Botswana, one among Africa’s most secure international locations, is the continent’s longest steady multi-party democracy. It’s comparatively freed from corruption and has human rights file.
Sparsely populated, Botswana protects a few of Africa’s largest areas of wilderness. Safari-based tourism – tightly-controlled and sometimes upmarket – is a crucial supply of earnings.
Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds and the commerce has reworked it right into a middle-income nation.
The nation has had its share of issues: It as soon as had the world’s highest fee of HIV-Aids an infection. The nation has one among Africa’s most-advanced therapy programmes, nevertheless, and medication for the virus is available.
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Capital: Gaborone
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Space: 581,730 sq km
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Inhabitants: 2.3 million
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Languages: English, Setswana
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Life expectancy: 66 years (males) 72 years (ladies)
President: Mokgweetsi Masisi
After serving as vice-president and schooling minister for 4 years beneath the presidency of Ian Khama, Mokgweetsi Masisi turn out to be the fifth president of Botswana in April 2018.
Like all of his predecessors, he represents the Botswana Democratic Get together, which has additionally gained a majority in each parliamentary election since independence.
Mr Masisi had a background in schooling earlier than getting into politics, and faces the duty of diversifying an economic system closely depending on the diamond commerce.
Botswana has a protracted custom of vigorous and unimpeded public debate, though opposition leaders have claimed that the federal government limits their means to broadcast freely on the radio.
There’s a “free and vigorous” press in cities and cities, says US-based NGO Freedom Home.
State-run TV arrived with the launch of Botswana Tv (BTV) in 2000. Satellite tv for pc pay TV is out there.
Some key dates in Botswana’s historical past:
1867 – European gold prospectors arrive, mining begins. In 1885, British proclaim a protectorate referred to as Bechuanaland.
1950 – Chief of the Ngwato, Seretse Khama, is deposed and exiled by the British.
1960 – Britain approves new structure for Bechuanaland. Government Council, Legislative Council and African Council are established. The next 12 months, Seretse Khama is appointed to Government Council and later founds the Bechuanaland Democratic Get together (BDP), which is finally renamed the Botswana Democratic Get together. He turns into prime minister in 1965.
1966 – Bechuanaland is granted independence and turns into Republic of Botswana with Seretse Khama as president.
1967– Diamonds found at Orapa.
1999-2008 – Presidency of Festus Mogae – praised for diversifying Botswana’s economic system to cut back its dependence on diamonds.
2004 – HIV an infection fee falls to 37.5%; Botswana now not has the world’s highest fee of an infection.
2008 – Ian Khama, son of Seretse Khama, turns into president, serves two phrases in workplace.
2010 – Human rights group Survival Worldwide requires a boycott of Botswanan diamonds, accusing the federal government of making an attempt to drive Basarwa bushmen away from their ancestral lands.
2014 – Homosexual rights group wins authorized recognition.
