Botswana Travel Podcast with Kabelo Molefe

Location

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Terrain

Predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Climate

Semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Elevation

Highest point

Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m

Lowest point

Junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m

Mean elevation

1,013 m

Area

Total

581,730 sq km

Land

566,730 sq km

Water

15,000 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total

4,347.15 km

Border countries

Namibia 1,544 km; South Africa 1,969 km; Zambia 0.15 km; Zimbabwe 834 km

Natural resources

Diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver

Land use

Agricultural land

45.6% (2023 est.)

Arable land

0.5% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

45.2% (2023 est.)

Forest

27.8% (2023 est.)

Other

26.6% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

Note

Landlocked; sparsely populated with most settlement concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country; geography dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers about 70% of the country, although the Okavango Delta brings considerable biodiversity as one of the largest inland deltas in the World

Population

Total

2,521,534 (2025 est.)

Male

1,234,898

Female

1,286,636

Nationality

Noun

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Adjective

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic groups

Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%

Languages

Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)

Religions

Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Median age

Total

25.8 years (2025 est.)

Male

26 years

Female

28.3 years

Life expectancy

Total population

66.4 years (2024 est.)

Male

64.4 years

Female

68.6 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

72.9% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

The population is primarily concentrated in the east, with a focus in and around the capital of Gaborone and the eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari Desert to the west.

Largest cities

269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018)

Background

In the early 1800s, multiple political entities in what is now Botswana were destabilized or destroyed by a series of conflicts and population movements in southern Africa. By the end of this period, the Tswana ethnic group, who also live across the border in South Africa, had become the most prominent group in the area. In 1852, Tswana forces halted the expansion of white Afrikaner settlers who were seeking to expand their territory northwards into what is now Botswana. In 1885, Great Britain claimed territory that roughly corresponds with modern day Botswana as a protectorate called Bechuanaland. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana, which means "land of the Tswana."

More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created an enduring democracy and upper-middle-income economy. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI assumed the presidency in 2018 after the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in 2019, and he is Botswana’s fifth president since independence. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Gaborone

Time zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Republic of Botswana

Independence

30 September 1966 (from the UK)

National day

Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

Overview

Good economic governance and financial management; diamond-driven growth model declining; rapid poverty reductions; high unemployment, particularly among youth; COVID-19 sharply contracted the economy and recovery is slow; public sector wages have posed fiscal challenges

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$18,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$18,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$18,600 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

11.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

23.2% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

23.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

23.7% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Pulas (BWP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

13.563 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

13.596 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

12.369 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

11.087 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

11.456 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; beef processing; textiles

Agriculture

Root vegetables, beef, vegetables, sorghum, maize, game meat, milk, watermelons, goat milk, sunflower seeds (2023)

Airports

122 (2025)

Railways

Total

888 km (2014)

Narrow gauge

888 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

Internet domain

.bw

Internet users

Percent of population 81% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

4.13 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

164 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution

Fresh water

12.24 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)