| Botswana |
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| Language | Currency | Time | Geography | Climate | Health | Transport | Tips | Holidays | Top 10 Attractions in Botswana |
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| General |
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The Republic of Botswana with its ca. 582 km² and ca. 1.9 million inhabitants is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is a democratic country with capital Gaborone and is the world's largest producer of diamonds.
Botswana is divided into 10 districts: Central District, Ghanzi District, Kgalagadi District, Kgatleng District, Kweneng District, North-East District, North-West District, South-East District, Southern District and Chobe District. |
| Language |
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Botswana´s official language is English; however Setswana is the national language. |
| Currency |
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1 Pula (BWP), 100 Thebe equal 1 Pula
The most reasonable way of exchanging money is to do it in the bank in the capital city because it is barely possible to exchange your money elsewhere. Visa, Euro card, MasterCard, American Express und Diners Club are accepted widely. |
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| Time |
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GMT +2 hours |
| Geography |
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Botswana borders South Africa to the south and southeast, Zimbabwe to the northeast and Namibia to the west and north. It is connected by a narrow piece of land on the northern border with Zambia.
Geographically the country is flat and is dominated by the Kalahari Desert - a combination of sand, savanna, and grassland, which covers up to 70% of its surface. Although its territory consists almost entirely of a flat, arid subtropical plateau, there are hills in the eastern part of the country.
In Botswana one can find a variety of wildlife habitats. Grasslands and savannas give home to Blue Wildebeest, antelopes and other mammals and birds. Northern Botswana is inhabited by African Wild Dog and northwest part of the country- the Chobe National Park- has the world´s largest concentration of African elephants and a range of species of birds. |
| Climate |
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Climate in Botswana is determined by dry savannah and half desert climate. There are two distinctive seasons in Botswana and each of them with own characteristics.
Winter months (May till September) are characterized by warm days with temperature at about 20°C; however evening and night temperatures can be very cold, even below 0°C in some areas. This is a dry season and there are virtually no rainfalls.
Though it is hot and dry for most of the year, there is a rainy season during the summer months. Summer (October till March), in spite of the heavy rainfalls, is usually hot with daily temperatures about 30°C - 40°C. Some cool moments are also possible, however for a short period of time. Hot temperature and rain cause air humidity of about 70%.
Between the both seasons the days are cooler than during the summer and the nights are warmer than in winter. |
| Health |
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There are various kinds of health facilities available in Botswana and it is generally not a high- risk place to visit.
For those travelling from yellow-fever areas is vaccination required. Moreover, there are Malaria precautions necessary and it is also worth to remember that there is a high rate of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. |
| Transport |
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There are various means of transport available, such as airlines, railways, taxis. There are a number of passenger transport companies in Botswana which offer services throughout the country. A number of international airlines fly regularly to and from Botswana and several inland airlines operate in the country as well. The mini-buses (Combis) are operating in towns. Each of them travels a particular route and most of them pass through a mall or station. One can hire a car as well. |
| Tips for the tourist |
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To entry the country citizens from Commonwealth countries, as well as citizens of Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Canada and the USA, are (if not ordered differently) not required an entry visa. |
| Botswana has 12 public holidays |
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| Date |
English Name |
| January 1 |
New Year's Day |
| May 1 |
Labor Day |
| May 25 |
Ascension |
| July 1 |
Sir Seretse Khama Day |
| July 15- July 16 |
President´s Day |
| September 30 |
Botswana Day |
| December 25 |
Christmas Day |
| December 26 |
Boxing Day |
| Movable holidays |
| Good Friday |
The Friday prior to Easter |
| Easter |
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| Easter Monday |
The Monday following Easter |
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| The top 10 tourist attractions in Botswana: |
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| 1. |
Chobe National Park |
| 2. |
Moremi Game Reserve |
| 3. |
Central Kalahari Game Reserve |
| 4. |
Okavango Delta |
| 5. |
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park |
| 6. |
Nxai Pan National Park |
| 7. |
Gaborone / Gaborone Game Reserve |
| 8. |
Tsodilo Hills |
| 9. |
Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park |
| 10. |
Tuli Block |
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| References: |
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http://www.go2africa.com/botswanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botswana
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1068674.stm
http://www.geographia.com/botswana/index.html
http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/about/geographical_info.html |
