Africa
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries - History
The Kalahari region has for many thousands of years been the homeland of the Bushmen, traditionally hunter-gatherers who live a semi-nomadic existence. For the past few centuries, pastoral tribesmen have arrived from other areas of southern Africa and settled much of the land with their cattle.
In the early 19th Century, European missionaries arrived in present-day Botswana with the aim of converting the dominant Tswana tribes and generally met with limited success. At the same time South African Boers, who were having their own difficulties with the British in the Cape, started to look north for land. Local tribesmen were engaged in a series of battles with the Boers and were regularly looking to Britain for assistance and protection. They finally gained this when Britain declared the area north of the River Molopo the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland in 1885.
With the economy in poor shape and controversy raging between the Resident Commissioner and the tribal chiefs on how to manage the country, the seeds of nationalism were sown. From the 1940's to 1960's nationalist calls grew and the Batswana people started their own political parties. General elections were held in 1965 and Seretse Khama, the rightful heir to the tribal throne, was elected President. In September 1966 the country, now called Botswana, became independent. In the late 1960's rich diamond deposits were discovered, which has transformed the country's economy and has helped to turn Botswana into one of Africa's most peaceful and well-off nations.
