This incredible country will delight you with game reserves and sanctuaries for many endangered species to safaris in the second-largest desert in Africa.
Find out what the Republic of Botswana has in store from the fun facts curated here.
1. Makgadikgadi Salt Pan Is The Largest In The World
Botswana has the largest saltpan in the world, situated near the desert, which changes into wetlands during the rainy season.
Makgadikgadi pan offers a wide stretch of serene white lands during dry months and shallow lakes for migratory zebras and flamingos to breed in winter.
You can plan a camping night or ride ATVs to explore the incredible terrain, wildlife, and culture of bushmen, the native dwellers of the desert.
2. You Can Travel To Zambia From Botswana In A Few Minutes
Yes, traveling between two nations is that easy.
Kazungula bridge is the second shortest land border in the world, spanning 135 meters. Zambia and Botswana are connected through the Kazungla border over the Zambezi river.
Just take a ferry and hop to another nation!
3. Botswana Is The Second Largest Producer Of Diamonds In The World
Rich in natural resources, Botswana has enough diamonds, making it the second largest producer after Russia. Diamond deposits were explored in the 1960s and have been an important source of economic growth ever since.
Volume-wise, Botswana is second on the leaderboard, but quality-wise it’s number one!
4. The Waterless Place Is Home To Rare Wildlife And Greens
The Kalahari Desert, the seventh-largest desert in the world, has an arid terrain that covers almost half of the nation. You can enjoy a safari ride in the second-largest game reserve in the world at Kalahari.
Kalahari, which means “the waterless place” in the”Tswana language, will surprise you with the wildlife it houses. Oryx, springbok, meerkats, cape foxes, and the big African cats, to name a few, can be seen here in their natural habitat.
The desert retains more water than its surroundings. This leads to flourishing plant life, such as tsamma melons, gemsbok cucumbers, and other shrubs.
5. The Botswana Currency Gets Its Name From Rain
Pula is the currency of Botswana, and it means rain in the Setswana language. The people of Botswana respect their currency as a blessing, similar to rain, which is scarce in the desert nation.
6. Least Corrupt Nation: Botswana Is The Good Boy Of Africa!
The growth of African countries is hindered by corruption to a great extent, and nations like South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia top the list.
But Botswana is the righteous sibling, with its corruption index at the lowest among other African countries.
7. Exquisite Rock Art In Tsodilo Hills That Will Take You To The Stone Age
Botswana’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tsodilo Hills, has spectacular rock art that point toward inhabitants from thousands of years ago.
You will need some time to precisely look over more than 500 individual rock paintings on the hills. The mystical historic art gives glimpses of human culture and relationships back in the day.
You can peek into the history or go hiking for an adventure in the Tsodilo Hills. A trip here will surely mark a perfect escapade in Botswana.
8. “A United Kingdom” – A presidential Love Story
A real love story based on Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams was made into a film named A United Kingdom in 2016.
The movie shows the struggles of an interracial relationship between the parents of Ian Khama, the former president. The marriage of the two led to political drama and an international outcry, which eventually ended happily.
Sir Seretse Khama was elected the first president of the British protectorate Bechuanaland, modern-day Botswana.
9. Botswana Is Home To One Of The Largest Diamond In the World
Lesedi La Rona is the 3rd largest gem of 302.37 carats found in Botswana in the Karowe mines. It is known to be the best gem with high-quality color and clarity, which is approximately 2.5 billion years old.
10. Chobe National Park Has The Largest Concentration Of African Elephants In The World
The biggest of all elephants, the African elephants, are found in huge numbers in the Chobe National Park, situated near the Okavango delta. It has more than a million elephants living in their natural habitat here.
A boat or a safari ride in the park will let you experience the diverse wildlife, from herds of elephants near the lush green river banks to cheetahs, rhinos, and lions.
11. Botswana Is A Peace Loving Nation
Botswana is a developing country with stable economic growth over the years. That being said, the nation has ranked third in Africa’sAfrica’s most peaceful countries.
It showed a progressive democracy with the least crime and violence rates. It is a very rare fact when Africa is in the picture.
12. Okavango Delta Is One Of The Largest Deltas In The World
Home to some endangered species of mammals like white and black rhinos, African wild dogs, lions, and cheetahs, the Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta with no outlet into the sea.
The periodic flooded swamps and marshlands provide a habitat for the incredible wildlife in the delta. And its water that flows into the Kalahari gives life to those surviving in the desert.