Botswana
POPULATION 1,591,232
AFRICAN INDIGENOUS BELIEFS, 65 percent
CHRISTIAN 34.18 percent
OTHER 0.82 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
The Republic of Botswana is a semiarid, sparsely populated country in southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on the southeast and south, Namibia on the west, Zambia on the north, and Zimbabwe on the northeast. As Bechuanaland, it became a British protectorate in 1885. In 1966 the country gained its independence. Since then Botswana has become one of Africa's most stable democracies, with one of the continent's fastest growing economies. There has been rapid urbanization, including the newly built capital, Gaborone.
Botswana has some 14 ethnic groups that largely follow either indigenous religions or Christianity. European missionaries introduced Christianity in around 1843. In precolonial times religion was pivotal to all spheres of community life, but since independence no particular religion has been associated with the government.
Religious Tolerance
The constitution of Botswana protects the rights of religious freedom, expression, and assembly. Forced religious instruction or participation in religious ceremonies or the taking of oaths that run counter to a person's beliefs are prohibited. A multireligious curriculum is taught to all children in the public schools. There are no reports of religious prisoners or of the denial of migration rights on religious grounds.
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