Botswana Country Abbreviations

BW is the abbreviation for Botswana, the 47th largest country in the world. Officially Republic of Botswana, Botswana is a country located in Southern Africa, bordering 4 countries – Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Gaborone is the capital city of Botswana. Other major cities include Gaborone (population: 208,411), Francistown (population: 89,979), Molepolole (population: 63,248), Selebi-Phikwe (population: 53,727), Maun (population: 49,945), Serowe (population: 47,419), Kanye (population: 44,716), Mahalapye (population: 44,471), Mogoditshane (population: 43,394), and Mochudi (population: 36,962).

Country Profile

  • Capital: Gaborone
  • Language: English, Setswana
  • Area: 581,730 km2
  • Population: 2,250,260
  • Currency: Botswana pula (BWP)
  • Time zone: UTC+2
  • Calling code: 267
  • ISO 2-Letter Abbreviation: BW
  • UN 3-Letter Abbreviation: BWA
  • Internet TLD: .bw
  • State Government Website: http://gov.bw

Map of Botswana

List of Botswana Acronyms

The most commonly used abbreviations about Botswana are BW which stands for Botswana and BWP which means Botswana pula (Botswana currency). In the following table, you can see all acronyms related to Botswana, including abbreviations for airport, city, school, port, government, and etc.

BC: Botswana

Acronym Meaning
BOT Air Botswana
BYPASS Air Botswana Corporation
BP Air Botswana Corporation
BAGPIPE Air Botswana Corporation
ACEB Association of Consulting Engineers Botswana
BOBC Bank of Botswana Certificate
BWA Botswana
BOT Botswana
BC Botswana
BAMB Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board
BAM Botswana Alliance Movement
BBS Botswana Building Society
BOBS Botswana Bureau of Standards
BBCA Botswana Business Coalition on AIDS
BOCCIM Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower
BEAUCOUP Botswana Congress Party
BCP Botswana Congress Party
BDF Botswana Defence Force
BDP Botswana Democratic Party
BDVC Botswana Diamond Valuing Company
BEMP Botswana Energy Master Plan
BFA Botswana Football Association
BHC Botswana Housing Cooperation
BIP Botswana Independence Party
BIH Botswana Innovation Hub
BIFM Botswana Insurance Fund Management
BIME Botswana International Model Expo
BLS Botswana Lesotho & Swaziland
BLMNS Botswana Lesotho Malawi Namibia and Swaziland
BMCC Botswana Media Consultative Council
BMWU Botswana Mining Workers’ Union
BMVAF Botswana Motor Vehicle Accident Fund
BNA Botswana National Archives
BNA Botswana National Atlas
BNF Botswana National Front
BNOC Botswana National Olympic Committee
BNP Botswana National Party
BNSC Botswana National Sports Council
BOC Botswana Orientation Society
BPP Botswana People’s Party
BWP Botswana Pulas
BTC Botswana Technology Centre
BTA Botswana Telecommunications Authority
BTC Botswana Telecommunications Corporation
BTV Botswana Television
BTB Botswana Tourism Board
BULGSA Botswana Unified Local Government Service Association
BNLS Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland
CVCF CEDA Venture Capital Fund (Botswana)
GBE Gaborone, Botswana – Gaborone
IBIS Info Botswana Internet Services
BBK Kasane, Botswana – Kasane
MUB Maun, Botswana
UB University of Botswana
UBH University of Botswana History Department
UBLS University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland

 

Geography

Botswana is located in southern Africa and is almost twice the size of Norway. The land is without coast and consists mainly of highland. The Kalahari Desert covers 70 percent of the land area and extends over the central and southwest parts of the country. Botswana also houses one of the world’s largest inland deltas, the Okavango Delta, which has been named one of Africa’s seven natural wonders. The water does not flow into the sea, but is absorbed by plants, evaporates or seeps into the ground and becomes groundwater. The water from the river makes plant and wildlife very rich, although Botswana has little rainfall.

Botswana is threatened with desertification and drought. Desert spread is due to the number of animals grazing too much in exposed areas, and the effect of this grazing is enhanced by global warming.

History

People have lived in Botswana for tens of thousands of years. Here lived the San people, one of the world’s oldest peoples. In the 19th century, Botswana was characterized by internal wars between various peoples. The establishment of various colonial powers in the area, in parallel with high immigration, led to pressure on the country, which in turn increased tensions. In 1876, the King of Botswana asked for British protection from a possible war with the Boere people in the Transvaal (South Africa). The British were not interested in this, but instead created a British protectorate to protect their own interests. This became today’s Botswana.

Only in 1966 did Botswana become independent and democracy was introduced. Other countries and foreign companies were quickly invited to build businesses and trade with Botswana. The 1970s marked the beginning of a period of economic growth. Foreign companies began extracting diamonds, copper and nickel from the country’s rich mineral resources. The transition from protectorate to independence took place in orderly form, without violence or major political conflicts. Seretse Khama became the country’s first president and is today considered the father of Botswana. His party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), dominated politics. The BDP and the Khama family have been in power continuously since the country became independent.

Society and politics

With the same party in power for so many years, Botswana is seen as a stable country. The opposition, which consists of many small parties, has repeatedly tried to do something about the electoral scheme that clearly makes it easier for BDP to win.

In Botswana, 8 out of 10 belong to the population group of setswana, and a clear majority are Christians. The country has avoided both coup d’état and violent uprisings after becoming independent. Botswana has a well-developed system for health and education, with 10 years of compulsory education and good access to a doctor. Around half go on to high school.

Although there is little water, everyone has access to clean drinking water and over half have proper sanitary conditions. Although Botswana has a relatively high GDP per capita, the country is struggling with poverty and unemployment. Furthermore, one in three people are believed to be infected with HIV/AIDS, making Botswana one of the countries in the world with the highest prevalence of AIDS. Attempts have been made to fight infection by distributing medicines and having large information campaigns. This has produced results. The number of AIDS deaths was halved from 2005 to 2009. The number of orphans also decreases, as parents live longer with AIDS.

The political situation in neighboring Zimbabwe has led many to flee into Botswana. The UN believes that between 40,000 and 100,000 refugees from Zimbabwe live in Botswana without being registered.

Economics and Commerce

Botswana is considered by the United Nations as a middle-income country. In addition to the country having experienced tremendous growth in the economy since independence, Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa. The country has in recent years been ahead of European countries such as Spain, Portugal and Israel.

As Norway relies on oil, Botswana relies on mining to make money. Botswana is the country in the world with the highest production of jewelery quality diamonds, measured in value. Diamond production accounts for more than one-third of the country’s GDP, and 70 to 80 percent of export revenue. In addition, there are copper, gold, nickel and soda that are also mined and sold abroad.

Tourism also provides large revenue for the country. Wildlife is the main reason why tourists visit Botswana and photo and hunting safaris are popular. Especially the Okavango Delta, with its very rich and concentrated wildlife, attracts tourists. Although mining and tourism generate the most revenue, most Botswans work in agriculture.

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