NationMaster - Encyclopedia: History of Botswana

The Batswana (plural of "Motswana"), a term also used to denote all citizens of Botswana, refers to the country's major ethnic group (called the "Tswana" in South Africa). Prior to European contact, the Batswana lived as herders and farmers under tribal rule. TSWANA (singular Motswana, plural Batswana) is the name of a Southern African people, and of its Bantu language. ...

In the late 19th century, hostilities broke out between the Shona inhabitants of Batswana and Ndebele tribes who were migrating into the territory from the Kalahari Desert. Tensions also escalated with the Boer settlers from the Transvaal. After appeals by the Batswana leader Khama III for assistance, the British Government on March 31, 1885 put "Bechuanaland" under its protection. The northern territory remained under direct administration as the Bechuanaland Protectorate and is today's Botswana, while the southern territory became part of the Cape Colony and is now part of the northwest province of South Africa; the majority of Setswana-speaking people today live in South Africa. Shona (IPA: ) is the name collectively given to several groups of people in Zimbabwe and western Mozambique. ... The Ndebele people are three tribes or nations of people living in South Africa and Zimbabwe; there are three main groups of Ndebele: The Southern Transvaal Ndebele, who live around Bronkhorstspruit The Northern Transvaal Ndebele, who live in Limpopo Province (formerly Northern Transvaal or Northern Province) around the towns of... The Kalahari Desert (shown in red) The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern Africa extending to some 900,000 kmÂ² and covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. ... Boer is the Afrikaans (and Dutch) word for farmer which came to denote the descendants of the Afrikaans-speaking migrating farmers of the expanding eastern Cape frontier. ... Flag of Transvaal The Transvaal (lit. ... Khama III (1837?-1923), also known as Khama the Good, was the kgosi (meaning chief or king) of the Bamangwato people of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), who made his country a protectorate of the United Kingdom to ensure its survival against Boer and Ndebele encroachments. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP) was a protectorate established in 1885 by Britain in the area of what is now Botswana. ... The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP) was a protectorate established on March 31, 1885 by Britain in the area of what is now Botswana. ... Official language English and Dutch1 Capital Cape Town Largest City Cape Town Area - Total - % water Ranked 1st 569,020 kmÂ² (1910) Negligible Population - Total (1911) - Density Ranked 1st 2,564,965 4. ... Tswana, also known as Setswana, is a Bantu language. ...

When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910 out of the main British colonies in the region, the Bechuanaland Protectorate, Basutoland (now Lesotho), and Swaziland (the "High Commission Territories") were not included, but provision was made for their later incorporation. However, a vague undertaking was given to consult their inhabitants, and although successive South African governments sought to have the territories transferred, Britain kept delaying, and it never occurred. The election of the National Party government in 1948, which instituted apartheid, and South Africa's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961, ended any prospect of incorporation of the territories into South Africa. The mountainous and largely arid land that came to be Basutoland was populated by San (bushmen, Qhuaique) until the end of the 16th century. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

An expansion of British central authority and the evolution of tribal government resulted in the 1920 establishment of two advisory councils representing Africans and Europeans. Proclamations in 1934 regularized tribal rule and powers. A European-African advisory council was formed in 1951, and the 1961 constitution established a consultative legislative council. 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

In June 1964, Britain accepted proposals for democratic self-government in Botswana. The seat of government was moved from Mafikeng in South Africa, to newly established Gaborone in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first general elections and to independence on September 30, 1966. Seretse Khama, a leader in the independence movement and the legitimate claimant to the Ngwato chiefship, was elected as the first president, re-elected twice, and died in office in 1980. The presidency passed to the sitting vice president, Ketumile Masire, who was elected in his own right in 1984 and re-elected in 1989 and 1994. Masire retired from office in 1998. The presidency passed to the sitting vice president, Festus Mogae, who was elected in his own right in 1999 and re-elected in 2004. For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Mafikeng is the capital of the North West Province, South Africa, 870 miles NE of Cape Town and 492 miles SSW of Bulawayo by rail, and 162 miles in a direct line W by N of Johannesburg. ... Satellite image of Gaborone Location of Gaborone in Botswana Gaborone (pron. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Seretse Khama Seretse Khama (July 1, 1921 - July 13, 1980) was the first President of Botswana. ... The Bamangwato (more correctly BagammaNgwato) people are one of the eight principal tribes of Botswana. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Sir Quett Ketumile Joni Masire (born July 23, 1925) was President of Botswana for the Botswana Democratic Party from 1980 to 1998. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Festus Gontebanye Mogae (born August 21, 1939) is the president of Botswana. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Reference

Australias Last ANZAC Mr Alec William Campbell, Australias last ANZAC Alec William Campbell (26 February 1899 â€“ 16 May 2002) was the final surviving Australian participant in the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. His death broke the last living link of Australians with the Gallipoli story. ... Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately-held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. ...

External links

History of Africa

History of: Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo • Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) • Djibouti • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea • Ethiopia • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger • Nigeria • Rwanda • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • Somalia • South Africa • Sudan • Swaziland • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Western Sahara (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) • Zambia • Zimbabwe The following is an outline of African history, followed by a list of articles about the history of particular places in Africa. ... This is the history of CÃ´te dIvoire. ... // Background The Western Sahara area has never formed a state in the modern sense of the word. ...

Dependencies: British Indian Ocean Territory • Canary Islands • Ceuta and Melilla • Madeira Islands • Mayotte • Réunion • Saint Helena To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ceuta and Melilla is the commonly used combined term for two European (mostly Spanish) colonial enclaves in Barbaresuqe North Africa, now overseas possessions, enclaved in Morocco. ... ...