Africa A to Z: Continental and Country Profiles: Third Edition

Botswana

COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z Africa Institute of South Africa | Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles 107 Orientation Botswana is a large, landlocked country, located in the heart of the Southern African region. Its borders (with Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) stretch over vast distances. As much of Botwana lies in the dry Kalahari (Kgalagadi) Basin, the climate is semi-arid. River courses are dry most of the time, except in the northwest where the perennial Okavango and Linyanti-Chobe rivers have created lush vegetated areas, and in the southeast where the Limpopo River forms the border with South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Flowing from Angola through Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, the Okavango River drains into swamps of the same name in northwestern Botswana. The swamps are among the world’s few unspoiled wildlife sanctuaries. Gaborone, in the far southeast, near the South African border, is the country’s largest urban area and the national capital. People The small population of less than two million belongs overwhelmingly to the Tswana ethnic group (plural Batswana, singular Motswana). The Batswana consists of several sub-groups, notably the Bamangwato, Bangwaketse and the Bakwena. All of them speak Setswana which is one of three main Sotho languages belonging to the Bantu family of African languages. Setswana and English are the country’s official languages. There are several non-Tswana minority groups living near Botswana’s northern borders such as the Kalanga of Francistown who are also found in Zimbabwe. The San or Sarwa descendants of Botswana’s earliest inhabitants still roam the country’s remote central and western parts. Most of the country’s inhabitants live within 100 km of the line of rail, traversing eastern Botswana. Running from South Africa, the railway passes through Gaborone and Francistown, continuing to Zimbabwe and countries further north. Contrasting with the otherwise sparsely populated countryside are sprawling rural settlements such as Kanye, Maun, Molepolole, and Serowe, to mention just a few of the largest. Francistown, Gaborone and Lobatse are modern towns that have expanded rapidly since independence, along with recently established mining towns such as Jwaneng, Letlhakane, Orapa and Selebi Phikwe. At the beginning of the 21st century about 20% of Botswana’s total population lived in the modern towns and about 18% in the rural settlements. Economy Botswana’s abundant diamond deposits were discovered only after independence. Botswana COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z 108 Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles | Africa Institute of South Africa Since then diamond mining has transformed the country into one of Africa’s most prosperous non-petroleum producers. Copper, nickel, soda ash and coal are mined as well and natural gas has been discovered near Morupule. However, most Botswanans are engaged in agriculture, cattle herding in particular. Beef processing at the large abattoir in Lobatse accounts for around 80% of agricultural output. The beef is mainly exported to European Union countries. Owing to the small local market, the manufacturing and service sectors are relatively small, though the Botswana government aspires to develop the service sector to service the Southern African region. History San and Khoi nomads, collectively referred to as Khoisan, roamed present-day Botswana in ancient times before the Bantu-speaking Kgalagadi, ancestors of the Tswana, came to settle among them. From about 400 years ago Bakwena (Tswana) people moved into the southeast of what is now Botswana, settling at Molepolole. Eventually the Bamangwato and Bangwaketse tribes hived off from the Bakwena, each under its own paramount chief. The Bamangwato under Chief Ngwato eventually settled at Serowe, in the north, and the Bangwaketse under Ngwaketse at Kanye, south of Molepolole. In the course of time there were more tribal splits and also influxes of other Tswana groups. The more well-watered eastern side of the country became dominated by Tswana groups as the Khoisan and the Kgalagadi retreated westward into the drier areas. In contemporary Botswana the inhabitants of the remotest Kalahari regions are known as the Sarwa (Basarwa). Botswana COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z Africa Institute of South Africa | Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles 109 Colonial rule began in 1885 when Britain extended its rule from the Cape Colony to the Tswana territories on both sides of the Molopo River. The area to the south of this river, including the Kimberley diamond mines, became a British crown colony, styled British Bechuanaland, while those to the north of the Molopo were proclaimed...