All of Me
All of Me
All of Me
Botswana has diverse areas of wildlife habitat. In addition to the delta and desert
areas, there are grasslands and savannas, where Blue Wildebeest, antelopes, and other
mammals and birds are found. Northern Botswana has one of the few remaining large
populations of the endangered African Wild Dog. Chobe National Park, found in
the Chobe District, has the world's largest concentration of African elephants. The park
covers about 11,000 km2 (4,247 sq mi) and supports about 350 species of birds.
somewhat eased the effects of drought. Surface water is scarce in Botswana and less than Commented [LDC2R1]:
5% of the agriculture in the country is sustainable by rainfall. In the remaining 95% of the
country, raising livestock is the primary source of rural income. Approximately 71% of the
country's land is used for communal grazing, which has been a major cause of the
desertification and the accelerating soil erosion of the country.
Pula," the Setswana word for rain, is featured on the coat of arms, and is called
out frequently at public gatherings as a salute and cry of approbation. It is also the term
for the national currency. The national anthem is "Lefatshe la Rona," ("Our Country"), and
its title captures the strong attachment most Batswana feel to the land and its resources,
as well as some antiforeign sentiments. Cattle were tremendously important not just to
a material economy but also to the symbolic economy of status, family, and social
relations in the past, and cattle remain powerfully evocative to most Batswana today.
The Constitution of Botswana is the rule of law which protects the citizens of
Botswana and represents their rights. The politics of Botswana take place in a framework
of a representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Botswana is both head
of state and head, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the
government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of
Botswana. The most recent election, its tenth, was held on October 16, 2009.
Since independence was declared, the party system has been dominated by
the Botswana Democratic Party. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the
legislature. According to Transparency International, Botswana is the least corrupt
country in Africa and ranks similarly close to Portugal and South Korea.
This year, Botswana was ranked as less corrupt than many countries in Europe
such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece (which has improved upon its 2012
score).A press release from the government of Botswana cites a number of bodies as
contributing factors to Botswanas comparatively impressive ranking:Botswana's
success in the annual survey over the years has been attributed to our zero tolerance
approach to corruption buttressed by the putting into place of multiple oversight
institution, such as the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), Public
Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB), the Competition Authority and the
Financial Intelligence Agency. Botswana, as well as being the least corrupt country in
Africa, is also one of Africas freest economies. This year, the Heritage Foundation
ranked Botswana as the 30th most economically free country in the world in their
annual Index of Economic Freedom (the only African country to rank higher than
Botswana in this index was the island nation of Mauritius).
List of Diplomatic Officers