the mid-19th century. In 1885, to counter Boer expansion from South African and Ndebele incursions from the north led by Mzilikazi, Botswana came under British protection. By 1895, Rhodes’ British South African Company hoped to annex Botswana, prompting three Batswana chiefs to persuade Queen Victoria to keep chiefs to keep their land under British control. He British administered the Bechuanaland Protectorate until 1966 when it granted the Batswana full independence under the leadership of Sir Seretse Khama. Diamonds were discovered in 1967, which brought rapid growth to Botswana. Today, the country boasts healthy foreign reserves and is considered one of Africa’s economic success stories.

Government
Botswana is a multi-party democracy. Under the Botswana Constitution, legislative power is vested in the Parliament, which comprises the president as ex-officio member and a unicameral National Assembly. Within the assembly is the speaker, the attorney general (non-voting), 40 elected members and four members specially elected by the assembly. Elections are held every five years. A 15 member House of Chiefs advises on tribal matters. Botswana has been governed since independence by the Botswana Democratic Party. After 17 years in power, President Ketumile Masire retired in 1997, and Festus Mogae, an Oxford-educated economist, became the new president. Mogae has won high marks from the international financial community for continuing to privatize Botswana's mining and industrial operations.

After serving 10 years as deputy president, Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA, the son of Botswana's first president, Seretse Khama, was inaugurated as president in April 2008. Festus Mogae stepped aside after 10 years in office.

Economy
Based on diamond-mining, tourism, financial services industries, cattle ranching and manufacturing.

Currency
Pula and Thebe (one Pula = 100 Thebe)