Page 98 - Discover Botswana 2021

The Republic of Botswana is a multi-party democracy. Botswana became independent on 30 September 1966. The country has an Executive President. The National Assembly elects the President for a term of five years. The current President is His Excellency Mokgweetsi Masisi.
GEOGRAPHY
Botswana is roughly the size of France or Texas, with a surface area of 581,730 sq km. It is entirely landlocked, bordered by its neighbours South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Botswana is 84% covered by the Kalahari (Kgalagadi) Desert. Most of the population is settled in the east and southeast of the country.
POPULATION
The total population estimated for 2011 is 2,024,904, growing at a rate of 1.9% per annum. The population is heavily weighted towards younger age groups. About 33% of the population is younger than 15 years of age. Over 63% of the population is settled in urban areas (cities, towns and urban villages).
URBAN CENTRES
Gaborone, in the extreme
BOTSWANA TOURISM ORGANISATION OFFICES
HEAD OFFICE
Private Bag 00275
Plot 50676, Fairgrounds
Office Park
Gaborone, Botswana
TEL: +267 391-3111
FAX: +267 395 9220
E: board@ botswanatourism.co.bw www.botswanatourism.co.bw
INFORMATION OFFICE
Gaborone Main Mall Cresta President Hotel, Ground Floor Gaborone, Botswana
TEL: +267 395 9455
FAX: +267 318 1373
OFFICES ABROAD
UNITED KINGDOM
c/o Botswana High Commission 6 Stratford Place
London, W1C 1AY TEL:+44207499–0031
FAX: + 44 207 495 – 8595 CONTACT: Dawn Parr
E: dparr@ botswanatourism.org.uk www.botswanatourism.org.uk
HIGH COMMISSIONS AND EMBASSIES
AUSTRALIA
High Commission of the Republic of Botswana 130 Denison Street O’malley Act 2600 Canberra Australia
PO BOX 3812
Manuka Act 2603 Canberra TEL: (+612) 62437500
FAX: (+612) 6282 4140
EMAIL: botaus-info@gov.bw www. botswanahighcom.org.au
BELGIUM
Embassy of the Republic
of Botswana and Mission of the European Union
169 Avenue De Tervuren
southeast, is the capital city. Its population is approximately 232 000. It has good communications by road and air to South Africa. Other main towns are Francistown (98,961), Lobatse (29,007), Selebi-Phikwe (49,411), Jwaneng (18,008 ), Orapa (9,531) and Sowa (3,598 ).
CLIMATE: SUMMER
December to March. High temperatures average 30c to 35c with lows around 18c and rain particularly between December and March.
WINTER
June to August. Daytime temperatures around 23c with night-time lows averaging 5c.
AIR BOTSWANA
The national airline’s expanded schedule of international lights now includes lights between: Gaborone and Johannesburg, Gaborone and Lanseria, Gaborone and Harare, Gaborone and Lusaka, Maun and Johannesburg, Kasane and Johannesburg, Francistown and Johannesburg, Maun and Cape Town, Gaborone and Nairobi. Domestic lights run between Gaborone and Francistown, Gaborone and Maun, Gaborone
B – 1150 Brussels
Belgium
TEL: (+322) 735 2070 / 735 6110 FAX: (+322) 735 6318 /732 7264 E: boer@gov.bw
TELEX: 22849 boteur b
BRAZIL
Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
Shis Qi 09, Conjunto 17, Casa 16 Lago Sul
Brasilia – Df
Brazil
TEL: (+5561) 33665563 / 32481584
FAX: (+5561) 32486713
CHINA
Embassy of the
Republic of Botswana
No.1 Don San Jie, Sanlitum Chaoyang District Beijing 100600
People’s Republic of China
TEL: (+8610) 65326898
FAX: (+8610) 65326896
E: botchin@gov.bw
www: botswanaembassy.com
ETHIOPIA
Embassy of the Republic of Botswana and Permanent Mission of the African Union
Old Airport, W23, K12
PO BOX 22282
Code 1000
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
TEL: (+251 11) 371 5422/3
FAX: (+251 11) 371 4099
GERMANY
Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
Lenne Street 5
Berlin 10785
Germany
TEL: +49 308 871 950 10
INDIA
High Commission of the Republic of
and Kasane, and Maun and Kasane.
VISAS
Visitors from the European Union, most Commonwealth countries and the USA do not require visas. Visitors from other countries should check with Botswana embassies or consulates. Visas are initially granted for 30 days and may be extended for a total of three months. (For more information, visit the Botswana Government website: www. gov. bw/en/Visitors/Topics/Before- You-Go/Before-You-Go1/)
DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCE
The following goods declared on arrival are duty free: Two litres of wine, one litre of spirits, 200 cigarettes, 20 cigars, 250gm of cigarette and pipe tobacco, 50ml perfume, 250ml eau de toilette. All goods acquired outside Botswana must be declared upon entry to the country.
DEPARTURE TAX
International P100, Local P50
PEOPLE
Batswana are the most numerous people in the country, forming about 78.2% of the population and
Botswana Plot F8/3, Vasant, Vihar New Dehli – 110057 India
TEL: (+91) 11 4653 7000
FAX: (+91) 11 4603 6191
JAPAN
Embassy of the Republic
of Botswana
6F Kearny Place Shiba
4-5-10 Shiba, Minato-Ku Tokyo, 108 – 0014
Japan
TEL: (+813) 5440 5676
FAX: (+813) 5765 7581
E: botjap@sepia.ocn.ne.jp www. botswanaembassy.or.jp
KENYA
High Commission of the Republic
of Botswana Gigiri Drive off United Nations Avenue PO BOX 754-00606 Nairobi, Kenya
TEL: (+254) 20 444 7735
/444 20 8726
FAX: (+254) 20 418 5013
E: botkena@gov.bw
NAMIBIA
High Commission of the Republic of Botswana 101 Nelson Mandela Klein Windhoek
PO BOX 20359 Windhoek
Namibia
TEL: (+264) 61 221 941/2/7 FAX: (+264) 61 23 6034
KUWAIT
Embassy of the Republic
of Botswana
Block 3, Street 319, House 3 Mubarak Al Abdulla
Al Jaber Area, West Mishref
PO BOX 26145
Code 13122
Kuwait
TEL: (+965) 25383619
FAX: (+965) 25393529
NIGERIA
High Commission of the Republic of Botswana
speaking the Setswana language. (Batswana also refers to citizens of Botswana.) They have settled in nearly all parts of the country. The oldest ethnic group is the San. Over 80% of the population lives in the eastern region.
LANGUAGES
The official language is English, which is used in government and business affairs. Setswana is the national language, and is widely spoken. Other ethnic groups speak their own languages.
BUSINESS HOURS
Private sector: Monday to Friday 8am-5pm
Government offices:
Monday to Friday
7.30am – 4.30pm. TIME: GMT plus 2 hours.
CURRENCY
The Pula is divided into 100 thebe. Notes are P200, P100, P50, P20 and P10. Coins are P5, P2, P1 and thebe 50t, 25t, 10t and 5t.
BANKS
Ten main commercial banks – as well as a number of foreign exchange bureaux – operate in Botswana. Banking hours: Monday
Plot 1241, Oguta Lake Street (off River Benue Street) Maitama, Extension Abuja Nigeria
TEL: (+234) 97 822 818/ 782 FAX: (+234) 7034 103 830 E: botnig@mail.org
SOUTH AFRICA
High Commission of the Republic of Botswana 24 Amos Street, Colbyn, Pretoria 0083
PO BOX 57035
Arcadia, 0007
Pretoria
TEL: (+27) 12 4309640
FAX: (+27) 12 3421845/4783
CAPE TOWN
Botswana Consulate General 7 Coen Steyler Avenue
13th Floor, Metropolitan
Life Building
Cape Town 8001
PO BOX 3288
Cape Town, 8000
TEL: (+27)21 4211045
FAX: (+27)21 4211046/4212569 Emergencies:
021 794 7473(24 Hrs)
JOHANNESBURG
Botswana Consulate General 33 Hoold Street, Braampark Forum Ii, 4Th Floor Johannesburg
PO BOX 32051
Braamfontein, 2017 TEL: (+27) 11 403 3748 FAX: (+27)11 403 1384 /4031286
SWITZERLAND
Permanent Mission
of the Republic of Botswana to the United Nations
80, Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva Switzerland
TEL: (+4122) 9061060
FAX: (+4122) 9061061
E: botgen@bluewin.ch
to Friday 8.30am – 3.30pm. Saturday 8.30am to 11.00am.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
1 January: New Year’s Day
2 January: Public holiday March/April (variable): Good Friday and Easter Monday
1 May: Labour Day
May (variable): Ascension Day
1 July: Sir Seretse Khama Day
21 July: President’s Day
(and following day)
30 September: Independence Day (and following day)
1 December: Public holiday
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Boxing Day
EMBASSIES AND HIGH COMMISSIONS
The following countries have diplomatic representation in Botswana: Angola, Brazil, Cuba, China, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Libya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Russia, Republic of South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
SWEDEN
Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
Tyrgatan 11
PO BOX 260 24
100 41 Stockholm Sweden TEL: (+468) 545 25 880 FAX: (+468) 723 00 87 CELL: (+46) 7 093 14 6 34 Telegrams: Botstock
UNITED KINGDOM
High Commission of the Republic of Botswana 6 Stratford Place London W1C 1AY
United Kingdom
TEL: (+44) 207 499 0031 FAX: (44) 207) 495 8595
NEW YORK
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Botswana to the United Nations 154 East 46th Street New York, New York 10017
FAX: (+1212) 725 5061 EMAIL: botswana@un.int TEL: (+1212) 889 2277
ZAMBIA
High Commission of the Republic of Botswana 5201 Pandit Nehru Road Diplomatic Triangle
PO BOX 31910
Lusaka
Zambia
TEL: (+260) 1 250555 /253903 / 250019
FAX: (+260) 1 253895/254756
ZIMBABWE
Embassy of the Republic
of Botswana
22 Phillips Avenue, 793 416 Belgravia PO BOX 563
Harare
TEL: (+2634) 794 645/7/8
FAX: (+2634) 705 809/793 416
E: botzim@gov.bw
ESSENTIAL FACTS