Botswana is roughly the size of France or Texas. Its surface is 581,730 sq km. It is entirely landlocked, bordered by its neighbors South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Botswana is 84% covered by the Kalahari Desert. Most of the population is settled in the east and southeast of the country. The total population estimated is 1.85 million growing at a rate of 2.4% per annum. The population is heavily weighted towards younger age groups. About 43% of the population is younger than 15 years of age. Over 50% of the population is settled in urban areas. Gaborone, in the extreme southeast, is the capital city. Its population is almost 250,000. It has good communications by road and air to South Africa. Other main towns are Francistown (105,000), Lobatse (60,000), Selebi-Phikwe (50,000), Ghanzi, Mahalapye, Maun and Kasane.
Summer: December to March: High temperatures average 30C to 35C with lows around 18C and rain particularly between December and March. Winter: June to August: Daytime temperatures around 23C with night-time lows averaging 5C. Air Botswana provides international flights from Gaborone to Johannesburg and Harare and internal flights to Francistown, Maun and Kasane. Batswana are the most numerous people in the country, forming about 78.2% of the population and speaking the Setswana language. (Batswana also refers to citizens of Botswana.) They have settled in nearly all parts of the country. The oldest ethnic group is the Basarwa (or San). Over 80% of the population lives in the eastern region. GMT plus 2 hours. The Pula is divided into 100 thebe. Notes are P100, P50, P20 and P10. Coins are P5, P2, P1 and thebe 50t, 25t, 10t and 5t. Five main commercial banks operate in Botswana as well as a number of foreign exhange bureaux. Banking hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am-3:30pm. Saturday 8:30am to 11:00am. Barclays Bank at Sir Seretse Kahama International Airport is open Mon-Sat from 6am-8pm and Sun 7am-8pm. International code + 267
5