🇧🇼 Botswana

About Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70% of its territory being a part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zambia to the north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. With a population of slightly over 2.4 million people and a comparable land area to France, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. While it is not enshrined by statutory law, Botswana is de facto the nation state of the Batswana people, who constitute nearly 80% of the population while legally undistinguished Kalanga people, who account for another 11%, are the single largest ethnic minority.

At a Glance

Travel Advisory

Currency & Economy

Currency

Botswana pula (BWP)

Exchange Rate

1 USD = 12.14 BWP

GDP

$19.4B

GDP per Capita

$7,696

Development

Life Expectancy

69.2 years

Geography & Practical Details

Region

Africa

Capital

Gaborone

Area

582,000 km²

Population

2,359,609

Timezone

UTC+02:00

Languages

English, Tswana

Calling Code

+267

Drives On

Left

ISO Code

BW