The Bamangwato (more correctly BagammaNgwato) people are one of the eight principal tribes of Botswana. Modern Bangwato formed in the Central District, with its main town and capital (after 1902) at Serowe. Its paramount chief, ostensibly a hereditary position, occupies one of the fifteen places in the House of Chiefs, Botswana's parliamentary upper house. Viewed historically or developmentally, a tribe consists of a social formation existing before the development of, or outside of, states. ... Central is one of the districts of Botswana. ... Serowe (population approx. ... Botswanas House of Chiefs (Setswana: Ntlo ya Dikgosi) is the advisory, upper chamber of the countrys bicameral Parliament. ... An upper house (Frequently known as a Senate) is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ...

The core patrilineage of the Bamangwato are an 18th-century offshoot of the Bakwena people, but members in the Ngwato kingdom came from many sources, as was the case with all of the major 19th-century African kingdoms. Khama's paternal forebears had built several prior capitals including Shoshong and Phalatswe, also known as Old Palapye. (Before the advent of colonial administration and fixed infrastructure, it was common for a town to move when the local environment degraded. [1]) Khama and the Protectorate administration created the modern borders of the Central District in Botswana. Palapye is a large town in Botswana. ...

Sengwato, the local dialect of Setswana, caused excitement in linguistic circles in 1998 when it was realized that it contained a unique f-s sound. [2] Tswana, also known as Setswana, is a Bantu language. ...

Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president, was of the Bamangwato. Seretse Khama Seretse Khama (July 1, 1921 - July 13, 1980) was the first President of Botswana. ...

References

1. Parsons, Neil. "The Abandonment of Phalatswe, 1901–1916" University of Botswana History Dept, 25 Feb 1998. Retrieved 2 Jan 2006.
2. "African dialect uses unexpected sound". Science News, 31 Oct 1998. Retrieved 3 Jan 2006.

See also

• Rulers of Bangwato (bamaNgwato)
• Tswana

List of Rulers of Bangwato (bamaNgwato) Territory located in present-day Botswana Kgôsikgolo = Paramount Chief (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) See also Botswana Heads of State of Botswana Heads of Government of Botswana Colonial Heads of Botswana (Bechuanaland) Rulers of baKgatla Rulers of baKwêna... Tswana (singular moTswana or Motswana, plural baTswana or Batswana) is the name of a Southern African people, and of its Bantu language. ...

External links

• Botswana History Pages By Neil Parsons of the University of Botswana
• Ethnologue Languages of Botswana