Flag of Botswana

Flag origins

Botswana’s flag has a light blue field with a horizontal black stripe edged in white. Blue represents water and rain, precious in a dry country. The national motto Pula expresses a wish for rain, and the currency is also called the pula. Black and white symbolize racial harmony, cooperation and equality. They also recall the stripes of the zebra, the national animal, two of which appear on the coat of arms.

Flag story

The flag was first raised at midnight on September 30, 1966, when Botswana became independent from Britain. Previously, as the Bechuanaland Protectorate, it used the Union Jack rather than its own national flag. During the 1960s, neighboring South Africa practiced apartheid. Botswana’s juxtaposition of black and white expressed a contrasting commitment to racial harmony: people living together rather than being divided by race.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Botswana — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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