Country Profiles: Botswana

Official name: Republic of Botswana

Official languages: English

Land area: 224,607 sq mi/581,730 sq km

Population: 1,893,000

Capital: Gaborone

Current leader: President Ian Khama

Botswana is a large country in the center of southern Africa. It is bordered by Zimbabwe to the east, South Africa to the east and south and Namibia to the west and north. With a population of just under 2 million living in 224,607 square miles of land, Botswana is one of the most thinly populated countries in Africa.

 Most of the Botswana’s population lives in the eastern part of the country and over half of the people are city dwellers. Most rural dwellers work as farmers. A large number of expatriates live in Botswana. Most are Europeans, white South Africans and Asians. Expatriates generally enjoy higher standards of living than the natives of the country.

 Botswana is one of the world’s poorest countries. It actually experienced rapid economic growth from the late 1960’s until the 1990’s, when the onset of AIDS began to hinder growth. Chief exports include beef, diamonds and other minerals while the country imports mainly chemicals, machinery, food and fuel. The country’s economy depends heavily on South Africa for investments, markets and technical skills.

 In the late 1800’s the United Kingdom brought Botswana under its protection and named it the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1895. It gained independence in 1966 and was renamed the Republic of Botswana.