Botswana

The content on this page is translated and summarized from the Botswana article at Ne.se, and the author bio of Alexander McCall SMith at Litlovers.com

The Flag

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The flag of Botswana came in to use in 1966. The color combination symbolises the good relationship between black and white people. It also serves as a stand against racial segregation. The light blue is a symbol for the vital rain, which is necessary for the existance of the country.

Population

In 2009, the population density of Botswana was three inhabitants per square km. The country has a steady population increase of 1.3% per year. Women often live longer lives than men. Almost 50.000 Tswana have immigrated to South Africa to work, primarily in the African mining industry.
The people of Botswana are divided into different tribes, Batswana being the largest one. The majority of the people in Botswana use Bantu as the main language. Bantu originates from South Africa. Botswana is a melting pot for many different tribes and cultures which causes a lot of different languages to be used. The main workforce in the country focuses on using the land, for example farmers, hunters and cattle herders. Botswana has a kind of tribal king, who acts as advisor and judge of the land and its people.

Language

There are around 25 native languages in Botswana. Most of the languages belong to the Khoisan language. The majority of Botswana’s population speak Tswana ( it is spoken by around 70% of the population). The official languages in Botswana are English and Tswana.

Religion

About half the population in Botswana is Christian, mostly Protestant, and almost all of them are united in a church organization. Apart from Christianity, there are many native African churches, most of them have South African origins. A part of the population follow the native religions, and one ethnic group that hasn’t allowed themselves to be affected at all by Christianity are the san, (bushmen). In 1999, statistics said that about half the population was Christian and half the population was traditionalist.

Social relations

Since the independence of Botswana in 1966, the economy has grown. The development is the result of the diamond industry and a stable economy development with regular and public elections. The goverment’s development projects have been focused on a better healthcare, education and to break the dependence of the income on the diamond industry.

The infant mortality rate is lower in Botswana then most of the countries in Africa. 86% of the inhabitantes of Boswana live at most 15 km from a care center. But still 30% (2003) of the inhabitants livesbelow the poverty limit according to the UN:s definition, but this share has decreased during the last few years.

The majority of teenagers can not expect a steady paying job. The unemployment stands at 24% (2005) but is estimated to be closer to 40%. The number of HIV infected people is amongst the highest in the world, about 350 000 people of Botswanas 1,8 milion inhabitantes are infected. In the year of 2005 about 85% of the people who have HIV, got treatment.

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Economy

Botswana’s farming consists of cattle stock. Only 10-20 % of the grain needs are produced in the country. Through the drilling of wells and a system of enclosures that prevents spreading of diseases, the cattle stock has been able to increase powerfully. This has led to a steady lowering of the gorundwater level. Around 5% of the households own 50% of the farming while 50% does not have any stock.

The industry sector is dominated by the mining industry, diamonds above all. The manufacturing industry is only contributing with 4% to the BNP. But a certain growth has taken place. Foremost, it is the textile-, paper-, chemicals- and electronics industry that has developed.

Diamonds respresent about 80% of the export value. Other important exports are meat, copper, nickel and textiles. The import is dominated by means of transportation, machine equipment, provisions, chemical products and different metals. 87% of the export goes to Europe while 85% of the importation comes from South Africa.

Music

One notable thing in the tswana-people’s music life is the great flute-ensembles witch can consist of up to thirteen flutes (dithlaka). Each instrument contributes alternately with just one note to the whole song. The instruments are played by the men while they are dancing. The women contributes with hand-clapping, foot-stomping and playing on conical tree-drums covered by leather. Other musical instruments that are used in a ritual context are dansrassel and trumpets of animal horn. More intended for private playing is the one introduced from the north, the thumb-piano and different types of the music-bow, which is favored by shepherds and nomadic people. The music performed by different san-groups are characterized by polyphonic song built on hocketus. The dominant instrument is the musical bow.

History

Botswana’s earliest history is not known. Historians believe that Tswana belongs to Bantu people who moved south from Central Afrika a long, long time ago. During the 1500s and 1600s the Tswana people defeated the native San people who were hunters and gatherers. They drove them away from the areas that were suited for cattle. At the beginning of the 1800s, Tswana established kingdoms in the southeast part of Botswana.

European influence in Botswana was felt from the beginning of the 1800s. Both missionaries merchants penetrated into Botswana from the south, and white farmers settled in the southeastern part of the tswana area. In order to withstand pressure from immigrant Boers, the tswana chiefs asked Britain for support. Without consulting the chiefs, Great Britain declared the tswana peoples areas a British protectorate in 1885. The protectorate was called Bechuanaland, until 1966, when it changed name to Botswana.

Britain assumed that Botswana would be incorporated into South Africa, but the population of Botswana opposed this, especially since apartheid politics was introduced in 1948. Botswana became independent in 1966 and the first president of Botswana was Seretse Khama, leader of the Democratic Party (BDP). After his death, Ketumile Masire became president in 1980. He retired in 1998 and was succeeded by Vice President Festus Mogae, who was chosen by Parliament in October 1999.

The new republic was one of Africa's poorest countries with a non-existent infrastructure. After 1971, mining started and large deposits of diamonds was found. Botswana has had significant economic growth, but the dependence on South Africa has continued. Botswana is considered to be one of Africa's politically most stable countries.

Author biography

Alexander McCall Smith was born the 24 of August 1948 in Africa in a country called Rhodesia, which is today's Zimbabwe. At this time it was a British colony. His father worked as a public prosecutor. Alexander was educated at the Christian Brother College before moving to Scotland to study the law at the university of Edinburgh.

He returned to southern Africa in 1981 to help co-found and teach law at the University of Botswana. While in Botswana he co-wrote what remains the only book on the country's legal system, The Criminal Law of Botswana (1992).

He returned in 1981 to Scotland where he still lives with his wife and his two kids. In 1988 he wrote “The No.1 detective Lady Agency”, which is a series of twelve novels. This is by far the most popular book written by him.