Official Name: Republic of Botswana

Area: Africa

Size: 600,370 km²

Coastline: Landlocked

Independence: from the UK September 30, 1966

Form of Govt.: Multiparty republic

Head of Govt.: President.

Capital: Gaborone

Largest City: Gaborone

Demographics (2005): 1,639,833.   3.0 /km²

Tswana 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, Kgalagadi 3%, white 3%, other 1%

GDP per Capita (2005): $11,400

Languages: Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1%

Geography: Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers up to 70% of the land surface of the country. The Okavango Delta, the world's largest inland delta, is in the Northwest. The Makgadikgadi Pan, a large salt pan lies in the North

Climate: Summer days are hot, especially in the weeks that precede the coming of the cooling rains, and shade temperatures rise to the 38°C mark and higher, reaching a blistering 44°C on rare occasions. Winters are clear-skied and bone-dry, the air seductively warm during the daylight hours but, because there is no cloud cover, cold at night and in the early mornings. Sometimes bitterly so - frost is common and small quantities of water can freeze.