Botswana is a country in southern Africa, with Gaborone serving as its capital. The region was annexed by Britain in January 1885 to connect the Cape Colony to other colonies farther north, and the Tswana chiefs were convinced to accept British overrule. The Bechuanaland protectorate existed until 30 September 1966, when Botswana acquired its independence. Botswana became a stable representative democracy, being one of the least corrupt countries on the continent since 1998. 70% of the country consists of the Kalahari Desert, and much of the country is sparsely populated; 10% of its 2016 population of 2,250,260 people live in the capital of Gaborone. Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world into a fast-growing economy dominated by mining, cattle, and tourism. However, by 2014, 20% of the adult population was infected with AIDS.
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