The history of Botswana encompasses the region's ancient and tribal history,its colonisation as the Bechuanaland Protectorate,and the present-day Republic of Botswana. The first modern humans to inhabit Botswana were the San people,and agriculture first developed approximately 2,300 years ago. The first Bantu peoples arrived c. 200 CE,and the first Tswana people arrived about 200 years later. The Tswana people split into various tribes over the following thousand years as migrations within the region continued,culminating in the Difaqane in the late 18th century. European contact first occurred in 1816,which led to the Christianization of the region.
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 British parliamentary politics and on traditional Batswana chiefdom. The legislature is made up of the unicameral National Assembly and the advisory body of tribal chiefs,the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. The National Assembly chooses the president,but once in office the president has significant authority over the legislature with only limited separation of powers. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) rules as a dominant party;while elections are considered free and fair by observers,the BDP has controlled the National Assembly since independence. Political opposition often exists between factions in the BDP rather than through separate parties,though several opposition parties exist and regularly hold a small number of seats in the National Assembly.
The president of the Republic of Botswana is the head of state and the head of government of Botswana,as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces,according to the Constitution of Botswana. Sir Seretse Khama was the prime minister from 1965 to 1966,however he later became president of Botswana,and as of 2024 there have been no prime ministers since.
Festus Gontebanye Mogae is a Botswana politician and economist who served as the third President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008. He succeeded Quett Masire as President in 1998 and was re-elected in October 2004;after ten years in office. He stepped down in 2008 and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama.
The Botswana Democratic Party is the governing party in Botswana. Its chairman is the Vice-President of Botswana,Slumber Tsogwane,and its symbol is a lift jack. The party has ruled Botswana continuously since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. The BDP is sometimes classified as a paternalistic conservative party and is also a consultative member of the Socialist International since 2014,which is a group including many worldwide social-democratic parties.
Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor is a South African politician,educator and academic who served as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation until 2024. She also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the African National Congress (ANC) from 1994 to 2024.
Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe was a Botswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2008 to 2012. He was a retired Lieutenant-General and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008.
Professor Sheila Dinotshe Tlou is a Botswana nurse,specialist in HIV/AIDS and women's health,and nursing educator. She was Minister of Health from 2004 to 2008. Professor Tlou is a distinguished advocate for human resources for health issues. She is a recognized visionary leader and champion.
Phandu Tombola Chaka Skelemani is a Botswanan politician who is the current speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana. He served in the government of Botswana as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2014. A member of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),Skelemani is a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Botswana and a member of the Pan-African Parliament from Botswana,and he served as Attorney-General of Botswana from 1992 to 2003.
His Excellency Onkokame Kitso Mokaila is the ambassador for Botswana to the United States of America. He was elected to the National Assembly in the October 2004 general election,representing the governing Botswana Democratic Party.
Mbiganyi Charles Tibone is a politician in Botswana. He was elected to the National Assembly in the October 2004 general election from the Tati West constituency and represents the governing Botswana Democratic Party. Following the election,Tibone was appointed as Minister of Minerals,Energy and Water Resources on November 9,2004,serving in that position until January 2007,when he was instead appointed as Minister of Labour and Home Affairs. When Ian Khama took office as president on April 1,2008,he dismissed Tibone from the Cabinet.
Neo Moroka is Chairman of De Beers Botswana. He formerly was a politician in Botswana,serving as Minister of Trade and Industry from 2004 to 2009.
Botswana–South Africa relations refers to the historical and current relationship of Botswana and South Africa. Botswana has a high commission in Pretoria,and South Africa has a high commission in Gaborone. Both countries are former British colonies and members of the African Union,the Commonwealth of Nations,and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Seretse Khama Ian Khama is a Botswana politician and former military officer who was the fourth President of the Republic of Botswana from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force,he entered politics and was Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008,then succeeded Festus Mogae as President on 1 April 2008. He won a full term in the 2009 election and was re-elected in October 2014.
Ponatshego Honorius Kefaeng Kedikilwe is a Motswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2012 to 2014. A member of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),he has also served as Minister of Minerals,Energy,and Water Resources since 2007.
Margaret Nnananyana Nasha is a Botswana politician who served as the Speaker of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2014. She was the first woman to hold the position.
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi is a Botswana politician who is the fifth and current President of Botswana,serving since 2018. He served as the 8th Vice President of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for the Moshupa-Manyana constituency from 2009 to 2018.
Gladys Keitumetse Theresa Kokorwe is a Botswana politician who was the Speaker of the National Assembly from 2014 to 2019. She is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
Slumber Tsogwane is the current Vice President of Botswana and also Member of Parliament for Boteti West. He is the longest serving Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Botswana. He took office on 4 April 2018,succeeding Mokgweetsi Masisi. He is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party.
Botswana held a general election in October 2019. Though it was more competitive than previous elections,it resulted in a victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and won an addition term for President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Botswana saw an escalation in the rivalry between Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama,with Khama leaving the Botswana Democratic Party to support the Botswana Patriotic Front and the Umbrella for Democratic Change. Following the BDP's victory,opposition leaders challenged the results of the election.
