Botswana , officially the
Republic of Botswana , is a
landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens refer to themselves as
Batswana (singular:
Motswana). Formerly the British
protectorate of
Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the
Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has maintained a strong tradition of stable
representative democracy, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic
elections.