Everything you need to know about Botswana: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more

Botswana: The Land of Okavango Delta and African Safari

Botswana, erstwhile Bechuanaland is a poor British province and its present name comes from its dominant inhabitants, the Botswana ethnic group. Tracing back the history, it is known that the earliest inhabitants of the country were the Bush people. They inhabited the major parts of the country and thereby the relics of the tribal history are still evident in some places. The remnants of the Iron Age are still vivid as that of Bantu farming culture in Limpopo valley and some remains of iron smelting furnace in Tswapong hills are also found. Botswana with it untamed bush-veld and wildlife offers the ultimate African Safari experience for the tourists in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Wildlife Reserve and Chobe National Park.

Botswana Fast Facts:

· National Name: The Republic of Botswana
· Capital: Gaborone
· Total area: 581,730 sq km (224,607 sq miles)
· Population: 1.9 million (UN, 2007)
· Currency Unit: Pula
· Languages: English (official), Setswana
· Ethnicity/ Races: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%
· Religions: Christianity, Indigenous Beliefs
· GDP (Per Capita): $10,900 (2006 est.)
· Life Expectancy: 50 years (men), 51 years (women) (UN)
· Literacy Rate: 81.2%

Geoghraphy and Climate of Botswana:
Botswana is situated at an average altitude of 3,300 ft above sea level and it has a varied terrain. The Okavango Delta, which is world’s largest inland delta, is also located here along with other wetlands. It has some of the highest peaks such as Monalanong Hill, which stands at a height of 1,494m.

Bostwana is a landlocked African country. The climate of Botswana is partially dry and it remains dry for most of the year. In the summer months, the weather of Botswana undergoes little change and the land receives irregular rainfall. The rainy season is not regular. The summer season at Botswana starts in the month of November and continues till March. The winter season begins in May and continues till August.

Botswana Economy:
The economy of this country is largely dependent on mining and agriculture along with export of textiles and vehicles. The country has vast mines of metals like copper, diamonds and nickel along with oil, cobalt and soda ash. Farming includes cattle rearing and growing of crops like corn millet and sorghum.

Botswana is the diamond mine of the world and the diamond mining industry of Botswana has catapulted the country into one of the most affluent in Africa. However Botswana has also a raging AIDS pandemic and the Country had the highest prevalence of AIDS for many years.

Culture and Cuisine of Botswana:
The Botswana Culture is largely diversified and varies according to different regions. As in Okavango Delta, which represents the Botswanian culture as a whole. The early natives of the country were known for their great artistic skills as they crafted unique implements in the form of pottery, fabrics and different household tools. Also the beautifully woven baskets are known exquisitely for having unique names such as Forehead of the Zebra, Tears of the Giraffe and many others. Moreover, the natives commonly speak Setswana, which depicts their Bantu culture.

Botswana’s unique cuisine is Seswaai, which is heavily salted mashed meat. Some of the popular foods include Pap, Samp, Vetkoek and Mopane worms along with homemade ginger beer. Also some of the primary crops include Sorghum, maize, cowpeas, ditloo and lethodi that are the different types of peas grown here.

Tourist Attractions in Botswana:
This unique country offers a lot more in terms of ecological wonders, exhilarating safaris and exceptional San rock art. The Kalahari National Park in Botswana is home to some endangered species of Rhino besides Zebra, wild beast, Gemsbok, Leopard and others. Besides this, there is an old hollow baobab tree belonging to 20th century, which is preserved till date. Botswana offers many exhilarating Safaris to tourists who travel year each year; this includes African Safaris in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Wildlife Reserve and Chobe National Park, none of which are to be missed.

Some other popular sites in Botswana include:

· Gemsbok National Park
· Sedudu Island
· Kasane Hot Springs
· Okavango Delta
· Mokolodi Nature Reserve
· Tuli Block