Botswana Government History
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Botswana is two times the size of Arizona and it is situated in south central Africa with the nations Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe being at its borders. Most parts in this nation are near to the Kalahari Desert, and this desert occupies western Botswana. The eastern Botswana is hilly and the northern part is filled with salt lakes.
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The first inhabitants in this area were the Sans, and they were succeeded by Tswana. Almost half of Botswana at present is ethnically Tswana. The term Botswana is referred as national rather than ethnical by the people of this country.
The Zulu encroached in the 1820s and the Boers belonging to Transvaal in the 1870s. And, in the 1880s, the peace was under threat in Botswana. In the year 1885, British made Botswana as protectorate which was then called Bechuanaland. In the year 1961, the constitution was granted by the Britain to Botswana. Self government started in the year 1965. The nation got independence on 30 September 1966. The oldest democracy in Africa is Botswana.
Botswana maintained good relationship with the white neighbors but slowly started changing the policies, giving shelter to the rebels belonging to south Rhodesia and also some from South Africa.
Botswana has abundant diamonds which can help them with funds but it has problems like unemployment and also stratified socio-economic classes. In the year 1999, the whole of the country had suffered with first budget shortage in the 16 years. This shortage occurred due to fall in diamond market internationally.
The president of Botswana, Ketumile Masire who was in power for 17 years retired in the year 1997 and he was succeeded by Festus Mogae who is an economist studied in oxford.
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