🇧🇼Botswana Political Stability: 59.4/100

Botswana is the 48th-largest country in the world, covering 581,730 km², and is predominantly flat with a mean altitude of about 1,000 metres. The Kalahari Desert dominates the landscape, covering 70% of the country, while diverse wildlife habitats include grasslands and savannas. Major tourist destinations include Chobe National Park, known for its large elephant population, and the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Botswana has a population of approximately 2.5 million people, with a significant increase from 574,000 in 1971 to 1.5 million in 1995. The country is known for its diverse cultures and languages, with Setswana being the official language and widely spoken.

World Bank governance: rule of law 54th percentile, corruption control 65th percentile, political stability 70th percentile.

Botswana's strongest governance dimension is Political Stability at 70/100, placing it in the upper half globally. This reflects a relatively low likelihood of politically motivated violence or instability.

The weakest dimension is Government Effectiveness at 54/100. Limited government effectiveness can mean inconsistent public services and gaps in policy implementation.

A moderate spread of 16 points separates the strongest and weakest indicators. This suggests governance strengths in some areas but room for improvement in others. Travelers can generally rely on institutional frameworks, though certain aspects of governance may be less dependable.

Botswana's moderate governance scores suggest travelers should prepare for some institutional inconsistency. Public services may be unreliable in certain areas, and regulatory enforcement can be uneven. Travel insurance and advance planning are recommended.

The U.S. State Department currently rates Botswana as Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution). This aligns with a governance profile that, while not without challenges, provides a baseline of institutional functioning.