Botswana
 

21 May 1884 - 30 Sep 1966	1907 - 1931  flag of the High Commissioner	1931 - 30 Sep 1966  flag of the High Commissioner
Adopted 30 Sep 1966

Map of Botswana Hear National Anthem "Fatshe leno la rona" (Blessed Be This Noble Land) Text of National Anthem Adopted 30 Sep 1966 Constitution (30 Sep 1966) Capital: Gaborone (Gaberones 1965-1969; Mafeking 1885-1965) Currency: Pula (BWP); South African Rand (ZAR) 1961-1976  National Holiday: 30 Sep (1966)  Independence Day (Botswana Day) Population: 2,098,018 (2012) GDP: $90.09 billion (2011) Exports: $5.50 billion (2011) Imports: $5.42 billion (2011) Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 66.8%, Kalanga 14.8%, Ndebele 1.7%, Herero 1.4%, San (Bushman) 1.3%, white/Afrikaner 1.3% (2000) Total Active Armed Forces: 10,500 (2010) Merchant marine: None (2010) Religions: Christian 64.13% (of which African Christian 30.7% other Protestant 10.9%, Roman Catholic 3.7%),  traditional beliefs 34.4%, Muslim 0.28% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfDB, APM, AU, BTWC, C, CCM, CTBT, CWC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISA, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NTBT, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Botswana Index Chronology 21 May 1884                British protectorate (Bechuanaland).  1 Sep 1885                Area south of the Molopo River becomes a                               crown colony (see under South Africa).  9 May 1891 -  3 Oct 1963  Part of the High Commission Territories.  1 Aug 1964                Bechuanaland colony  3 Mar 1965                Self-rule achieved. 30 Sep 1966                Independence from Britain (Republic of Botswana). Traditional States Tati Concessions Land (1872-1911) High Commission Territory of Southern Africa (1884-1964)

Deputy Commissioners
Apr 1884 - 30 Jul 1884     John Mackenzie (1st time)          (b. 1835 - d. 1899)
30 Jul 1884 - Sep 1884     Cecil John Rhodes (acting)         (b. 1853 - d. 1902)
1884 - Jan 1885            John Mackenzie (2nd time)          (s.a.)
Special Commissioners
23 Jan 1885 - 24 Sep 1885  Sir Charles Warren                 (b. 1840 - d. 1927)
24 Sep 1885 - 30 Sep 1885  Frederick Carrington               (b. 1844 - d. 1913)
Deputy Commissioners
30 Sep 1885 -  9 May 1891  Sidney Godolphin Alexander         (b. 1837 - d. 1901)
                             Shippard (from 21 Jun 1887, Sir 
                             Sidney Godolphin Alexander Shippard)
Resident Commissioners
(subordinated to the High Commissioner for Southern Africa to 3 Oct 1963)
 9 May 1891 - 19 Nov 1895  Sir Sidney Godolphin Alexander     (s.a.)
                             Shippard 
19 Nov 1895 - 21 Dec 1897  Francis James Newton               (b. 1857 - d. 1948)
21 Dec 1897 - 1900         Hamilton John Goold-Adams          (b. 1858 - d. 1920)
Aug 1900 - 28 Sep 1900     William Henry Surmon (acting)      (b. 1835 - d. 1900)
Jan 1901 - 1906            Sir Ralph Champneys Williams       (b. 1848 - d. 1927)
1906 - 1916                Francis William Panzera            (b. 1851 - d. 1917)
1916 - 1917                Edward Charles Frederick Garraway  (b. 1865 - d. 1932)
1917 - 1920                James Comyn MacGregor (1st time)   (b. 1861 - d. 1935)
1920                       Jules E. Ellenberger (1st time)    (b. 1871 - d. 1973)
                             (acting)
1920 - 1923                James Comyn MacGregor (2nd time)   (s.a.)
1923 - 1926                Jules E. Ellenberger (2nd time)    (s.a.)
1926                       Rowland Mortimer Daniel (1st time) (b. 1873 - d. 1957)
                             (acting)
1926 - 1927                Jules E. Ellenberger (3rd time)    (s.a.)
1927 - 1930                Rowland Mortimer Daniel (2nd time) (s.a.)
                             (acting)
1930 - 1937                Charles Fernand Rey                (b. 1877 - d. 1968)
                             (from 1 Jan 1932, Sir Charles Fernand Rey) 
1937 - 1942                Charles Noble Arden-Clarke         (b. 1898 - d. 1962)
1942 - 1946                Aubrey Denzil Forsyth Thomson      (b. 1897 - d. 1982)
1946 - 1950                Anthony Sillery                    (b. 1903 - d. 1976)
1950 - 1953                Edward Betham Beetham              (b. 1905 - d. 1979)
1953 - 1955                William Forbes Mackenzie           (b. 1907 - d. 1980)
1955 - 1959                Martin Osterfield Wray             (b. 1912 - d. 1991)
1959 - 1963                Sir John Primatt Redcliffe Maud    (b. 1906 - d. 1982)
1963 -  1 Aug 1964         Robert Peter Fawcus                (b. 1915 - d. 2003)
Commissioners
 1 Aug 1964  - 1965        Robert Peter Fawcus                (s.a.)
                             (from 13 Jun 1964, Sir Robert Peter Fawcus) 
1965 - 30 Sep 1966         Hugh Selby Norman-Walker           (b. 1916 - d. 1985)
                             (from 1 Jan 1966, Sir Hugh Selby Norman-Walker)
Presidents
30 Sep 1966 - 13 Jul 1980  Sir Seretse Khama                  (b. 1921 - d. 1980)  BDP
13 Jul 1980 - 31 Mar 1998  Quett Ketumile Masire              (b. 1925)            BDP
                            (from 4 Dec 1991, Sir Ketumile Masire)
                            (acting to 18 Jul 1980)
 1 Apr 1998 - 31 Mar 2008  Festus Gontebanye Mogae            (b. 1939)            BDP
 1 Apr 2008 -              Seretse Khama Ian Khama            (b. 1953)            BDP

Prime minister
 3 Mar 1965 - 30 Sep 1966  Seretse Khama                      (s.a.)               BDP
                             (from 23 Sep 1966, Sir Seretse Khama) 

Assistant Commissioners for the Northern Protectorate
(at Old Palapye, from 1903/04 at Francistown)
1892 - 1895                John Smith Moffat                  (b. 1835 - d. 1918)
1895 - 1901                John Anchitel Ashburnham           (b. 1865 - d. 1939)
1902 - 1906                Francis William Panzera            (s.a.)
1907 - 1923                Rowland Mortimer Daniel            (s.a.) 
Assistant Commissioners for the Southern Protectorate (at Fort Gaberones)
1892 - 1900?               William Henry Surmon               (s.a.)              
1900? - 1923               Jules E. Ellenberger               (s.a.)

International Disputes: Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary. 

Party abbreviations: BDP = Botswana Democratic Party (conservative, traditionalist, est.1961, named Bechuanaland Democratic Party to 1966); BPP = Botswana People's Party (progressive, est.1960, named Bechuanaland People's Party to 1966)

1864                       Gold is discovered in Tati River area, then part of the
                             Matabeleland.
Oct 1872                   Concession granted to Sir John Swinburne (b. 1831 - d. 1914),
                             he later acquires most other concessions in the area.
21 Jan 1893                Tati Land (Tati district) detached from Matabeleland and placed
                             under the jurisdiction of the Resident Commissioner of
                             Bechuanaland Protectorate.
21 Jan 1911                Annexed to Bechuanaland colony. 
 

Special Justices of the Peace
1891 - 18..                Hamilton John Goold-Adams             (b. 1858 - d. 1920)
18.. - Sep 1899            H.J. Kinsman      
21 Sep 1899 - 1903         Umfreville Percy Swinburne            (b. 1868 - d. 1931)
Magistrates
1903 - 1906                Francis William Panzera               (b. 1851 - d. 1917)
1906 - 1911                Rowland Mortimer Daniel               (b. 1873 - d. 1957)

18 Mar 1884                High Commission Territory of Southern Africa 
                             (Bechuanaland and Basutoland).
 6 Sep 1902                Addition of Swaziland.
 3 Oct 1963                Swaziland and Bechuanaland no longer subordinated to
                             the High Commissioner.
 1 Aug 1964                Abolished.

High Commissioners for Southern Africa
27 Jan 1847 -  6 Mar 1901  the governors of the Cape Colony
 5 May 1897 -  1 Apr 1905  Alfred Milner, Viscount Milner     (b. 1854 - d. 1925)
 2 Apr 1905 - 31 May 1910  William Waldegrave Palmer,         (b. 1859 - d. 1942)
                             Earl of Selborne
31 May 1910 - 11 Dec 1923  the governors-general of South Africa
11 Dec 1923 - 21 Jan 1924  Sir Rudolf Bentinck (acting)       (b. 1869 - d. 1947)
21 Jan 1924 -  6 Apr 1931  the governors-general of South Africa
 6 Apr 1931 -  6 Jan 1935  Sir Herbert James Stanley          (b. 1872 - d. 1955)
 1 Aug 1933 -  1 Dec 1933  Edward Evans (acting for Stanley)
 7 Jan 1935 -  3 Jan 1940  Sir William Henry Clark            (b. 1876 - d. 1952)
 3 Jan 1940 - 24 May 1941  Sir Walter Clarence Huggard        (b. 1883 - d. 1957)
                             (1st time)(acting)
24 May 1941 - 13 May 1944  William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore, (b. 1885 - d. 1964)
                             Baron Harlech
13 May 1944 - 23 Jun 1944  Harold Eddey Priestman (acting)    (b. 1888 - d. 1956)
23 Jun 1944 - 27 Oct 1944  Sir Walter Clarence Huggard        (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
27 Oct 1944 -  1 Oct 1951  Sir Evelyn Baring                  (b. 1903 - d. 1973)
 2 Oct 1951 -  2 Feb 1955  Sir John Helier Le Rougetel        (b. 1894 - d. 1975)
 4 Mar 1955 - Dec 1958     Sir Percivale Liesching            (b. 1895 - d. 1973)
15 Jan 1959 - 1963         Sir John Primatt Redcliffe Maud    (b. 1906 - d. 1982)
1963 - 31 Jul 1964         Sir Hugh Southern Stephenson       (b. 1906 - d. 1972)