Transport in Botswana

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A sparsely populated, arid country, Botswana has nonetheless managed to incorporate much of its interior into the national economy. An "inner circle" highway connecting all major towns and district capitals is completely paved, and the all-weather Trans-Kalahari Highway connects the country (and, through it, South Africa's commercially dominant Gauteng Province) to Walvis Bay in Namibia.

Contents 1 Railways 1.1 Railway links to adjacent countries 1.2 Maps 2 Highways 3 Ports and harbors 4 Airports 4.1 Airports - with paved runways 4.2 Airports - with unpaved runways 5 See also

[edit] Railways

888 km 1.067-m gauge (2002), 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)

[edit] Railway links to adjacent countries

• Zimbabwe - yes
• South Africa - yes
• Namibia - no - via South Africa - in 2006 a proprosed electrified railway connecting to Lüderitz, Namibia for coal traffic is scheduled to open.
• Botswana-Zambia link - A new rail link between Botswana and Zambia, bypassing Zimbabwe, was mooted in 2005 by BR (Botswana railways) GM Andrew Lunga. The line was envisaged as running south-westwards from Livingstone, crossing the Zambesi, then continuing to a junction with the existing BR tracks at Mosetse. Lunga's proposal arose following the serious loss of traffic suffered by BR following the opening of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo line, after which annual BR freight tonnage fell from 1.1m per annum to about 150,000. Zimbabwe's economic problems had worsened the situation, prejudicing free traffic flow. The suggested line, Lunga pointed out, would provide important alternative routes linking South Africa, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [1]

[edit] Maps

• UN Map missing

[edit] Highways

total: 10,217 km (1999), 18,482 km (1996 est.)
paved: 5620 (1999), 4,343 km (1996 est.)
unpaved: 4,597 km (1999), 14,139 km (1996 est.)

[edit] Ports and harbors

none - landlocked

[edit] Airports

86 (2002), 92 (1999 est.)

see also List of airports in Botswana

[edit] Airports - with paved runways

total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002, 1999 est.)

[edit] Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 76 (2002), 82 (1999 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002), 4 (1999 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 55 (2002), 57 (1999 est.)
under 914 m: 18 (2002), 21 (1999 est.)

[edit] See also

• Botswana
• Air Botswana UK - The national airline of Botswana