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Botswana TOURISM
Culture and History
The history of
Botswana is characterised by migrations of peoples into the country
from the north and west and particularly from the east and south, as
well as internal movements of groups of people. The group which
eventually emerged as most numerous, and dominant, were the Batswana.
Their pattern of dividing and migrating saw the formation of
numerous Tswana tribes, and their eventual occupation of all areas
of the country. The term "Batswana" refers to the ethnic
group of people who speak the Setswana
language and share the Sotho-Tswana culture, while in its
common contemporary usage, it refers to all citizens of the Republic of Botswana, regardless of
their ethnic background. The singular is "Motswana": a
citizen of the country. "Tswana" is used as an adjective -
for example "Tswana state" or "Tswana
culture".
The earliest modern
inhabitants of southern Africa were the Bushman
(San) and the Hottentot (Khoe) peoples. They have lived
an almost unchanged lifestyle in the country since the Middle Stone
Age.
The physical
characteristics of the Khoe and the San are similar.
Both tend to have light, almost coppery skin colour, slanted,
almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, thin lips and tufted, tightly
curled hair. Both speak click languages, though there are major
differences between them. Both hunted and collected wild foods and
neither grew crops.
Approximately 60,000
years ago, the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa were of one tribe,
probably of Khoe/San type. It is believed that the Bantu-speaking
people were an offshoot from the Khoe/San tribe. This occurred in
the tropical rain forests of equatorial Africa about 10,000 years
ago. The Bantu-speaking people gradually developed darker skin
pigmentation and different physical attributes because of the
different environments they eventually occupied.
Botswana Tourism
The earliest modern inhabitants of southern Africa were the Bushman (San) and the Hottentot (Khoe) peoples. They have lived an almost unchanged lifestyle in the country since the Middle Stone Age.
The physical characteristics of the Khoe and the San are similar. Both tend to have light, almost coppery skin colour, slanted, almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, thin lips and tufted, tightly curled hair. Both speak click languages, though there are major differences between them. Both hunted and collected wild foods and neither grew crops.
Approximately 60,000 years ago, the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa were of one tribe, probably of Khoe/San type. It is believed that the Bantu-speaking people were an offshoot from the Khoe/San tribe. This occurred in the tropical rain forests of equatorial Africa about 10,000 years ago. The Bantu-speaking people gradually developed darker skin pigmentation and different physical attributes because of the different environments they eventually occupied.
