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Intro

The republic of Botswana is a landlocked country which has one of the most diverse ranges of habitats in Africa, including the Okavango Delta in the North West and the vast wilderness of the Kalahari throughout most of the rest of the country. Through all of its adjacent landscapes, one can experience the rich wildlife, wilderness, and anthropology of this stunning country – from the barren nothingness of the Salt Pans, to the richly populated waterways of the Okavango and from the tracking skills and trance dancing of the Bushmen to the largest Zebra migration in southern Africa.

Weather

Botswana’s climate is semi-arid. Though it is hot and dry for much of the year, there is a rainy season, which runs through the summer months (summer starts in November and ends in March). Rainfall tends to be erratic, unpredictable and highly regional. Often a heavy downpour may occur in one area while 10 or 15 kilometers away there is no rain at all. Showers are often followed by strong sunshine so that a good deal of the rainfall does not penetrate the ground but is lost to evaporation and transpiration.

‘Pula‘, one of the most frequently heard words in Botswana, is not only the name of Botswana’s currency, but also the Setswana word for rain. So much of what takes place in Botswana relies on this essential, frequently scarce commodity.

Language

The official language of Botswana is English although Setswana is widely spoken across the country. In Setswana prefixes are more important than they are in many other languages. These prefixes include “Bo”, which refers to the country, “Ba”, which refers to the people, “Mo”, which is one person, and “Se” which is the language. For example, the main tribe of Botswana is the Tswana people, hence the name Botswana for its country. The people as a whole are Batswana, one person is a Motswana, and the language they speak is Setswana.

Tourist Attractions

Botswana is truly one of Africa’s top safari destinations, teeming with game and bird-life, thanks in large part to a strong commitment to wildlife protection and management and environmental conservation.

The country’s tourist attractions mainly revolve around natural and historical attractions such as:

• Gaborone City
• The Diamond Mines
• The rock paintings of Tsodilo Hills

• Game reserves and national parks: More than 17% of the land mass of Botswana is reserved for game reserves and national parks. These include:

o    The Okavango Delta: it is said to be the largest inland delta in the world. All sorts of wildlife including crocodile, hippo and many fish species can be seen

o   The Central Kalahari Game Reserve: the Kalahari Desert covers about three quarters of the western part of Botswana and is characterized by open grasslands, shrubs and acacia. The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu and red hartebeest.

o   Makgadikgadi Pans: the largest salt pans in the world, often likened to a moonscape. During the wet season, huge numbers of both greater and lesser flamingos come to the Magkadigkadi to feed and breed in the shallow saline water located on the pans

o   The Chobe National Park: has one of the largest game concentrations on the Africa continent, and is best known for its spectacularly large elephant population and close proximity to Victoria Falls.

o   The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: an ultimate remote safari destination – and at its best when visited on an intrepid mobile safari in the early months of the year when the beautiful valleys between dunes become lush with vegetation, attracting thousands of springbok and gemsbok.

In keeping with sustainable tourism development and growth, Botswana Tourism has produced an Ecotourism manual that serves as a guide for Botswana operators to refer to in order to ensure that developments are done in harmony with nature. Click here for the Ecotourism Manual .

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If you want to learn more about Botswana’s sustainable tourism practices, you can visit the Somarelang Tikologo (‘Environment Watch Botswana’) Eco-Park in Gaborone. The organisation is involved in waste management, sustainable agriculture and nature conservation. There are educational features, such as a playground aimed at young visitors, a Green Shop with goods made from recycled products, a model organic garden and an Eco-Cafe with local organic dishes.

Sources

http://www.golden-okavango.com/bots.html

http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/about/climate.html

http://www.adventure-safaris.com/blog/botswana-is-a-leader-in-sustainable-tourism/

http://www.botswanatourism.us/about_botswana/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botswana

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