January 24, 2013
In 1885, responding to Khama III, Bathoen, and Sebele, the British took over in "Bechuanaland."
The southern part of that place became part of South Africa, but the northern part went on to become what today is Botswana, today's "History of" country, an independent constitutional democracy since 1964.
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After the Zulu War, Cecil Rhodes' dreams of another British empire in Africa took big leaps forward.
Luckily for the Limeys, the Krauts didn't get there first or WWI might have been even more interesting there than it was.
That's a very cheerful coat of arms. It like it - it's inviting.
Who leaves a country packed with zebras to come to a non-zebra country?
Botswana has a surprisingly stable economy and government considering the fate of some of it's African neighbors. Unique geography, too- the Okavango River is fourth longest in Africa, yet never reaches the sea. Instead it spills out into a giant delta that supports a huge population of diverse wildlife.
"Bechuanaland."
I'm thinking of a country ruled by Glenn Beck and Gisele Bündchen.
What's Botswanaian about the gears in the escutcheon of the coat of arms?
It's largely an agricultural economy.
Regardless, they, unlike us, are able to maintain budgetary surpluses.
So, they've got that going for them.
Interesting motto:
"Pula, the Setswana word for 'Let there be rain'."
bagoh20 said...
That's a very cheerful coat of arms. It like it - it's inviting.
1/24/13, 2:05 PM
I'm surprised they have an elephant tusk on there. I would've thought that would be banned by the PC police.
For an insight into the cultural life of Botswana one could do worse than read Alexander McCall Smith's series of books, The Number One Ladies Detective Agency.
I have been to Botswana twice - wonderful country with a very different feel than some of their neighbors.
As Ann notes, they are a representative democracy and have one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The government has built a thoughtful fiscal policy, has a constitutional prohibition against nationalizing private property and uses the proceeds from the country's diamond mines to invest in the education of its citizens. Rather than go into debt to finance its educational drive, Botswana has built up its school system over time offering first primary and then secondary subsidized schooling.
Tourism is the second largest industry and Botswana monitors and restricts the licensing of its game lodges to maintain low-environmental impact to the land and animals. Unlike the photos of some other African countries, it was rare for us to see more than two game drive trucks during a drive - no huge buses stopping to see one lone lion.
Sadly, Botswana also has the second highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in Africa - and estimated 1 in 6.
Who said that the Balkans produced more history than could be consumed locally? It almost seems as if Botswana might be in the market for excess history - to judge from this "History of", they seem to be experiencing a bit of a shortage.
Seriously, why did Rhodesia/Zimbabwe to the east and Namibia to the west have such a rotten time of it, and Botswana just seems to have glided along in almost perfect serenity?
And when the blacks took back South Africa, it became a violent hellhole.
Obama's brothers, uncles, and sons, everyone! Making everywhere just like Detroit!
When I worked at a Quaker boarding high school, I helped the yoots to apply to college.
One young man would check African-American. He was a dual citizen of Botswana and the US and whiter than I am, blazing red hair. LOL
pookaa said...
Sadly, Botswana also has the second highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in Africa - and estimated 1 in 6.
Which reminds me that, thanks to George W. Bush's AIDS program in Africa, Botswana now has 80% coverage with anti-retroviral treatment.
And yet liberals are either totally mum or dismissive about this achievement and the fact that Bush is loved in Africa.
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe almost touch at a single point. It's literally a matter of just a couple hundred meters that stand in the way. If the four borders actually did touch it would be the only national quadripoint in the world.
Peter
That's a very cheerful coat of arms.
Bloomberg wants to see through those ;)
This is a tough crowd.
I love Botswana simply because of Mma Ramotswe and her friends.
The motto "PULA" makes me think of an old Benny Hill sketch. Benny plays a British diplomat who offers increasingly insane suggestions to an African head of state (dressed like a 19th century Zulu warrior), and after each suggestion the African says "Boola, boola, sahib."
At the end Benny says something along the lines of well that's that, then, and let's go see your herd of cattle. To which the African says "Very good, but watch your step, sahib, so you don't tred in the boola-boola."
Er, what does "PULA" stand for?
Ah, "Pula" means either rain or good luck. Must be a fairly dry place.
I would gladly live out my life not giving a second thought, hell, not giving a first thought to landlocked nonentities like Botswana and Mali. But that would only be possible if I were a citizen of a landlocked nonentity like Andorra, or Lichtenstein, or Luxembourg, which didn't have the substance to throw its weight around and sacrifice its sons. God willing there will soon be a Republic of Arkansas, or Republic of the Dakotas, or Republic of Idaho which will mind its own business and pretty much leave a body alone.
Zèbre Rampant. The zebra is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolizes speed and endurance, prey, timidness, flightiness, grazing, unsuitability for draft work or harness or riding, peevishness, camouflage, herd mentality and collectivism, and large sex organ due awkward and clumsy copulating position.
The shield is typical shape for East Africa, the gears over water over buffalo symbolize the importance of water buffalo industry, nearly everything works by water buffalo over there. The ivory tusk and sorghum plant recall a time in the past when zebras were more useful in feeding elephants sorghum.
Pala means "rain" and is also the word for Botswana currency, because in Botswana it rains money.
Althouse is missing a big chance to use her insect politics tag...
See Drudge right now.
I wonder whether the Zebra Rampant exists on any other coat of arms? Clearly the Brits created the Zebra Rampant as a variation on their Lion Rampant, which appears everywhere in British heraldry. But does the Zebra Rampant exist anywhere other than on this coat of arms? I doubt it.
Zebras turn out to have a pretty nasty disposition. Chip is right about their unsuitability as a draft animal. Also in Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond asserted that they know how to dodge thrown ropes, a trick that Equus ferus still hasn't figured out.
Google Earth shows nearly no human life at all. There are a few ranch houses it seems, a few getaways, and what appear to be plantations with rectangles around them but dirt roads otherwise, and no Google truck. The photographs pinned are mostly of animals. Some trees. Red dirt roads. The photographs are generally outstanding, some a bit shocking if that's possible. You don't expect gigantic toads.
"why did Rhodesia/Zimbabwe to the east and Namibia to the west have such a rotten time of it, and Botswana just seems to have glided along in almost perfect serenity?"
Botswana has a stable multiparty democratic government. It is 65% Christian and 32% Ethno-religionist. "Vision 2016" is a government-initiated set of long-term goals regarding health, the economy and social values that fit naturally with biblical principles.Corruption is not tolerated and rare compared to other African countries.
before I saw the draft ov $6225, I have faith that...my... neighbour was actualie erning money part time on their laptop.. there aunts neighbour had bean doing this 4 less than 19 months and as of now paid the dept on there home and bourt Lotus Elise. I went here,.... http://BIT40.com
The Bechuanaland Protectorate was run in the interests of the local inhabitants by the British Colonial Office's "High Commissioner for Southern Africa"; Namibia was colonised by Germany and the South Africa, and Zimbabwe was colonised by the British South Africa Company- both therefore went through a decolonisation process with a massive conflict of interest between the settlers and the indigenous inhabitants, and therefore saw a very violent transition.
Botswana's wealth wasn't recognised in the nineteenth century, so it didn't get settlers.
The saga of Sir Seretse Khama and his marriage to Lady Khama, a white woman he met while studying in the UK, and the prejudice their inter-racial relationship faced is well known in the country.
I have been at a campsite in Tsolodi [in the NW] where people have had camp fires for 16,000 years.
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