Botswana

Botswana is landlocked in Southern Africa, traversed by the Tropic of Capricorn ( 23º 27” south). It holds the great Kalahari Desert which stretches into neighboring countries of South Africa and Namibia. The desert explains the small size of its population, one and one-half million, although the area is as large as that of the states of California and Nebraska combined. Country/State Area Pop. GNP/GSP Botswana 231 1.5 $14 billion California 156 35.4 $1359 billion Nebraska 77 1.9 $57 billion NE+CA 233 37.1 $1406 billion Area is 1,000's of square miles. Pop. = Population, in millions. GNP/GSP=Gross National/State Product

The first inhabitants of Botswana were the Bushmen who from prehistoric times roamed over much of Southern Africa. In the First Millennium AD the great Bantu migration spread those peoples over most of Southern Africa. Tswana people settled in the present Botswana area and pushed the San into the Kalahari. Very few Bushmen still remain practicing ancient survival skills and they are not easily found.

Americans Mark and Delia Owens lived for seven years in this extremely harsh environment. Cry of the Kalahari, their award-winning book (1984) details their lives and observations of numerous animals and their adaptations to living conditions in the desert searching for skimpy supplies of food and water. They wrote of the disasters that took place when the government erected barriers to long-established patterns of migrations of the animals in times of unusual droughts.

Today Botswana has been called the “shining black economic star” of Africa by author George Ayittey in his book Africa Unchained (2004) because of its peaceful economic progress, democratic processes, and astute, honest leadership. When diamonds were discovered in the Kalahari near Orapa in 1967, the founding fathers negotiated a remarkably favorable contract with De Beers. Botswana has since led the world in production of gem diamonds and invested the money in health, education, and infrastructure. Tourism flourishes and wildlife is abundant in the Okavango Delta.

Author Dickson Mungazi, To Honor the Sacred Trust of Civilization (1983) traces the roots of democracy back to 1795 when King Khama I united tribes in the area by peaceful means and ruled by concensus with tribal councils. His successors continued the process and recognized the need for education.

After independence in 1966 from the British Protectorate, one of Khama’s descendants, Seretse Khama (1921-1980) was the first elected president. Educated in law in Britain, he was at first censured for marrying a white woman, Ruth Williams, in Britain. However, they won the confidence of the people and were much loved and revered as Khama ruled the country with distinction. He was succeeded by his friend and associate, Sir Ketumile Masire, who was president from 1980-1998, and who was then followed in office by the former Vice President Festus Mogae who retired in 2008 at the end of his term.

The new President Seretse Khama Ian Khama, son of the first president, was inaugurated in April 2008. He had been Deputy President and Minister of Defense. He built up a functioning professional force used in peace-keeping missions, disaster relief and anti-poaching efforts. He pilots military planes that he flies in and has a passion for wildlife and physical fitness. Born in England in 1953, he moved when his family came back to Botswana in 1956. He attended school in his father’s village and later pursued his education in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Switzerland, and the UK Sandhurst Military Academy. His mother, affectionately known as Lady K, had died in 2002.

For more information, we encourage you to consult Wikipedia's Botswana Page.