Cattle at a water hole near Serowe. Photograph © by Guinnog

Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on September 30, 1966.

The country is bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The economy is closely tied to South Africa's, and is dominated by mining (especially diamonds), cattle, and tourism. The country is named after its largest ethnic group, the Tswana.

Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert and is located between longitudes 20 and 30 degrees east of Greenwich and between latitudes 18 and 27 degrees south of the Equator.

The distance between the extreme north and south of Botswana is approximately 1100 kilometres. East to West the country is 960 kilometres at its widest point, it is approximately 581,730 square kilometres in area and is located approximately 500 km from the Southern Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.