Botswana¹ (population 1.77 million)² is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that covers an area of 600,000 square kilometres. Its boundaries border Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Angola. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name on independence in 1966. The economy, one of the most robust on the continent, is dominated by diamond mining.

According to the United Nations human development index (HDI), Botswana is ranked 128/177 countries worldwide (value 0.589)³ and 10/45 African countries for which an index is available. This places Botswana in the group of countries with medium human development.