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.
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Railways
total:
888 km (2002), 971 km(1995)
narrow gauge:
888 km 1.067-m gauge (2002), 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Railway links to adjacent countries
- Zambia - no - via Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe - yes
- South Africa - yes
- Namibia - no - via South Africa - in 2006 a proprosed electrified railway connecting to Lüderitz, Namibia for coal traffic.
2006
- BOTSWANA-ZAMBIA LINK - 15 February 2006 - A new rail link between Botswana and Zambia, bypassing Zimbabwe, was mooted last year 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.
- A very interesting feature of this link is that Botswana and Zambia appear to meet at a point!
Map
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.)
Ports and harbors
none - landlocked
Airports
86 (2002), 92 (1999 est.)
- see also List of airports in Botswana
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.)
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.)