Welcome in Botswana

(explore-botswana.com)

General

The republic of Botswana is completely surrounded by other countries, namely Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Republic of South Africa, and is located in the south of Africa. Botswana has currently approximately 1.5 million inhabitants. The former British protectorate Bechuanaland adapted the current name after independence in 1966. The capital and largest city of the country is Gaborone.

History

In 1837, the Afrikaners were the first ones who took the current Botswana into their hands. The former Bechuanaland became part of the British protectorate in 1885, which lasted till 1966. Some years before the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) was established and won the first elections. Bechuanaland became independent 30 September 1966, and Seretse Khama became first president. The name Bechuanaland was officially changed into Botswana. The post of Prime Minister is erased and Botswana became a parliament democracy. After the dead of Seretse Khama he is succeeded by Ketumile Masire. Botswana becomes member of the SADCC (South African Development Coordination Conference). In 1998 Ketumile Masire is succeeded by Festus Gontebanye Mogae. He keeps this position untill 2008. From 2008 till present Ian Khama is president of Botswana.

Geography

On an average, Botswana is located at an altitude of 1000m and is mostly dry highlands. In the east of Botswana there are more hills. The Kalahari desert stretches out over the south and west of Botswana. In the north of Botswana the river Okavango flows, which end in a huge swamp, named the Okavango Delta.

Climate

Botswana’s climate differs per region, and depends on local rainfall. The rainfall varies in the inlands from around 20 cm per year, while in the north this is more than 64 cm rain per year. There is a subtropical climate, but there are also long dry periods. The only and best possibility for visiting National Parks in Botswana is in the dry season (May – October).

Population

The population of Botswana exists mainly out of the Tswana (79%), an ethnical group who speak a Bantoe language. This population is divided in eight important subgroups. There are also small numbers of Kalanga (11%), Basarwa (3%), Kgalagadi and white people. Even though English is the official language, the local Tswana language commonly used. Half of the population is Christian. The other half believes in traditional religions.

Currency

The local currency is the pula. Pula means 'rain' in Setswana language. One pula is worth one hundred thebe, which means 'shield'. Kinds of coins available: 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 thebe and 1 and 2 pula. The notes are available in 10, 20, 50 and 100 pula. Up till 1920, the pound Sterling was used in Botswana, which was followed by the South African pound. In 1961 two South African pounds were traded for one South African rand. Finally, in 1976 the pula was introduced with an exchange rate of 1:1.
In the area between Francistown and Gaborone there are hardly no ATM’s. It is possible to pay by credit card or exchange money at the larger accommodations, but they might ask an extra fee for this. Euro’s or US dollars can be exchanged at most of the lodges.

Flora and Fauna
The natural division of vegetation in Botswana depends strongly on the rain fall. The largest part of Botswana exists of savannah areas, only small parts of Botswana exist of forests. The most appearing trees are the Acacia and Mopane trees. The largest forests can be found in the north, at the shores of the Chobe river. 
Botswana is known for its large diversity in animals, the most African wild species can be found here. Botswana has lately been very protective against poachers in comparison with other African countries. According to the statistics, the country has around 164 kinds of mammals, 157 kinds of reptiles, 80 kinds of fishes, 550 kinds of birds and countless sorts of insects.
The government has reserved thousands of square kilometers as protected area. Some of these protected areas are Chobe National Park in the North, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at the border of South Africa.

Language

The official language is English, besides that many different local languages are spoken, such as Mbukushu, Naro, Subiya, Tswana, Kalanga (150.000 speakers), Afrikaans (20.000 speakers), Herero (20.000 speakers), and Birwa (15.000 speakers).

Visa

For most western countries no visa are requirred. This is the case for inhabitants of the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, USA, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc. All visitors do need a passport, which has to be valid for al least 6 months after departure. Valid travel and driving documents are necessary, and visitors should bring in enough money to pay for their stay in Botswana. Visitors can obtain a tourist visa for a period of maximum 90 days per calendar year.

Health

A journey to Botswana requires a DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio) vaccination and in some areas Hepetitis A is advisable. When coming from a yellow fever area, a yellow fever vaccination is compulsory. The north of Botswana (f.e Okavango and Chobe) is a malaria risk area. You can protect yourself by wearing long clothes and to use malaria profylaxes. Some medications need to be taken a while before you go, and even when you return home. For professional advice please advice your doctor or a travel clinic.

Economy

For the biggest part of the population, small-scale agriculture and stock-breeding is the most important source of income. In most cases, only a few people of a large family has a paid job. The rest takes care of the farm. The country’s water shortening, and a continuous lack on enough facilities have delayed agricultural growth. Only a small part of the country is cultivated.
Around the time of independence, the only minerals found in Botswana were manganese, gold and asbestos. Since that time large nickel and copper sources has been found, as well as salt. There are also huge coal mines, sources of antimony, sulphur, plutonium and platin. The three diamond mines are the most important for local economy. These mines represent nowadays one of the larges diamond reserves in the world.
The large number of game parks attract many tourists and are therefore also a huge income source. Especially the Okavango Delta is internationally famous, a river that dies out in the Kalahari desert, and therefore created an enormously and unique nature area.  

Politics

Botswana is a parliamentary republic with multiple parties, that operates under the constitution of 1966. The country is headed by a president, who is as well head of state as leader of government, and serves for a period of 5 years. At this moment, since 1 April 2008, the president is Ian khama, (party: Botswana Democratic Party). The government consists of two Chambers: one House of Chiefs, which consists of 15 seats and where the most important tribe leaders hold position. The second one is the National Assemblée, which consists of 47 seats (40 chosen, 7 named by the president) with an term of office of 5 years. The most important politic parties are the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana People’s Party (BPP) and the Botswana Independence Party (BIP). 

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

(Source: sacredsites.com)
There are two great complexes of ancient temples in Southeast Asia, one at Bagan in Burma, the other at Angkor in Cambodia. The temples of Angkor, built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD, represent one of humankind's most astonishing and enduring architectural achievements. From Angkor the Khmer kings ruled over a vast domain that reached from Vietnam to China to the Bay of Bengal. The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings - palaces, public buildings, and houses - were built of wood and have long since decayed and disappeared.

Conventional theories presume the lands where Angkor stands were chosen as a settlement site because of their strategic military position and agricultural potential. Alternative scholars, however, believe the geographical location of the Angkor complex and the arrangement of its temples was based on a planet-spanning sacred geography from archaic times. Using computer simulations, it has been shown that the ground plan of the Angkor complex – the terrestrial placement of its principal temples - mirrors the stars in the constellation of Draco at the time of spring equinox in 10,500 BC. While the date of this astronomical alignment is far earlier than any known construction at Angkor, it appears that its purpose was to architecturally mirror the heavens in order to assist in the harmonization of the earth and the stars. Both the layout of the Angkor temples and the iconographic nature of much its sculpture, particularly the asuras (‘demons’) and devas (‘deities’) are also intended to indicate the celestial phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes and the slow transition from one astrological age to another.

At the temple of Phnom Bakheng there are 108 surrounding towers. The number 108, considered sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies, is the sum of 72 plus 36 (36 being ½ of 72). The number 72 is a primary number in the sequence of numbers linked to the earth’s axial precession, which causes the apparent alteration in the position of the constellations over the period of 25,920 years, or one degree every 72 years. Another mysterious fact about the Angkor complex is its location 72 degrees of longitude east of the Pyramids of Giza. The temples of Bakong, Prah Ko and Prei Monli at Roluos, south of the main Angkor complex, are situated in relation to each other in such a way that they mirror the three stars in the Corona Borealis as they appeared at dawn on the spring equinox in 10,500 BC. It is interesting to note that the Corona Borealis would not have been visible from these temples during the 10th and 11th centuries when they were constructed.

Angkor Wat, built during the early years of the 12th century by Suryavaram II, honors the Hindu god Vishnu and is a symbolic representation of Hindu cosmology. Consisting of an enormous temple symbolizing the mythic Mt. Meru, its five inter-nested rectangular walls and moats represent chains of mountains and the cosmic ocean. The short dimensions of the vast compound are precisely aligned along a north-south axis, while the east-west axis has been deliberately diverted 0.75 degrees south of east and north of west, seemingly in order to give observers a three day anticipation of the spring equinox.

Unlike other temples at Angkor, Ta Prohm has been left as it was found, preserved as an example of what a tropical forest will do to an architectural monument when the protective hands of humans are withdrawn. Ta Prohm's walls, roofs, chambers and courtyards have been sufficiently repaired to stop further deterioration, and the inner sanctuary has been cleared of bushes and thick undergrowth, but the temple has been left in the stranglehold of trees. Having planted themselves centuries ago, the tree's serpentine roots pry apart the ancient stones and their immense trunks straddle the once bustling Buddhist temple. Built in the later part of the 12th century by Jayavarman VII, Ta Prohm is the terrestrial counterpart of the star Eta Draconis the Draco constellation.

During half-millennia of Khmer occupation, the city of Angkor became a pilgrimage destination of importance throughout Southeastern Asia. Sacked by the Thais in 1431 and abandoned in 1432, Angkor was forgotten for a few centuries. Wandering Buddhist monks, passing through the dense jungles, occasionally came upon the awesome ruins. Recognizing the sacred nature of the temples but ignorant of their origins, they invented fables about the mysterious sanctuaries, saying they had been built by the gods in a far ancient time. Centuries passed, these fables became legends, and pilgrims from the distant reaches of Asia sought out the mystic city of the gods. A few adventurous European travelers knew of the ruins and stories circulated in antiquarian circles of a strange city lost in the jungles. Most people believed the stories to be nothing more than legend, however, until the French explorer Henri Mouhot brought Angkor to the world's attention in 1860. The French people were enchanted with the ancient city and beginning in 1908 funded and superbly managed an extensive restoration project. The restoration has continued to the present day, excepting periods in the 70's and 80's when military fighting prevented archaeologists from living near the ruins.

Orthodox archaeologists sometimes interpret the temples of the Angkor complex as tombs of megalomaniacal kings yet in reality those kings designed and constructed the temples as a form of service to both god and their own subjects. The temples were places not for the worship of the kings but rather for the worship of god. Precisely aligned with the stars, constructed as vast three dimensional yantras and adorned with stunningly beautiful religious art, the Angkor temples were instruments for assisting humans in their realization of the divine.

Jayavaram VII, spoke of his intentions in erecting temples as being:

“full of deep sympathy for the good of the world, so as to bestow on men the ambrosia of remedies to win them immortality….By virtue of these good works would that I might rescue all those who are struggling in the ocean of existence.”

Borobudur Stupa, Java, Indonesia

(Source: sacredsites.com)

Sometime before the 5th century AD, the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism spread southward from the mainland of southeast Asia to the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and a few others in the archipelago currently called Indonesia. (It is misleading to think of all of Indonesia as either an ancient empire or the province of any particular religion. The vast archipelago of over 13,000 islands became the nation of Indonesia only in 1949 and only a few of its major islands were ever settled or much influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism or Islam). There are no archaeological remains of temples in the Indianized states of Java prior to the end of the 7th century as the early Hindu structures were built of wood and have long since decayed in the moist tropic climate. The first stone temples, Shiva shrines constructed during the 8th century, are found high on the Dieng plateau, the name Dieng meaning 'the place of the gods'. The greatest concentration of Javanese sacred architecture, however, lies on the plain of Kedu, some 42 kilometers north-west of the present city of Yogyakarta. Here stands the beautiful Hindu temple complex of Prambanam and the world famous Hindu/Buddhist temple of Borobudur.
Borobudur, a name deriving from an expression meaning 'Mountain of accumulation of merits of the ten states of Bodhisattva' is commonly thought of as a Buddhist structure, yet its initial construction was planned and conducted by Hindu builders sometime around 775 AD. The enormous first and second terraces were completed by a declining Hindu dynasty, construction was then halted for some years, and later, from 790 to 835 AD, the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty continued and finally completed the great stupa. The huge stone mass might have then been permanently abandoned, for it was difficult to adapt to the needs of Buddhism. However, leaving in evidence such an obvious manifestation of Hinduism was probably not deemed politically correct and thus the unfinished Shiva temple was transformed into the world's largest Buddhist stupa. After 832 AD the Hindu dynasty of Sanjaya began to reunify central Java and soon reappropriated the Buddhist monuments built by the Sailendra. Although the Sanjaya were themselves Hindu, they ruled over a Buddhist majority and thus, while some Hindu modifications and ornamentations were done on Borobudur, the stupa remained a place of Buddhist use. During the 10th and 11th centuries there was a transfer of power from central Java to the east, and the great stupa fell into decline. For centuries the site lay forgotten, buried under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. In 1815 Europeans cleared the site, in the early 1900's the Dutch began its restoration, and a US$21 million project begun in 1973 completed the work.
The Borobudur stupa is a massive, symetrical monument, 200 square meters in size, sitting upon a low sculptured hill. The monument represents a Buddhist cosmological model of the universe organized around the axis of mythical Mt. Meru. Starting at the eastern gateway, pilgrims circumambulate the stupa, always in a clockwise direction. Walking through nearly five kilometers of open air corridors while ascending through six square terraces and three circular ones, the pilgrim symbolically spirals upward from the everyday world to the nirvanic state of absolute nothingness. The first six terraces are filled with richly decorated relief panels in which the sculptors have carved a textbook of Buddhist doctrines and a fascinating panorama of 9th century Javanese life. Upon the upper three terraces are 72 small stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha (these statues are usually headless; relic hunters stole many of the heads, others are in museums). Crowning the entire structure is a great central stupa. Representing Nirvana, it is empty.