Botswana

American  

[bot-swah-nuh] / bɒtˈswɑ nə /

noun

1. a republic in southern Africa: formerly a British protectorate; gained independence 1966; member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 275,000 sq. mi. (712,250 sq. km). Gaborone.

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Botswana British  

/ bɒt-, bʊtˈswɑːnə, bʊˈtʃwɑːnə /

noun

1. a republic in southern Africa: established as the British protectorate of Bechuanaland in 1885 as a defence against the Boers; became an independent state within the Commonwealth in 1966; consists mostly of a plateau averaging 1000 m (3300 ft), with the extensive Okavango swamps in the northwest and the Kalahari Desert in the southwest. Languages: English and Tswana. Religion: animist majority. Currency: pula. Capital: Gaborone. Pop: 2 127 825 (2013 est). Area: about 570 000 sq km (220 000 sq miles)

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Botswana Cultural  

1. Republic in south-central Africa, bordered on the south by South Africa, the west by Namibia, the north by Angola and Zambia, and the northeast by Zimbabwe; formerly called Bechuanaland. The capital and largest city is Gaborone.

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Botswana became independent from British control in the 1960s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Botswana

The African nations led the way with Botswana the first to enter the Hydro.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The lone exception to the rule is Botswana, a democratic republic that has traditionally featured the sitting president’s portrait on its 10 pula banknote denomination.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

De Beers is majority-owned by British mining giant Anglo American, with a 15 percent stake held by Botswana.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

In 2015, 10 senior squad players refused to return home after playing a World Cup qualifying match in Botswana.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026

Some were captured, and others retreated into Bech- uanaland — which had become independent Botswana.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela