Botswana

A landlocked country in southern Africa, Botswana is bordered by South Africa to the south and east, Namibia to the west, and Zimbabwe to the east.

Capital is Gaborone

The official language is English

Population, 2,678,846. Size, 581,730 km^2

The official currency is the Botswana Pula (BWP).

Botswana is a Christian majority nation. However, the country is officially secular and allows freedom of religious practice.

Major cities include Francistown, Molepolole, Maun, and Serowe.

The national dish is called Seswaa. This consists of a meat stew served over thick polenta. Sorghum and maize are the main crops grown in Botswana.

The climate is semi-arid. Though it is hot and dry for much of the year, there is a rainy season, which runs through the summer months. The massive Kalahari Desert covers more than 70 percent of Botswana. The Kalahari isn't a true desert because it gets more rainfall each year than most deserts receive.

Botswana has the largest population of African elephants. Chobe National Park has the greatest concentration of wildlife on the entire continent of Africa. According toDNA studies, humankind originated in northern Botswana. Botswana is the world’s largest diamond producer. The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world. Botswana suffers from one of the world’s worst HIV/AIDS epidemics, after Swaziland and Lesotho. The country has an adult HIV prevalence rate of 24.8%. Botswana shares the shortest land border in the world with Zambia. Botswana’s economy is thriving, thanks in large part to precious stones. Thanks to excellent revenue from diamonds, the country can afford to offer free education to children until they turn 13.