The Jewel of Southern Africa
Botswana is a fascinating country with a unique combination of breathtaking nature, rich culture and a remarkable success story.
Not only rich in natural resources such as diamonds, Botswana offers its visitors an open welcoming culture and its investors a stable economic climate that is unparalleled on the African continent.
Discover Botswana as a hospitable and innovative country that consistently invests in its security, infrastructure and democracy.
Trade and Economy
Botswana has had one of the fastest growing and most stable economies on the African continent for decades.
Characterized by diamond mining, tourism and agriculture, the Botswana economy, with the sustained support of the political leadership, is undergoing a transformation process to open up new markets for investors and facilitate trade globally and in the southern African region.
To this end, the government has developed several strategies in recent years and launched excellent initiatives. Not least of all, the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Berlin in 2013 is one of these measures.
Tourism
Botswana, with its breathtaking, vast landscapes and amazingly diverse wildlife, invites you to an unforgettable stay.
Discover the vast isolation of the Kalahari semi-desert, the Okavango Delta or the many national parks with their diverse flora and fauna. Only in Botswana are you guaranteed to see the so-called “Big Five”, elephant, rhino, African buffalo, lion and leopard in their natural habitat.
Botswana offers you unique safari tours. Whether you are guided or drive yourself in an off-road vehicle, whether you take a boat tour or a sightseeing flight, it will leave a lasting impression on you.
Look forward to an exclusive selection of accommodation, from luxurious lodges to camping sites, from first-class hotels to inexpensive accommodation.
Botswana warmly welcomes all its guests.
Geography
Botswana is a landlocked country in the Southern African region and it shares borders with the following countries: Namibia (west and northwest), Zambia (north), Zimbabwe (northeast) and South Africa (east and south).
Botswana lies between 20 and 30 degrees east of Greenwich, and between latitudes 18 and 27 degrees south of the Equator.
More than half of the country lies within the tropical zone, north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Roughly the size of Kenya or France, Botswana has a land area approximately 582,000 square kilometres.
In the northwest lies the Okavango Delta, the large inland delta of the Okavango River, while in the southwest the semi-desert Kalahari makes up most of the country. The Chobe National Park in the north of Botswana is remarkable for its extraordinary biodiversity and large herds of elephants.
Botswana is predominantly highland with a few hills. The highest elevation is Monalanong Hill, 1,494 meters above sea level, southwest of the capital Gaborone.
History
The history of Botswana can be traced back to the 14th century. The people of Botswana (collectively called “Batswana”), who are predominantly of Tswana descent, were probably descendants of King Mogale, who lived in what is now the Magaliesberg Mountains in the Gauteng province of South Africa. They migrated north at different times and for different reasons, settling in what was then a relatively unexplored area.
In 1870, three DIKGOSI (traditional leaders of Botswana) approached the British government to complain about the threat of annexation of their territory by the Dutch and German settlers. With the support of some local British organizations and individuals, the groundwork for protection was successful and led to the establishment of the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1885.
After 80 years as a British protectorate, Bechuanaland attained self-government in 1965, becoming the independent Republic of Botswana on September 30, 1966, and maintaining a position of stability and harmony ever since. Sir Seretse Khama was elected the first president and served until his death in 1980.
Since independence, Botswana has maintained a thriving democracy, clean government, an up-right judiciary, peace and stability, and a well-managed economy.