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The Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked nation in Southern Africa. Citizens of Botswana are Batswana (singular: Motswana), regardless of ethnicity and the population is about 1,842,323. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west, Zambia to the north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast.

Botswana is predominantly flat, tending toward gently rolling tableland. The Kalahari Desert is located in the southwest of thec ountry. The Limpopo River Basin is the major landform of all of southernAfrica, including Botswana.  The climateis semiarid with warm winters and hot summers. Its natural resources include diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash,potash, coal, iron ore, and silver.

The economy, closely tied to South Africa's and is dominated by mining (especially diamonds), tourism, and cattle. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled muchof the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. HIV/AIDS infection rates are thesecond highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in investment in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

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Discover Botswana: Business and Tourism in Botswana