Botswana

In brief

Botswana is a country in Southern Africa. Its capital is Gaborone. With 2.6 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 141st in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 582,000 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

GDP per capita stands at $7,778 (2025), 96th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 69.3 years (2024). 68% of the population lives in cities.

History of Botswana

Land of the Tswana peoples, the territory became the British protectorate of Bechuanaland in 1885, at the request of several chiefs seeking protection from the Boers. Independent on 30 September 1966 under President Seretse Khama, Botswana was then one of the poorest countries in the world. The discovery of diamonds in 1967 transformed its economy. It is one of Africa’s most stable democracies, with regular multi-party elections since independence.

Geography of Botswana

Landlocked Botswana is largely covered by the Kalahari Desert. In the north-west, the Okavango Delta, an inland delta that fades into the sand, is a World Heritage Site. The country has Africa’s largest elephant population.

Map of Botswana

Download the map (SVG)Interactive world map

Flag of Botswana

The flag of Botswana is white, blue and black. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Blue75%
• Black17%
• White8%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Light blue crossed by a black band edged in white. Blue stands for water and rain, so precious that the currency is called the pula, “rain”; black and white evoke harmony between peoples, like the stripes of the zebra, the national animal.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Botswana” and “Flag of Botswana”.

Download the flag (SVG) All 2 white, blue and black flags All the flags of the world

Fact file

Economy and society