ost two and a half years of current imports. Debswana, the largest diamond mining company operating in Botswana, is 50% owned by the government. Mineral industry provides about 40% of all government revenues.[3] In 2007, significant quantities of uranium were discovered, and mining is projected to begin by 2010. Several international mining corporations have established regional headquarters in Botswana, and prospected for diamonds, gold, uranium, copper, and even oil, many coming back with positive results. Health Life expectancy in several African countries from 1958 to 2003. Botswana had the highest life expectancy until HIV/AIDS began to reduce it in the late 1980s. Main articles: Health in Botswana and HIV/AIDS in Botswana Like elsewhere in the Sub-Saharan Africa, the economic impact of AIDS is considerable. Economic development spending was cut by 10% in 2002-2003 as a result of recurring budget deficits and rising expenditure on healthcare services. Botswana has been hit very hard by the AIDS pandemic; in 2006 it was estimated that life expectancy at birth had dropped from 65 to 35 years.[8] Approximately one in six Batswana has HIV, giving Botswana the second highest infection rate in the world after nearby Swaziland.[9] The government recognizes that AIDS will affect the economy and is trying to combat the epidemic, including free anti-retroviral drug treatment and a nation-wide Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission program. Botswana has the best AIDS prevention programme in Africa. Botswana has reduced HIV transmission from infected mothers to their children from about 40% to just 4%. Sports The most popular sport in Botswana is Association football, and other popular sports include cricket, tennis, rugby union, softball, volleyball and athletics.[10][11] Botswana is an associate member of International Cricket Council. Another popular game is the mind sport of bridge. Bridge was first played in Botswana thirty years ago, but it was the 1980s when the game really took off, with many British expatriate school teachers teaching bridge in Botswana’s Secondary Schools. They were not qualified “bridge teachers”, simply enthusiasts who wanted to pass on their own passion to another and younger generation. The result was the foundation of the Botswana Bridge Federation (BBF) in 1988 and so the official organiser of tournaments for the pupils to play in. Since then bridge has continued to be popular in the country and is a fixture of many people’s lives: the BBF can currently boast over 800 members. At its peak there could be as many as 600 children playing bridge – which is unique in Africa.[12] This interest in bridge has developed even further in 2008 when the BBF invited the English Bridge Union to host a bridge teaching programme over a week in May 2008.[13] Culture Main article: Culture of Botswana A girl in the Okavango Delta. Besides referring to the language of the dominant people groups in Botswana, Setswana is the adjective used to describe the rich cultural traditions of the Batswana - whether construed as members of the Tswana ethnic groups or of all citizens of Botswana. Language Main article: Tswana language The official languages of Botswana are English and Setswana. In Setswana prefixes are more important than they are in many other languages. These prefixes include "Bo", which refers to the country, "Ba", which refers to the people, "Mo", which is one person, and "Se" which is the language. For example, the main tribe of Botswana is the Tswana people, hence the name Botswana for its country. The people as a whole are Batswana, one person is a Motswana, and the language they speak is Setswana. Lesotho, an enclave within South Africa, is considered a sister country. It was inhabited by a cousin tribe called the Sotho, who speak a similar language. That language is called Sesotho and can be understood by speakers of Setswana. Music Main article: Music of Botswana Tswana music is mostly vocal and performed without drums; it also makes heavy use of string instruments. Tswana folk music has instruments such as Setinkane, Segankure/Segaba and for the last few decades, a guitar has been celebrated as a versatile music instrument for Tswana music. Visual arts Rock paintings of Tsodilo Hills. In the northern part of Botswana, women in the villages of Etsha and Gumare are noted for their skill at crafting baskets from Mokola Palm and local dyes. The baskets are generally woven into three types: large, lidded baskets used for storage, large, open baskets for carrying objects on the head or for winnowing threshed grain, and smaller plates for winnowing pounded grain. The artistry of these baskets is being steadily enhanced through color use and improved designs as they are increasingly produced for commercial use. Other notable artistic communities include Thamaga Pottery and Oodi Weavers, both located in the southeastern part of Botswana. The oldest paintings from both Botswana and South Africa depict hunting, animal and human figures, and were made by the Khoisan (!Kung San/Bushmen) over twenty thousand years ago within the Kalahari desert. In addition to these more traditional arts there are a number of extremely talented artists who use modern means to express themselves. There are a few galleries around Botswana that display paintings and sculptures. Some pieces are inspired by the beautiful Botswana landscapes and others by the people themselves. Holidays Date English name Local name 1 January New Year's Day Ngwaga o mosha 2 January Public Holiday varies[14] Good Friday Labotlhano yo o molemo Easter Monday varies[15] Ascension Day Tlhatlogo 1 July Sir Seretse Khama Day 19 July President's Day 20 July Public Holiday 30 September Independence Day Boipuso 25 December Christmas Keresemose 26 December/27 December Boxing Day The first Monday after Christmas is also a Public Holiday. Education Main article: Education in Botswana Botswana has made great strides in educational development since independence in 1966. At that time there were very few graduates in the country and only a very small percentage of the population attended secondary school. With the discovery of diamonds and the increase in government revenue that this brought, there was a huge increase in educational provision in the country. All students were guaranteed ten years of basic education, leading to a Junior Certificate qualification. Approximately half of the school population attends a further two years of secondary schooling leading to the award of the Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE). After leaving school, students can attend one of the six technical colleges in the country, or take vocational training courses in teaching or nursing. The best students enter the University of Botswana, Botswana College of Agriculture[2], and The Botswana Accountancy college in Gaborone. Many other students end up in the numerous private tertiary education colleges around the country. A high majority of these students are government sponsored. The quantitative gains have not always been matched by qualitative ones. Primary schools in particular still lack resources, and the teachers are less well paid than their secondary school colleagues. The Government of Botswana hopes that by investing a large part of national income in education, the country will become less dependent on diamonds for its economic survival, and less dependent on expatriates for its skilled workers.[citation needed] In January 2006, Botswana announced the reintroduction of school fees after two decades of free state education[16] though the government still provides full scholarships with living expenses to any Botswana citizen in university, either at the University of Botswana or if the student wishes to pursue an education in any field not offered locally, such as medicine, they are provided with a full scholarship to study abroad. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Botswana Starting fire by hand. Bushmen in Botswana. Botswana's main ethnic groups are (in order) Tswana, Kalanga, Bushmen or AbaThwa also known as basarwa, Others. Other groups of ethnicities in Botswana include whites and Indians both groups being equally small in number. Botswana's Indian population is made up of many Indian-Africans of several generations, from Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa, etc. as well as first generation Indian immigrants. The white population being native Botswana or from other parts of Africa including Zimbabwe and South Africa. The white population speaks either English or Afrikaans and makes up roughly 3% of the population. Fewer than 10,000 Bushmen live in the traditional way, as hunter-gatherers. Since the mid-1990s the central government of Botswana has been trying to move San out of their lands.[17] The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Botswana was 24% for adults in 2006.[18] In 2003, the government began a comprehensive program involving free or cheap generic anti-retroviral drugs as well as an information campaign designed to stop the spread of the virus. Religion Main article: Religion in Botswana Religion in Botswana[19] religion percent Protestant  ? 62% Roman Catholic  ? 5% Indigenous  ? 23% Islam  ? 0.3% Hindu  ? 0.15% An estimated 70 percent of the country's citizens identify themselves as Christians. Anglicans, Methodists, and the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa make up the majority of Christians. There are also congregations of Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, the Dutch Reformed Church, Mennonites, and other Christian denominations. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are also present. According to the 2001 census, the country's Muslim community, primarily of South Asian origin, numbers slightly more than 5,000. The 2001 census also lists approximately 3,000 Hindus and 700 Baha'is. Members of each community estimate that these figures significantly understated their respective numbers. Approximately 20 percent of citizens espouse no religion. Religious services are well attended in both rural and urban areas.[20] See also Africa portal Main article: Outline of Botswana List of Botswana-related topics List of international rankings Outline of Africa Outline of geography United Nations Notes and references ^ a b c d "Botswana". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=616&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=31&pr.y=17. Retrieved on 2009-04-22.  ^ Human Development Indices, Table 3: Human and income poverty, p. 34. Retrieved on 1 June 2009 ^ a b "Botswana Country Brief". World Bank. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/BOTSWANAEXTN/0,,menuPK:322821~pagePK:141132~piPK:141107~theSitePK:322804,00.html.  ^ 2008 Corruption Perception Index ^ Botswana (01/08) ^ GNI PPP table ^ "Botswana ranked Africa's leader in economic freedom". http://www.botswanaifsc.com/news/botswana_ranked_africas_leader.html.  ^ Kallings LO (2008). "The first postmodern pandemic: 25 years of HIV/AIDS". J Intern Med 263 (3): 218–43. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2007.01910.x. PMID 18205765. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2007.01910.x.  ^ Avert.org ^ "Sparks to fly at Diamond". Botswana Press Agency (BOPA). http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20060126. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.  ^ "Opinion – the Academic World". Botswana Press Agency (BOPA). http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20040813. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.  ^ "Botswana Bridge Federation". Botswana National Sports Council. http://www.bnsc.co.bw/affiliates/bridge_federation.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.  ^ "English Bridge Union". English Bridge Union. http://www.ebu.co.uk/general/news/2008/BotswanaTrip.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.  ^ Usually in late March or early April. ^ Usually in May ^ [1], ^ African Bushmen Tour U.S. to Fund Fight for Land. National Geographic News. ^ UNAIDS http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2006/ ^ CIA the World Fact Book ^ U.S. Department of State Further reading Denbow, James and Thebe, Phenyo C., Culture and Customs of Botswana See also List of Botswana-related topics Communications in Botswana Transport in Botswana Music of Botswana Postage stamps and postal history of Bechuanaland Protectorate Botswanan cuisine External links Find more about Botswana on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Learning resources from Wikiversity The Government of Botswana Chief of State and Cabinet Members Botswana entry at The World Factbook Botswana from UCB Libraries GovPubs Botswana at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of Botswana Botswana travel guide from Wikitravel Botswana History from WWW-VL v • d • e  Botswana topics 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