(C) Copyright 2011-2012 Botswana-SME Portal, All Rights Reserved. Click Play to See Our Business Links GEOGRAPHY Botswana is located at the centre of Southern Africa and it shares borders with Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The country covers a total land area of 581 730 km 2. The two main cities are Gaborone as the capital city in the south-east near the border with South Africa and Francistown in the north east. Botswana is endowed with a range of natural resources including some of Africa's last great wildernesses such as the famous Okavango Swamps and the Kalahari Desert providing a vibrant tourism destination for holiday makers! Large areas of country are designated National Parks and Game reserves (about 17%) teeming with wildlife. POPULATION The population of Botswana was 1 680 863 during 2001 Population and Housing Census with a growth rate of 2.4% per annum. It is concentrated mainly in the eastern parts of the country due to relatively more favorable climatic and soil conditions and more densely towards the urban areas. Botswana has an adult literacy rate of 81.2%. English is the official language for education, business and government and is widely spoken by the general population. CLIMATE Botswana is a sunny country with 315 cloudless days per year. The summer season is also the rainy season and begins in November and ends in March with temperatures of 30-35 oC. In winter months, June to August, it is dry and day temperatures reach over 20 o C, while night temperatures can go below 5 oC. LIFE IN THE CITY Gaborone is a metropolitan capital hosting diplomats and professionals from all over the world, five stars hotels and lodges, good restaurants, and a highly rate golf course as well as many other sports clubs. LEISURE Our most unique offering is the wildlife. The Game Parks and National Parks are the homes for lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, wild dogs, as well as large herds of buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, a large variety of birds, and more. The Botswana Tourism Board (www.botswanatourism.co.bw) provides information on accommodation and travel information as well as VISA requirements for foreign visitors. SCHOOLS Gaborone has some world class schools offering pre-school, primary, secondary and A-level training. These schools offer courses that provide a curriculum that is designed to meet the needs of students transferring to or from U.S. British, or international schools abroad. CHURCHES Botswana has a large number of churches spread across the country. Individuals who are practicing Christians would not be short of somewhere to worship.