Capital: Gaborone

Time: GMT + 2 hours 
 
Population: 1,591,232

Area: 825,418km˛

Currency:  Pula

Climate:  The country has an extremely hot and dry climate, with summer temperatures reaching up to 38ēC and winter temperatures averaging around 20ēC (although night time temperatures can drop to as low as 5ēC). Summer is from November to April and winter stretches from May to October. Botswana is a summer rainfall area with most rain falling during thunderstorms in the afternoons, which can become quite humid.

People: Black 86% (Owambo 50%), Mixed 7.4%, White 6.6% 

Official language: English. National language: Setswana

Geography: Botswana is completely landlocked and mainly flat, with the Kalahari Desert dominating most of the southern and central regions. The highest point is in the Tsodilo Hills and measures in at 1,489m.

Neighbouring Countries: Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe

When to go:  It gets quite hot in summer, so wintertime is generally preferred, especially for game viewing. In the dry weather, animals are more inclined to go to waterholes to drink, where it is easy to see them. For birdwatchers, the best months are November to March, when the Okavango Delta is visited by huge flocks of migratory birds

Economy: Botswana boasts one of the most stable and strongest economies on the African continent and has one of the world’s highest growth rates since its independence. This is largely the result of a sound government and proper management. The economy rests largely on the country’s huge diamond deposits, which were discovered after independence in 1966. Other key industries are tourism, subsistence farming and cattle raising. The government’s biggest challenges today, are  HIV/Aids and unemployment.

What to pack: It is generally a good idea to go for the “layered” look – i.e. layers of clothing that you can take off as the day gets hotter. Bring comfortable, light-weight clothes. If you are coming on safari, try to keep your baggage to 12-15kg, preferably in a soft bag, as space is limited on safari transport.

• Shorts, T-shirts, sun dresses
• Swimming costumes
• Good comfortable walking shoes
• Casual lightweight cotton, khaki or neutral coloured clothes for safaris
• Fleece or sweater and a warm jacket for game drives or cool evenings
• Wide brimmed hat
• Lots of sun tan lotion, sunblock and lip cream – most foreigners tend to underestimate the hot, African sun and end up with uncomfortable sunburn that can tend to dampen the holiday spirit
• Anti-malaria prophylactics – consult your doctor/pharmacist about the regions you will be visiting as the southern parts of the country do not have malaria, but if you are going to the far north, you will definitely need them
• Insect repellent creams
• Binoculars, camera (different kinds of film are widely available )
• Sunglasses