It is about , sq km in size with a population of approximately 1,, It shares common borders with South Africa on the east and south, Namibia on the west and north, Zimbabwe on the east and Zambia at a narrow strip in the north.
The San were the indigenous inhabitants of the area now called Botswana. The population of Botswana is mainly indigenous Africans, the majority being Tswana, and speaking Setswana. There are also small minorities of Kalanga, Basarwa, Kgalagadi, and other peoples. Setswana is the national language spoken by 78 per cent but English is the official language spoken by 2.
After the gold discovery in , the Transvaal government sought to annex parts of Bechuanaland despite the fact that Britain forbade annexation. On the other hand the German colonial expansion in South West Africa now Namibia forced Britain to revisit her policies. After urging by Khama III, a chief of the Tswana nation for protection, a protectorate was then established. From until independence the history of Botswana was marked by attempts to incorporate it into Southern Rhodesia and later into South Africa.
Botswana was a name that was adopted upon independence on the 30th September with Sir Seretse Khama as its first President. Bechuanaland meant the country of Bechuana now written as Batswana plural or Tswana singular. Bechuanaland was divided into southern and northern parts. That association with Cape Colony lived until it was terminated in The northern part was the Bechuanaland Protectorate now Botswana.
In the High Commissioner for South Africa was given right to administer the protectorate. The Protectorate was actually administered from Mafeking now Mafikeng , the former capital of Botswana, by the Resident Commissioner, who has the functions of the Governor but with less authority.
