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  

/ bʊtˈswɑːnə, bʊˈtʃwɑːnə, bɒt- /

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

For several decades, Botswana boasted the world’s fastest-growing economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

At 80, Steinem celebrated her birthday by riding an elephant in Botswana.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Presidents from Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Tanzania are among several African leaders expected to attend the inauguration ceremony at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 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

“Rhodesia,” she said, pointing to a teakettle-shaped country in the southern part of Africa above a place called Botswana and next to one called Mozambique.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda