Botswana

Lore & Background

The Batswana ethnic group are descended mainly from Bantu-speaking peoples who migrated into southern Africa, including modern Botswana, in several waves before AD 600. In 1885, the British colonised the area and declared a protectorate named Bechuanaland. As part of the decolonisation of Africa, Bechuanaland became an independent Commonwealth republic under its current name on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has been a parliamentary republic with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections, though dominated by the Botswana Democratic Party until 2024. As of 2024, Botswana is the least corrupt country in mainland Africa according to the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International. The country's name means 'Land of the Tswana', referring to the dominant ethnic group in Botswana. The Constitution of Botswana does not declare a homogeneous Tswana state. The demonym Batswana was originally applied to the Tswana, and has also come to be used generally as a term for all citizens of Botswana. In Tswana, Batswana is grammatically plural; its singular form, which can refer to a single member of the Tswana or to a single citizen of Botswana, is Motswana.

In Their Own Story

The sun dips below the horizon, painting the red dunes of the Kalahari in hues of burnt orange and violet. A lone meerkat stands sentinel on a termite mound before vanishing into the cool earth. Far to the north, the Okavango Delta breathes with life; elephants wade silently through the reeds, their massive forms reflected in the still water as hippos grunt in the distance. Here, time seems to slow, governed not by clocks but by the rhythm of the seasons and the migration of herds. In a small village near Gaborone, the sound of a kora guitar drifts from an open window, blending with the evening chorus of crickets, a quiet reminder that in this land, progress and tradition walk hand in hand.

Reader's Guide

Botswana's economy has generally experienced stable growth since independence. It is dominated by tourism and mining; Botswana produces more diamonds than any other country. Its gross national income per capita (purchasing power parity) of about $20,158 as of 2024 (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the country a relatively high standard of living and the second-highest Human Development Index of continental sub-Saharan Africa, after South Africa. Despite Botswana’s economic gains, Botswana continues to grapple with high unemployment, severe income inequality, and one of the world's most critical HIV/AIDS epidemics. Botswana is a member of the Southern African Customs Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations.

Did You Know?

• The Toutswemogala Hill Iron Age settlement's radio-carbon dates range from the 7th to the late 19th century, indicating it was occupied for more than 1,000 years.
• Around 1000 AD, the Toutswe people moved into Botswana.
• Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a population of slightly over 2.4 million people and a land area comparable to France.