Overview

The Basics

Until gaining its independence in 1966, Botswana was a British protectorate known as Bechuanaland. Botswana covers an area of 600,000 square kilometers and is bordered by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Botswana has warm winters, hot summers, and a mostly flat landscape. The southwestern area of the country is home to the Kalari Desert. It has one of the strongest economies on the African content and the cornerstone of this economy is diamond mining. In addition to diamonds, Botswana’s natural resources include nickel, copper, soda ash, salt, coal, silver, and iron ore.

The nation’s two largest cities are Gaborone, the capital, and Francistown. There are sixteen daily flights operating between Gaborone and Johannesburg, South Africa, which is the primary aviation hub on the continent.

The official language of Botswana is English. Setswana is widely spoken as well.

Botswana is home to almost 2 million people. The population is predominantly ethnically Tswana, also called Setswana, (79%). The other major ethnic groups include the Kalanga (11%), Basarwa (3%) and others including Kgaladi and white.

Although some of the population still practices indigenous religious practices, 72% of the population is Christian.

Government and Economy

Botswana has a bi-cameral Parliament consisting of the House of Chiefs and the National Assembly. The House of Chiefs is largely an advisory body consisting of 15 members, eight of whom are chiefs of the principle Botswana tribes, four elected sub chiefs, and the remaining three are selected by the other 12 members. The National Assembly has 57 members who each serve five-year terms. Currently the Botswana Democratic Party has control of the National Assembly.

The president, who is elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term, acts as head of state and head of government. His/her deputy is the Vice President. The president is responsible for appointing a Cabinet.

Botswana has a sophisticated legal system whose foundation is a combination of civil law, common law, and African tribal customary law.

Botswana has enjoyed a reputation as a stable democracy since its independence in 1966. It also has topped the list of the world’s fasted growing economies since 1965 – its average annual growth rate is 9.2% in comparison with South Korea at 7.3% and China at 6.7%. Using strenuous fiscal discipline and excellent management practices, Botswana transformed itself into a solid middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $11,400 in 2006.

Along with countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland, Botswana is a member of the South African Customs Union known as SACU. SACU is an economic grouping that is free of tariffs. Botswana is also a member and headquarters of the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, which has a market of 200 million people.

Botswana has made it a practice to invest a high proportion of its budget into education and skills training. It has a flourishing domestic financial sector including insurance companies, banks, and a growing stock market. It has joined several international conventions and is dedicated to closely following internationally accepted guidelines designed to combat money laundering and financial crime. In fact, according to Transparency International’s 2003 Corruption Perception Index, Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa and the 24th least corrupt in the world in this area.

In 2006, Botswana’s GDP at purchasing power parity was $18.7 billion and its growth measure 4.7%. Much of Botswana’s expansion is the result of diamond mining, which currently accounts for over one-third of its GPD and the majority of its export earnings. The other key sectors of the economy are tourism, cattle ranching, and subsistence farming. Despite Botswana’s economics strengths, unemployment and poverty remain considerable challenges for the government, as does the high rate of HIV infection.

Botswana has been ranked as the best credit risk in Africa by two major investment services. Also, in 2004, Botswana was rated as Africa’s most competitive nation by a World Economic Forum on African Competitiveness. Botswana was awarded this position based on its superior public institutions and the conditions of its macroeconomic environment. More recently, in June of 2007, the US-based Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, in a joint report, named Botswana one of the top three African Economies. Another report, surveying over 40 countries, ranked Botswana as one of the African continent’s freest economies.

Foreign Affairs

Botswana is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), Niger-Congo Speaking Nations, and the Commonwealth of Nations.

With the exception of visitors holding United Nations Convention travel documents, all visitors entering Botswana must hold a passport that is valid for at least six months. Moreover, visitors must have outgoing travel documents and sufficient funds to finance their stay. British Commonwealth citizens, and nationals from EU member states, the US, Switzerland, Mauritius, and a number of other countries may enter Botswana without a Visa.

It is possible to obtain valid entry visas from Botswana\'s various embassies and high commissions abroad. The British High Commission may issue a Visa for Botswana in countries where Botswana is not represented. Entry visas obtained at border posts are valid for a maximum of 30-90 days. It is possible to get an extension from any immigration office in Botswana. No visitor is permitted for over 90-days in every calendar year, unless permission has been granted in the form of a waiver pending the outcome of a residence permit application.

A Visa application must include the following:

• a completed immigration supplementary Form D by the applicant (Visa form),

• two identical passport sized photos,

• a letter of support from the host,

• a return visa or residence permit from the country of residence,

• a return fly ticket,

• a fee of P25.00, and

• a confirmation letter from the country concerned if the person is coming for business purposes.

If a visitor plans to take up employment, the following additional documents are required:

• a waiver from the Labour and Immigration Department and

• a copy of acknowledgment slip for residence permit application.