| Gaborone | |
 | |
  Gaborone | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | Botswana |
| District | South-East |
| Elevation | 900 m (2,953 ft) |
| Population (1 January 2005) | |
| - Total | 208,411 |
| Time zone | GMT +2 (UTC) |
Gaborone (pronounced /ˌxɑːbəˈroʊni/, or spelling pronunciation /ˌɡæbəˈroʊni/), estimated population 208,411 (1 January 2005), is the capital and largest city of Botswana. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. |||} Botswana is divided into 9 Districts Central District Ghanzi District Kgalagadi District Kgatleng District South-East is one of the Districts of Botswana. The capital city of Botswana Gaborone, is located in this district and is also the administrative capital The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. Gaborone lies in the flat valley between Kgale and Oodi Hills, on the Notwane River in the south eastern corner of Botswana, and 15 kilometers (9 mi) from the South African border. It is the administrative capital of the South-East district.
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History
Before 1969, the city was known as Gaberones [1]. Gaberones replaced Mafeking as the capital of the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1965. Mafikeng (previously Mafeking) is the capital of the North-West Province of South Africa. The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP was a protectorate established on March 31, 1885, by the United Kingdom in Southern Africa. Mafeking (now Mafikeng) was outside the Bechuanaland Protectorate, in what is now the North West Province of South Africa, an odd arrangement that dated from the early colonial period. Mafikeng (previously Mafeking) is the capital of the North-West Province of South Africa. North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa When the Protectorate became independent, Botswana needed a capital city within its territory; earlier it had been thought Lobatse might serve as capital but it was decided that it would be too limited, and instead a new capital city would be created adjacent to Gaberones, a small colonial administrative settlement. Lobatse is a town in South-Eastern Botswana, 70 Kilometres south of the capital Gaborone, pleasantly situated in a range of hills The original name, Gaberones, is from Gaborone's Village, following the early practice of referring to African tribal capitals by the name of the chief, in this case Chief Kgosi Gaborone of the BaTlokwa, whose village, now called Tlokweng, was just across a river from the "Government Camp" (colonial government headquarters). Tlokweng is a town located directly adjacent to the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, in the South-East District. "Gabs" is still a common abbreviation for Gaborone, sometimes used in casual speech. A newer nickname for Gaborone is 'GC' or 'Gabz' as the city has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade.
The centre of the city was constructed in three years, including Assembly buildings, government offices, a power station, a hospital, schools, a radio station, a telephone exchange, police stations, a post office, and more than 1,000 houses. The basic infrastructure was in place for Independence Day on 30 September 1966, when Bechuanaland was the eleventh British dependency in Africa to become independent. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP was a protectorate established on March 31, 1885, by the United Kingdom in Southern Africa. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom The first mayor of Gaborone was Reverend J. D. Jones, whose town council led the planning and development of the town in preparation for Independence day. The old Gaberones became a suburb of the new Gaborone, and is now known as "the Village". South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California.
Infrastructure
For many years, Gaborone was the fastest growing city in the world. Even today, it is still considered the fastest growing city in Africa. [2] Every year, the majority of the country's infrastructural budget goes towards improving the city's roads, buildings, and services. Since most of the large buildings are relatively new, the entire downtown area tends towards modernism, built generally with a mix of glass, steel and bricks. Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century The modernist city is surrounded by lower-rise development that has not been subject to the same planning as the city's centre. But the city is surrounded by villages- Ramotswa to the south east, Mogoditshane to the north west, and Mochudi to the east and Tlokweng. Ramotswa is a village in South-East District of Botswana, southwest of the capital of Gaborone. Mogoditshane is a town located in the Kweneng District of Botswana. Mochudi is one of the larger villages in Botswana with a population of around 40000 Tlokweng is a town located directly adjacent to the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, in the South-East District. A lot of people live in these villages and work in Gaborone.
The new city has a relatively good water supply, which has facilitated growth. A railway line divides the city into two. Suburbs in Gaborone include Broadhurst, Gaborone West, The Village, and Naledi. Public transport in the city is generally not bad, when compared with major African cities. 'Kombis' and taxis ply the routes within the city while buses service surrounding villages and other towns in Botswana. A posh suburb lies outside the city's boundary - Phakalane. Here, one will find a 5 star hotels, good restaurants, and a buzzing night life. It was originally planned as a relatively small town, and its rapid development has necessitated construction of a larger city dam to provide an adequate water supply. Sir Seretse Khama International Airport lies about 10km north of the city and connects with Johannesburg, Cape Town, Harare, Francistown and Maun. Sir Seretse Khama International Airport located 15km (9 mi north of Gaborone is the main International airport of the Capital city of Botswana Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the Harare (həˈrɑreɪ or /həˈrɑri/ formerly Salisbury) is the Capital of Zimbabwe. Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 113315 (urban area - census 2001 and often described as the "Capital of the North" Maun is the fifth largest town in Botswana. It is an eclectic mix of modern buildings and native huts Currently, there are about 130 houses newly constructed in Block 7, north of the city in a joint venture between BHC, a parastatal and Chinese owned companies. There is also some development in the northeastern parts of the city, along the A1 highway. Interestingly, the city's central business district (CBD) is still under construction so when one says 'downtown', they actually mean the Mall and Government Enclave areas where tall buildings are usually found.
Gaborone's industrial areas are found along the railway line, notably in Broadhurst, Gaborone West and in Phase 4. Kgalagadi (Coca-Cola) beverages owns a bottling factory in Broadhurst. Kgalagadi means land of the thirst It is located in Southern Africa. Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries There is no heavy industry in Gaborone, a car-assembly factory owned by Hyundai closed citing viability problems. Hyundai refers to a group of companies and related organizations founded by Chung Ju-yung in South Korea. Still, a lot of businesses are setting up in Gaborone.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has its headquarters in Gaborone; the organization was formed in 1980 to increase economic cooperation among its members and reduce dependence on South Africa. The Southern African Development Community ( SADC) is an Inter-governmental organization. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The main campus of the University of Botswana is in the city. The University of Botswana, or UB was established in 1982 as the first institution of Higher Education in Botswana.
Mayors
- J. Sir Seretse Khama International Airport located 15km (9 mi north of Gaborone is the main International airport of the Capital city of Botswana D. Jones
- Serara T. Ketlogetswe
- Botsalo Bagwasi
- Nelson Ramaotwana
- Paul Rantao
References
- Bruce Bennett, "A note on place names, historical terms, etc. ", [3]
External links
- Gaborone is at coordinates Coordinates:
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