BOTSWANA

FACTS AND FIGURES

• The capital of Botswana is Gaborone.
• The main languages are English and Setswana.
• The population is 1.98 million.
• The life expectancy is 61 years old.
• The major religion is Christianity.

POVERTY AND HEALTH CARE

• Botswana has been badly affected by the HIV/AIDS.
• Over 80% of the sufferers are now covered according to the 2010 world health organization.
• Botswana became the first African country to provide free universal antiretroviral treatment in 2002.
• The life expectancy is 67 years old.
• Medication is thought to have saved many people from diseases.

FOOD AND DAILY LIFE

• Traditional village houses are round thatched huts made of bricks plastered with soil and cow dung.
• Botswana's regular dishes use sorghum or maize as their basics.
• Beer is a popular drink in Botswana
• Many people have migrated to cities or towns of Botswana.
• Extended family networks are an important part of society.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

• The term Botswana also refers to the largest ethnic group in the country.
• The official language of the country is English followed by Setswana.
• Some Khaisan speakers living in the kalahari are fighting to keep there traditional hunting and gathering culture.
• The main religion of Botswana is Christianity.
• They can also speak click languages.

GEOGRAPHY AND WILD LIFE

• The most commonly sighted animal is the hippopotamus.
• Botswana is home to over more than 550 species of birds.
• Botswana is full of island dunes in parts of the arid southwest.
• The ancient lake of Okavango is containing around 95% of Botswana's water.
• The great salt plains of kalahari were once ancient lakes.

CLIMATE AND AGRICULTURE

• Far away from the coast Botswana is landlocked.
• During the coolest months of June and July the average tempeture is 25 degrees C.
• Botswana's climate is arid or semi arid.
• Droughts lasting up to five or six years occur every couple decades.
• Downpours can occur from November to April.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY

• Botswana used to be one of the poorest countries in the world until the discovery of diamonds.
• Botswana mainly consists of meat and food processing
• Tourists are drawn by the countries nature reserves.
• The government has encouraged investment in commercial farms.
• Coal is mined providing an important source of energy.

EDUCATION AND JOBS

• Education is free from ages 6-13
• Tourism is an important part of the economy.
• At age fifteen all students have to take a test to determine if they will continue school.
• Nursery schools are increasing in numbers across the country.
• Mining jobs are decreasing because the lack of diamonds.

HISTORY AND POLITICS

• There is evidence that hunters and gatherers lived 60,000 years ago.
• Khanate great was the chief of the nagwato people in the nineteenth century.
• European missionaries arrived in 1880.
• Tshekedi Khama was ruler from1946-1959 and promoted the educational system.
• Botswana is multiply republic with elections every five years.

PROBLEMS

• Poor sections in Botswana, 1 in 10 children are under weight. This is because the lack of food that able to be provided.
• Botswana's dry climate and lack of surface water limit causes tropical diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness.
• Botswana has been badly affected by HIV/AIDS. A quarter of adults from ages 15-49 are infected and over 90,000 children have lost at least one parent from it.