How well do you know your country apart from the fact that it’s Botswana’s Golden Jubilee? Blessed with some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth, Botswana is one of the great safari destinations in Africa. This country is also known for its natural resources, and as the biggest exporter of diamonds in the whole world, it has managed to move away from being one of the poorest countries in the world. The following facts about Botswana will help you to be able to talk to a visitor about your lovely country.
1. Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa; it borders Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia.
2. The currency is called the Botswana ‘Pula’.
3. It is one of Africa’s most stable countries, if not number 1.
4. English is the official language but Setswana is also a major language here.
5. In 2012 the population was said to be 2 million, now we are 2,2 million.
6. The country is sparsely populated because it is simply so dry.
7. Gaborone is the capital of Botswana; over 10% of the population live here.
8. Life expectancy is relatively low here – 54 years for men and 52 years for women.
9. Botswana’s export market consists of Diamonds, copper, nickel and beef.
10. Because the country is so dry, the ground is too arid to support anything agricultural apart from cattle, but we still survive.
11. As a highly successful producer of diamonds (the world’s biggest diamond producer, that is!), this country is now a middle-income nation.
12. Botswana protects some of Africa’s largest areas of wilderness; nearly 40% of the land here is national parks and wildlife reserves.
13. Botswana is home to endangered specials such as cheetahs, brown hyenas (Piri), Kori bustards, and Pel’s fishing owls.
14. Other animals include the rhino, bushbaby, giraffe (Thutlwa), baboon (Tshwene), hippo (Kubu), leopard (Nkwe), lion (Tau) and elephant (Tlou)… to name just a few!
15. Such wildlife supports a popular safari-based tourism industry which is another important source of income.
16. Botswana is home to the Kalahari Desert; a diminishing number of bushman hunter-gatherers live here.
17. Incredibly, state-run TV only arrived in 2000, with the launch of Botswana Television!
18. In December 2011, there were around 167,000 internet users.
19. The national dish of Botswana is called ‘Seswaa’. It’s a stew of boiled meat, maize meal and greens. Yum.
20. The international dialing code for Botswana is +267.
