Republic of Botswana

CAPITAL: Gaborone

FLAG: The flag of Botswana consists of five horizontal stripes. The top and bottom stripes are light blue and wider than the middle stripe, which is black. The blue stripes are separated from the black by thin white stripes.

ANTHEM: Fatshe La Rona (Blessed Country).

MONETARY UNIT: On 23 August 1976, the pula (P) of 100 thebe replaced the South African rand (R) as Botswana's legal currency. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 thebe and 1 pula, and notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pula. P1 = $0.2028 (or $1 = P4.93) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; President's Day, 15 July; Botswana Days, 30 September–1 October; Christmas, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Ascension.

TIME: 2 PM = noon GMT.

Location, Size, and Extent

A landlocked country in southern Africa, Botswana has a total area of 600,370 sq km (231,802 sq mi), extending...