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Britain gained control of Botswana's area in 1885 to help ensure peace in the area between the Zulu and Boers.
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Approximately 70% of Botswana is made up of the Kalahari Desert.
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Botswana is one of the countries in the world worst hit by HIV and AIDS. Approximately 25% of the population is believed to have been infected with the disease. Botswana has a very progressive program for helping to deal with the disease.
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Ethnic groups in Botswana include the Tswana, Kalanga, Basarwa, Kgalagadi, whites, and others.
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85% of the people in Botswana have indigenous religious beliefs while 15% are Christian.
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Africa's oldest democratic country is Botswana.
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Botswana's capital city is Gaborone, where more than 10% of the country's population lives.
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Botswana is home to natural resources including diamonds, which make it a wealthy African country.
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Botswana is home to several species of endangered birds and mammals. These include the cheetah, the Kori bustard, the brown hyena, and the Pel's fishing owl.
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Botswana's national dish is the boiled meat, corn meal, and greens, which are combined to create Seswaa.
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The largest concentration of African elephants exists in Botswana, in Chobe National Park.
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Roughly 38% of Botswana's land is designated as reserves, national parks, and wildlife management regions.
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The Okavango Delta in Botswana became UNESCO's 1000th inscribed site of the World Heritage List in 2014.
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Botswana's official language is English. The national language is Setswana and most commonly spoken language in Botswana, but most can speak English.
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Botswana's currency is Pula, which is then divided into Thebe.
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Botswana's border with Zambia is the shortest border in the world at only 150 meters.
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Where Botswana's north western region borders three other countries it may be the only place in the world where cell signals from four countries can be picked up.
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Botswana is responsible for more than 17% of the diamond production in the world. Diamonds account for half of Botswana's value and provide free education for all children until they are 13 years old.
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Botswana's rainy season begins in November and ends in March, while wildlife viewing for tourists is best from May to October, when it is not rainy season.
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Major agricultural products in Botswana include corn, beans, sunflowers, sorghum, and ground nuts.
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Major exports from Botswana include diamonds, textiles, meat, nickel, and copper.
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The national symbol of Botswana is the zebra.
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Botswana celebrates its Independence Day on September 30th each year.
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