BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Wednesday marks the National Pavilion Day of the Republic of Botswana at the Shanghai World Expo. This landlocked country in southern Africa is famous for its wildlife and diamonds.
For Expo visitors, Botswana is presenting a full range of the country's heritage, from its nature and history, to its cities and lifestyle.
Botswana welcomes Expo visitors the same way they do back home. And there's no better way to express their hospitality than with a performance of song and dance. It's a tradition that is shared by almost every tribe in Botswana.
Botswana is one of the world's great development success stories. It was one of the poorest countries in Africa, but in 1967, one year after Botswana gained independence from Britain, a huge diamond mine was discovered in a remote area called Orapa. Now, the country is the world's leading producer of gem quality diamond. The diamond industry accounts for 70 percent of export earnings within the country and 30 percent of Botswana's GDP.
Another big contributor is tourism. Though up to 70 percent of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert, Botswana hosts a huge variety of animal life. Most of the well known African animals are found there.
The government has classified thousands of square kilometers as protected wildlife areas.
(Source: cntv.cn)
Special Report: World Expo 2010
