Gaborone is the capital and largest city of the British Imperial Dominion of Bechuanaland, with a population of 173,720 based on the 2011 census, about 10% of the total population of Bechuanaland. Its agglomeration is home to 316,430 inhabitants as of the 2011 census.
Gaborone is situated between Kgale and Oodi Hills, on the Notwane River in the southeastern corner of Bechuanaland, and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the South African border. The city is served by the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. It is an administrative district in its own right, but is the capital of the surrounding South-East District. Locals often refer to the city as Gabs.
Because the city had no tribal affiliation and was close to fresh water, the city was planned to be the capital in the mid-1950s when South Africa (the location of the previous capital, Mafeking) became a republic and left the British Commonwealth. The center of the city is a long strip of commercial businesses, called the Mall, with a semicircle-shaped area of government offices to the west of the Mall. The city is the government capital as well as the economic capital; the city is headquarters to numerous companies.
Geography[]
Gaborone is situated at 24°39′29″S 25°54′44″E between Kgale and Oodi Hills, on the Notwane River in the south-eastern corner of Botswana, and 9.3 miles (14.97 kilometers) from the South African border The city lies at an elevation of 3,310 feet (1,009 meters) above sea level. Gaborone is surrounded by the following cities: Ramotswa to the southeast, Mogoditshane to the northwest, and Mochudi to the east, and Tlokweng across the river. Most of them are commuter towns for Gaborone. Suburbs in Gaborone include Broadhurst, Gaborone West, The Village, Naledi, and New Canada. Phakalane, an affluent suburb, lies about 25 km north of the city limits.
In the centre of the city lies the Mall, the financial and tourism centre of Gaborone. The Mall houses numerous banks and shopping centres. At the eastern end of the Mall, one can find the Civic Centre along with the Pula Arch that commemorates Botswana's independence. The Botswana Stock Exchange, National Museum and Art Gallery, and the main campus of the University of Botswana also lie near the Mall. To the west of the Mall is the Government Enclave. This area contains the governmental buildings such as the National Assembly of Botswana and Ntlo ya Dikgosi buildings. The National Archives building is also found here.
Climate[]
Gaborone has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh). Most of the year, Gaborone is very sunny. The summers are usually hot. The nights are cool. Usually, the summers with little rainfall are warmer than summers with regular rainfall. If there is a drought, the hottest temperatures of the year are usually in January or February. If there is normal rainfall, the hottest temperatures are usually in October, right before the rain starts. During the winter, days are still warm, and the nights are cold.
There are on average seventy-four days per year with temperatures above 32 °C (90 °F). There are on average 196 days per year with temperatures above 26 °C (79 °F). There are on average fifty-one days per year with temperatures below 7 °C (45 °F). There is on average one day per year with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F). The average dew point peaks around January and February at 16 °C (61 °F) and hits the lowest levels in July at 2 °C (36 °F). The average dew point in a given year is 10 °C (50 °F).
Precipitation in Gaborone is scanty and erratic. Most of the rainfall in Gaborone falls during the summer months, between October and April. There are on average forty days of thunderstorms per year, most of them happening during the summer months, and four days of fog, usually happening during the winter months. Gaborone has been affected by three floods based on records going back to 1995, one in 2000, one in 2001 that caused an estimated 5,000,000 Botswana pula worth of damage, and one in 2006.
The highest humidity occurs in June at 90% while the lowest humidity is in September at 28%.
Solar radiation levels range from 14.6 MJ/m2 in June to 26.2 MJ/m2 in December.
It is windier from September to November at 14 kilometers per hour (8.7 mph), and it is calmer from May to August at 8 kilometers per hour (5.0 mph). The average wind speed in a given year is 12 kilometers per hour (7.5 mph).
