North-West District (Botswana)

Last updated

Ngamiland
Maun Botswana2.jpg
Maun
Botswana - North-West.svg
Location within Botswana
Coordinates: 19°30′S23°30′E / 19.500°S 23.500°E / -19.500; 23.500
Country Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
Capital Maun
Area
  Total129,930 km2 (50,170 sq mi)
Population
 (2022 census)
  Total196,574
  Density1.5/km2 (3.9/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
HDI (2019)0.697 [1]
medium · 9th

The North-West District or Ngamiland is one of the first-level administrative subdivisions of Botswana. For census and administrative purposes Ngamiland is subdivided into Ngamiland East, Ngamiland West and Ngamiland Delta (Okavango). [2] It is governed by a District Commissioner, appointed by the national government, and the elected North-West District Council. The administrative centre is Maun.

Contents

As of 2011, the total population of the district was 175,631 compared to 142,970 in 2001. The growth rate of population during the decade was 2.08. The total number of workers constituted 32,471 with 16,852 males and 15,621 females, with a majority of them involved in agriculture.[ citation needed ]

Maun, the Tsodilo Hills, the Moremi Game Reserve, the Gchwihaba (Drotsky's) Caves, the Aha Hills (on the border with Namibia), the Nhabe Museum in Maun, and Maun Educational Park are the major tourist attractions in the district.

History

In the late 18th century, the Tswana people, primarily herders, began expanding northward into what is now called Ngamiland. A sub-chiefdom, called Tawana out of Ngwato, was established there. [3] In 1885 when the British established the Bechuanaland Protectorate, the northern boundary was 22° south latitude. On 30 June 1890, the northern boundary of the protectorate was formally extended northward by the British to include Ngamiland, which at the time was still under the Tawana, who by then recognized the authority of Khama III. [4] [5] British officials did not arrive in the Ngamiland region until 1894. [6] Ngamiland was administered as Bechuanaland's northwestern corner and primary contact point with German South West Africa via the Caprivi Strip.

In 1966 the North-West District was established which included both Ngamiland and Chobe; however, in 2006, Chobe District was again separated out. [7]

Geography

Image of Maun Maun 23.42084E 20.00779S.jpg
Image of Maun

The region has an average elevation of around 915 m (3,002 ft) above the mean sea level. The vegetation type is Savannah, with tall grasses, bushes and trees. The annual precipitation is around 650 mm (26 in), most of which is received during the summer season from November to May.

North-West District shares its borders with the following foreign areas: Omaheke Region, Namibia in southwest, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia in west, Kavango East Region, Namibia in northwest and Zambezi Region, Namibia in north. Domestically, it borders Central District in southeast, Ghanzi District in southwest and Chobe District in the east.

Like most of Botswana, it consists of partially dissected tablelands, in this case sloping down from the Kaukau Veld that lies to the northwest. [8] This flow and the Okavango River drain into the mostly endorheic Okavango Delta. The delta seasonally overflows into the endorheic Lake Ngami to the south, and into the Thamalakane River which via the Boteti River feeds the Makgadikgadi salt pans to the southeast. [9] Most of the rivers in the region are seasonal, and subject to flash floods. [10] Maun, the Tsodilo Hills, Moremi Game Reserve, Gchwihaba (Drotsky's) Caves, Aha Hills, Nhabe Museum and Maun Educational Park are the major tourist attractions in the district.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
198175,997    
1991108,660+43.0%
2001142,970+31.6%
2011 152,284+6.5%
2022196,574+29.1%
Sources: [11]

As of 2011, the total population of the district was 175,631 compared to 142,970 in 2001. The growth rate of population during the decade was 2.08. The population in the district was 8.67 per cent of the total population in the country. The sex ratio stood at 95.11 for every 100 males, compared to 93.43 in 2001. The average house hold size was 3.27 in 2011 compared to 4.49 in 2001. There were 5,437 craft and related workers, 2,290 clerks, 8,777 people working in elementary occupation 1,117 Legislators, Administrators & managers 2,974 Plant & machine operators and assemblers, 856 professionals, 5,812 service workers, shop & market sales workers, 2,398 skilled agricultural & related workers 2,069 technicians and associated professionals, making the total work force to 31,915. [11]

Education and economy

Rock art in Tsodilo hills Red and White Rock Art Tsodilo Botswana.jpg
Rock art in Tsodilo hills

As of 2011, there were a total of 071 schools in the district, with 8.30 per cent private schools. The total number of students in the Council schools was 28,101, while it was 940 in private schools. The total number of students enrolled in the district was 29,041: 14,190 girls and 14,851 boys. The total number of qualified teachers was 1,070, 658 female and 412 male. There were around 27 temporary teachers, 13 male and 40 female. There were 6 untrained teachers in the district. [12]

As of 2006, 12,737 were involved in agriculture, 1,131 in construction, 2,090 in education, 177 in electricity and water, 88 in finance, 1,000 in health, 1,144 in hotels and restaurants, 1,450 in manufacturing, 403 in other community services, 1,455 in private households, 4,722 in public administration, 932 in real estate, 730 in transport and communications, and 4,412 in wholesale and retail trade. The total number of workers was 32,471, 16,852 male and 15,621 female. [13]

Administration

Moremi Game Reserve Equus quagga in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, -12 Nov. 2011 a.jpg
Moremi Game Reserve

By far the largest settlement in the district is Maun, which had a population of over 60,000 in 2011 census. [2] The following is the list of villages noted separately in the 2001 census in each census region. [14]

When Botswana gained independence from the British in 1966, they adapted the colonial administration framework to form its district administration. The policies were modified between 1970 and 1974 to address impediments to rural development. [16]

The district administration, a district council, and the Okavango subdistrict council are responsible for local administration. The policies for the administration are framed by the Ministry of Local Government. The major activities of the district council are Tribal Administration, Remote Area Development and Local Governance. The executive powers of the council are vested in a commissioner appointed by the central government. The technical services wing of the Department of Local Government is responsible for developing roads and the infrastructure in villages such as water supply, schools and recreational facilities. [17] All local administration staff, except the District Administration staff itself, are selected via centralised services of the North West District Council, [18] with the Ministry of Local Government being responsible for their training, deployment and career development. [19] The sub-districts of North-West/Ngamiland District are Ngamiland East (aka Ngamiland South, headquarters Maun), Ngamiland West (aka Ngamiland North) and Okavango, also called Ngamiland Delta, (headquarters Gumare). [15] [20]

Towns and villages

Population 50,000+

Population over 10,000

Population under 10,000

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Botswana</span>

Botswana is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, north of South Africa. Botswana occupies an area of 581,730 square kilometres (224,610 sq mi), of which 566,730 km2 (218,820 sq mi) are land. Botswana has land boundaries of combined length 4,347.15 kilometres (2,701.19 mi), of which the constituent boundaries are shared with Namibia, for 1,544 km (959 mi); South Africa 1,969 km (1,223 mi); Zimbabwe, 834 km (518 mi) and Zambia, 0.15 km (0.093 mi). Much of the population of Botswana is concentrated in the eastern part of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maun, Botswana</span> Place in North-West District, Botswana

Maun is the fifth-largest town in Botswana. As of 2011, it had a population of 55,784. Maun is the "tourism capital" of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland district. Francistown and Maun are linked by the A3 highway. Maun is also the headquarters of numerous safari and air-charter operations who run trips into the Okavango Delta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boteti River</span> River in Botswana

The Boteti River is a natural watercourse in Botswana. It derives flow from the core Okavango Delta through the Thamalakane River in Maun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghanzi District</span> District in Botswana

Ghanzi is a district in western Botswana, bordering Namibia in the west and extending east into much of the interior of the country. The district's administrative centre is the town of Ghanzi. Most of the eastern half of Ghanzi makes up the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The human population at the 2001 census was 43,370, less populous than that of any other district in Botswana. Ghanzi's area is 117,910 km².

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North-East District (Botswana)</span> District in Botswana

The North-East District is one of the administrative districts of Botswana. Its capital is Francistown. In 2011, North-East had a population of 60,264 people. The district is predominantly occupied by Kalanga-speaking people, the BaKalanga. The district is administered by a district administration and district council, which are responsible for local administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central District (Botswana)</span> District in Botswana

Central is the largest of Botswana's districts in terms of area and population. It encompasses the traditional homeland of the Bamangwato people. Some of the most politically connected Batswana have come from the Central District, including former President Sir Seretse Khama, former President Festus Mogae, and former President Lt. General Seretse Ian Khama. The district borders the Botswanan districts of Chobe in the north, North-West in the northwest, Ghanzi in the west, Kweneng in southwest, Kgatleng in the south and North-East in the northeast, as well as Zimbabwe also in the northeast and South Africa in the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gumare</span>

Gumare or Gomare is a rural village located in the North-West District of Botswana, near the Okavango Delta. The population of Gumare was 6,067 in 2001 census, but had risen to 8,532 iby the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasane</span> Place in Chobe District, Botswana

Kasane is a town in Botswana, close to Africa's 'Four Corners', where the borders of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe almost meet. The town is at the far northeastern corner of Botswana where it serves as the administrative center of the Chobe District. The population of Kasane was 9,244 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thamalakane River</span> River in Botswana

The Thamalakane River is a river located in Botswana, Africa, at the southern end of the Okavango Delta. It has no well defined beginning (spring) and no clear end (delta). It is the result of the Thamalakane fault - which began to form about two million years ago by the geological process of rifting that is currently splitting Africa apart along the East African Rift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makgadikgadi Pan</span> Dry lakebed in Botswana

The Makgadikgadi Pan, a salt pan situated in the middle of the dry savanna of north-eastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormous Lake Makgadikgadi, which once covered an area larger than Switzerland, but dried up tens of thousands of years ago. Recent studies of human mitochondrial DNA suggest that modern Homo sapiens first began to evolve in this region some 200,000 years ago, when it was a vast, exceptionally fertile area of lakes, rivers, marshes, woodlands and grasslands especially favorable for habitation by evolving hominins and other mammals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalahari Basin</span> African endorheic basin

The Kalahari Basin, also known as the Kalahari Depression, Okavango Basin or the Makgadikgadi Basin, is an endorheic basin and large lowland area covering approximately 725,293 km2 (280,037 sq mi) — mostly within Botswana and Namibia, but also parts of Angola, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The outstanding physical feature in the basin, and occupying the centre, is the large Kalahari Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maun Airport</span> Airport in Botswana

Maun Airport is an international airport serving the town of Maun in the North-West District of Botswana. It is on the north side of the town and is accessible by shuttle bus or taxi.

Nokaneng is a village in North-West District, Botswana. It is located close to the Okavango Delta, and is served by Nokaneng Airport. The population of Nokaneng was 1,590 in 2001 census.

Nxamasere is a village in North-West District of Botswana. It is located along the Okavango river, close to the Okavango Delta panhandle, and has a local airstrip and tarred road. The Maun-Shakawe road also known as A35 passes through the village. The village consists of different cultures which are Khoisan, Herero, Yeyi, Hambukushu and Kgalagadi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chobe District</span> District in Botswana

Chobe District is an administrative district in the northern part of Botswana, with the headquarters in Kasane. In 2001 it was merged with Ngamiland, and until 2006 it shared with Ngamiland the North-West District Council as local government. Chobe National Park is in the Chobe District. As of 2011, the total population of the district was 23,347 compared to 18,258 in 2001. The growth rate of population during the decade was 2.49. The total number of workers constituted 12,059 with 6,113 males and 5,947 females, with majority of them working in public administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalahari acacia–baikiaea woodlands</span> Ecoregion in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe

The Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands are an ecoregion located in Botswana, northern Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Ngamiland West is one of the subdistricts of Ngamiland District of Botswana.

Etsha is an area of villages in the Ngamiland West sub-district of Botswana. Refugees from the 1969 war in Angola were resettled in the area and formed 13 villages numbered Etsha 1 to Etsha 13. A resettlement study was published about it in the 1970s. A study of basketmakers in Etsha was published in 1984. The development of commercial craft industries have been targeted in the community, including palm-frond weaving.

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