Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Botswana Hello Displorers, welcome to another informative video presented by Displore. As you all know it’s always a pleasure presenting to you some interesting but lesser known facts about the beautiful countries on the African continent. In this video, we are excited to present to you some lesser known facts about the country of Botswana. Officially referred to as the Republic of Botswana, Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has been a representative republic, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the lowest perceived corruption ranking in Africa since 1998 and is currently Africa's oldest continuous democracy. Botswana is topographically flat, with up to 70% of its territory being the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zimbabwe to the northeast, and Zambia to the north. A mid-sized country of just over 2.3 million people, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world with a surface area of 581,730 km2. Around 10 percent of the population lives in the capital and largest city, Gaborone. If you are new here welcome, be sure to subscribe and turn on notification so you don’t miss any of our daily uploads. Formerly one of the poorest countries in the world with a GDP per capita of about US$70 per year in the late 1960s. Botswana has since transformed itself into one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Botswana boasts a GDP per capita of about $18,825 per year as of 2015, which was one of the highest in Africa. The official languages of Botswana are English and Setswana and Botwana has some of the best wildlife and dramatic scenery in Africa. Without wasting much of your time, here that the top 10 things you probably didn’t know about Botswana. 1. Botswana is an Oasis of Peace Botswana is the most lasting African democracy. It's an independent state since 1966 and since then it has always enjoyed a relative political stability, without clashes between ethnic groups nor coups unlike in many other African states. The government has initiated environmental protection policies, for which 17% of the territory is natural reserve Imposing limits on tourism to preserve its natural landscapes, of which the most spectacular and the most famous example is the Okavango Delta. Botswana is currently one of the most peaceful and happiest country in Africa. 2. Botswana is The World’s No.1 Diamond Producing Country in Terms of Value Botswana is probably the world's largest diamond producer. The discovery of a diamond mine in the Orapa area in 1967 gave great impetus to the economy of the country. Located in the Naledi River Valley in southern Botswana, Jwaneng is the richest diamond mine in the world, with a current production of 12.5 to 15 million carats per year. The open pit mine is located 120km west of the capital Gaborone and sits above 3 diamond producing geological formations. The high quality of rough diamonds produced here is outstanding, which is why this industry plays a major role in driving the country’s economy. Desbwana is the largest diamond mining company in the country with DeBeers owning 50%, while the remaining half belongs to the government of Botswana. 3. Botswana Has the World’s Biggest Concentration of African Elephants. Botswana currently has the world’s largest remaining elephant population. The biggest concentration can be found in Chobe National Park, a majestic 11,000km2 wildlife sanctuary in northern Botswana with over 120,000 of these magnificent animals. Their ability to own one of the largest elephant population in the world is due to Botswana’s environmental protection efforts. Elephants have suffered greatly over the years, with poachers threatening to drive them to extinction. Botswana’s efforts have managed to keep the greatest elephant sanctuary in the world which makes the country a very attractive tourist destination for Elephant lovers. 4. The Okavango Delta In Botswana Is the Largest Inland Delta on The Planet Botswana boasts of incredible wildlife, but there is more to it than that. There is also the Okavango Delta, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. A staggering 18,000km2 expanse of lagoons, meandering channels, and fertile islands over flowing with wildlife, the Okavango Delta in Botswana’s Kalahari Desert is the largest inland delta on the planet. Its waters never get to the sea, as they are soaked up by the salt pans which we will be looking at next in this video. Okavango is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most amazing wildlife-watching destinations on earth. It was the 1000th inscribed site on the World Heritage list of UNESCO. 5.

• published: 04 May 2020
• views: 195536