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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Discover More

Botswana became independent from British control in the 1960s.

Example Sentences

Botswana relies on diamonds for about a third of its gross domestic product, but revenues have fallen sharply due to weak prices and rising competition from lab-grown stones, which has curbed demand.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 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

Brazil are unbeaten in five matches at the six-team Kalahari Women's T20 tournament, which is being staged entirely in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Zambia recently suspended taxes on petrol and diesel imports, while Botswana scrapped fuel levies for six months to cushion consumers from price rises.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

For example, the IKung' Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana have an explanation for the Milky Way, which at their latitude is often overhead.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan