Flag of Botswana
Africa
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Flag adopted
- 1966
- Population
- 2,359,609
- Area
- 582,000 km²
- Languages
- English, Tswana
- Currency
- Botswana pula (P) — BWP
- Demonym
- Motswana
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Subregion
- Southern Africa
- Driving side
- Left
- Timezones
- UTC+02:00
- Independence
- 1966
Religions
- Christian 79.1%
- None 15.2%
- Badimo 4.1%
- Other 1.4%
- Unspecified 0.3%
About This Flag
A light blue field with a horizontal black stripe bordered by thin white stripes running through the center. The light blue represents water, specifically rain, which is vital to this semi-arid country — the national motto is 'Pula,' meaning 'Let there be rain.' The black and white central stripe symbolizes racial harmony and the cooperation between people of different races within the nation, directly referencing the zebra, which is the national animal.
This design deliberately avoided pan-African colors to emphasize national unity over ethnic or continental identity. Adopted on September 30, 1966, when Botswana gained independence from Britain, the flag stands apart from most African flags with its unique color scheme and symbolism.
What the colors & design mean
Light blue represents rain and water, critical resources in Botswana's arid Kalahari landscape. The black stripe bordered by white stripes symbolizes racial harmony and equality, echoing the black-and-white markings of the zebra, Botswana's national animal.
Pattern: Horizontal Stripes
Bordering countries (4)
Fun Facts
- Botswana is one of the few African nations whose flag intentionally avoids the pan-African colors of red, yellow, and green, choosing instead to focus on themes specific to the country.
- The national currency is called the pula, meaning rain, and the thebe (subunit) means shield — reflecting how precious water is in a country dominated by the Kalahari Desert.
- Two zebras serve as supporters on Botswana's coat of arms, reinforcing the racial harmony theme represented by the flag's black and white stripes.
- Botswana transformed from one of the poorest countries in the world at independence to one of Africa's most prosperous, largely through diamond revenues.
Similar looking flags
These flags share similar colors and patterns:
More Africa Flags
🇩🇿 Algeria · 🇦🇴 Angola · 🇧🇯 Benin · 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso · 🇧🇮 Burundi · 🇨🇲 Cameroon · 🇨🇻 Cape Verde · 🇨🇫 Central African Republic
Explore by Category
Test Your Knowledge!
Think you can identify the flag of Botswana?
Play Flag Quiz