Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 per cent of its territory 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. It is essentially the nation-state of the Tswana people, who constitute nearly 80 per cent of the population.
The economy of Botswana is currently one of the world's fastest growing economies, averaging about 5% per annum over the past decade. Growth in private sector employment averaged about 10% per annum during the first 30 years of the country's independence. After a period of stagnation at the turn of the 21st century, Botswana's economy registered strong levels of growth, with GDP growth exceeding 6–7% targets. Botswana has been praised by the African Development Bank for sustaining one of the world's longest economic booms. Economic growth since the late 1960s has been on par with some of Asia's largest economies. The government has consistently maintained budget surpluses and has extensive foreign-exchange reserves.
Transportation in Botswana is provided by an extensive network of railways, highways, ferry services and air routes that criss-cross the country. The transport sector in Botswana played an important role in economic growth following its independence in 1966. The country discovered natural resources which allowed it to finance the development of infrastructure, and policy ensured that the transport sector grew at an affordable pace commensurate with demands for services.
Gaborone is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 534,842 inhabitants at the 2022 census.
Botswana is divided into ten administrative districts, two cities, and five towns. These are administered by 17 local authorities.
Kgalagadi is a district in southwest Botswana, lying along the country's border with Namibia and South Africa. The administrative center is Tsabong. The district of Kgalagadi covers a large part of the Kalahari Desert. It has a total area of 105,200 km2 and has a population of 42,000 (2001). More than one-third of the district is covered by the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which extends into South Africa, and which is a major tourist attraction.
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 2022 census was 56,555, less populous than that of any other district in Botswana. Ghanzi's area is 117,910 km².
In Botswana, the responsibilities for education fall under the Ministry of Child welfare and Basic Education and the Ministry of Higher Education; which oversees basic, secondary, and tertiary education, as well as vocational and skills training. The ministry's functions include policy formation and implementation, curriculum development, teacher training, and the administration of schools across the country.
Southern is one of the districts of Botswana. The capital of Southern district is Kanye, home to the Bangwaketse and Barolong in Botswana. The Southern district is home to Botswana's second largest beef farmers where there are large privately owned ranges, and several government run beef ranges which provide agricultural support to the local farmers. Maize and sorghum, Botswana's staple crop, are also raised in the area. Southern district is where the third diamond mine of Botswana was found, which buoys Botswana's economic state of prosperity. It was the first district to house the capital city before being moved to Gaborone after independence.
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.
Kweneng is one of the districts of Botswana and is the recent historical homeland of the Bakwena people, the first group in Botswana converted to Christianity by famed missionary David Livingstone. Various landmarks, including Livingstone's Cave, allude to this history. The seat of the district's government is Molepolole, Botswana's most populous village.
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). It is governed by a District Commissioner, appointed by the national government, and the elected North-West District Council. The administrative centre is Maun.
Kgatleng is one of the districts of Botswana, coterminous with the homeland of the Bakgatla people. Its capital is Mochudi, the hometown of protagonist Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall Smith's popular The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. According to the 2001 Census, Kgatleng had a population of 73,507.
South-East is one of the districts of Botswana. The capital city of Botswana, Gaborone, is surrounded by this district. The administrative capital for the South-East district is the village of Ramotswa. In the southeast, South-East borders the North West Province of South Africa. Domestically, it borders Kgatleng in northeast, Kweneng in northwest, Southern in southwest.
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.
Botswana–United States relations are the bilateral relations between Botswana and the United States.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to 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.
The Botswana Population and Housing Census is a decennial census which is the once-a-decade population and housing count of all people in Botswana. This census is carried out by the Statistics Botswana.
Science and technology in Botswana examines recent trends and developments in science, technology and innovation policy in this country. The Republic of Botswana was one of the first countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to adopt a science and technology policy in 1998. This was later updated in 2011.
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