Botswana History

By | January 9, 2023

Botswana – national flag

Botswana National Flag

Botswana – National Flag, Flag was adopted in 1966. The blue color symbolizes water which is vital to the country. Inspired by the zebra’s skins, the white-black-and-white stripe is an expression of the desire to build a community of equal opportunities for people of all races.

  • Countryaah: What does the flag of Botswana look like? Follow this link, then you will see the image in PNG format and flag meaning description about this country.

Botswana – history

According to a2zgov, Botswana – history, the San people are the original population of Botswana, but it has hardly at any time constituted a numerous group. After the Bantu people of Tswana, as part of the dramatic population shifts during the Zulu kingdom’s expansion in the 1820’s, were driven from its lands in the areas around present-day Johannesburg in South Africa, it came to form the main population group. From the early 1820’s British missionaries from the London Missionary Society were active in the area. In the 1830’s, British interests were threatened by farmers from the Natal Province who, during their big trek, created two small Boer republics, Stellalandand Goshen, just south of Botswana’s current border along the Molopo River. The republics only existed for a short time and the British missionaries, including David Livingstone, continued their business. In 1885, the area south of the Molopo River was interpreted as the crown colony of British Bechuanaland, while much of the present Botswana became the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company tried to obtain the rights to the protectorate, but failed. because a delegation of area chiefs traveled to Britain and successfully agitated against the plans. The abstinence movement was a powerful factor in what was then Britain, and one of the chiefs ‘arguments was the ban on alcohol which was part of the missionaries’ achievements in the area.

  • AbbreviationFinder: Check three-letter abbreviation for each country in the world, such as BWA which represents the official name of Botswana.

In practice, Bechuanaland was administered as part of South Africa and was of no interest to the colonial power, as no products or resources of interest were found in the nearly populous area. Thus, Mafeking (Mafikeng), located in South Africa, was the capital of Bechuanaland right up to independence. During both world wars, troops from Bechuanaland served on the British side, and large parts of the male labor force worked in South Africa; Outside impressions led to slowly beginning political and social changes.

The transition to independence in 1966 proceeded peacefully; The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) with Seretse Khama in the lead won the election and Khama was president until his death in 1980, after which he was replaced by Quett Masire. Among other things. Due to the rising revenues from diamond production, BDP managed to maintain a very independent political course despite the continued close ties with South Africa. Botswana was one of the main forces in the so-called frontline states that supported the fight against apartheid, and the country offered shelter to refugees from South Africa and from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where the white minority remained in power until 1980. In the early 1990’s, BDP’s power slowly began to crumble; the party has its roots in the traditional peasant society, and with the increasing prosperity and urbanization, more radical forces seem to be strengthened in Botswana’s continued democratic and economic development. Despite dwindling support, BDP managed to win 52% of the votes cast in the 2004 elections. Party leader Festus Gontebanye Mogae (b. 1939), who took office as president in 1998 when Quett Masire resigned, was then automatically re-elected as president. In 2008, he was replaced by the presidential post of Seretse Khama Ian Khama (b. 1953), the son of Seretse Khama.