Botswana: Flag and Facts
Botswana's flag is light blue with a black horizontal stripe across the middle, edged on both sides by thin white lines.
- Official name
- Republic of Botswana
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Region
- Southern Africa
- Population
- 2.5 million (2025)
- Languages
- English, Tswana
- Currency
- Botswana pula
- Area
- 582,000 km² (224,711 sq mi)
- People
- Motswana
- Calling code
- +267
- Highest point
- Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m
- Independence
- 30 September 1966 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- zebra
- Borders
- Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
About Botswana
The blue is rainwater, which is precious in this mostly dry country. The black and white bands together stand for racial harmony. The zebra, with its own black and white stripes, is the national symbol.
Conflicts and migrations in the early 1800s upset many local states in the region, and the Tswana people came out as the leading group. In 1852 Tswana fighters stopped Afrikaner settlers from pushing north. Britain claimed the area in 1885 as the protectorate of Bechuanaland. At independence on 30 September 1966 it took the name Botswana, meaning "land of the Tswana." Since then it has had more than five decades of civilian rule. Much of the land is flat tableland, with the Kalahari Desert in the southwest.
Did you know?
- Botswana is landlocked and borders Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Even Botswana's lowest point sits 513 meters above sea level.
- Botswana is almost four times as big as Illinois.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Botswana
What is the capital of Botswana?
Gaborone is the capital of Botswana.
What currency does Botswana use?
Botswana uses the pula.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.