Gaborone

{{Main|History of Gaborone|Timeline of Gaborone}}

File:Stamp Bechuanaland Protectorate 1938 6p.jpg

File:1966 Mayor Gaborone.JPG, the first mayor of Gaborone|alt=]]

Evidence shows that there have been inhabitants along the Notwane River for centuries. In more recent history, the Tlokwa left the Magaliesberg ranges to settle in the area around 1880, and called the settlement Moshaweng. The word "Gaborone" literally means "it does not fit badly" or "it is not unbecoming".{{cite web|url=http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/sites/default/files/publications/southern_botswana.pdf |title=Travel Companion – Southern Botswana |work=Travel Companion |publisher=Botswana Tourism Board |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807162203/http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/assests/southern_botswana.pdf |archive-date=7 August 2011 |access-date=31 May 2011 |url-status=dead }} The city was then called "Gaberones" by early European colonizers.{{cite book |last1=Hardy |first1=Paula|last2=Firestone |first2=Matthew D. |title=Botswana & Namibia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSAs1_B-93YC&pg=PA74 |access-date=4 August 2009 |year=2007 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74104-760-8 |chapter=Gaborone |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSAs1_B-93YC&pg=PA74 |pages=75–88}} Gaberones, a shortening of "Gaborone's Village", was named after Chief Gaborone of the Tlokwa, whose home village (now called Tlokweng) was across the river from the Government Camp, the name of the colonial government headquarters. The nickname, "GC", comes from the name "Government Camp". In 1890, Cecil John Rhodes picked Gaberones to house a colonial fort.{{cite web |title=African cities- Gaborone History |url=http://gaborone.info/php/gabhist.php?name=Gaborone%20History |work=Gaborone.info |publisher=AfricanCities.net |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721202338/http://gaborone.info/php/gabhist.php?name=Gaborone%20History |archive-date=21 July 2011 }} The fort was where Rhodes planned the Jameson Raid. The city changed its name from Gaberones to Gaborone in 1969.{{cite news | title = Regions Given New Spelling | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7bszAAAAIBAJ&dq=gaborone&pg=7329%2C1913552 | agency = Associated Press | newspaper = Spokane Daily Chronicle | location = Spokane, Washington, USA | date = 22 December 1969 | page = 11 | access-date = 11 July 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117044134/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7bszAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IfgDAAAAIBAJ&dq=gaborone&pg=7329%2C1913552 | archive-date = 17 November 2015 | url-status = live }}Britannica,

[https://www.britannica.com/place/ Gaborone Gaborone], britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019

The modern town was only founded in 1964, after a decision was taken to establish a capital for Botswana, which became a self governing territory in 1965, before becoming a fully independent republic on 30 September 1966.

In 1965, the capital of the Bechuanaland Protectorate moved from Mafeking to Gaberones.Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2013, p. 113 When Botswana gained its independence, Lobatse was the first choice as the nation's capital.{{Cite book|last=Books|first=L. L. C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WLJESwAACAAJ|title=Settlements in Botswan: Cities, Towns and Villages in Botswana, Gaborone, Palapye, Moshupa, Serowe, Francistown, Maun, Ghanzi, Hukuntsi|date=June 2010|publisher=General Books|isbn=978-1-157-93814-9|language=en}} However, Lobatse was deemed too limited, and instead, a new capital city would be created next to Gaberones.{{cite web|first=Purity |last=Njeru |title=History of Gaborone |url=http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=703 |publisher=The African Executive |location=Nairobi, Kenya |year=2009 |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707100754/http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=703 |archive-date=7 July 2011 }} The city was chosen because of its proximity to a fresh water source, its proximity to the railway to Pretoria, its central location among the central tribes, and its lack of association with those surrounding tribes.{{cite book |last1=Seth |first1=Willie |title=Botswana and Its People |year=2008 |publisher=New Africa Press|isbn=978-0-9814258-7-0 |chapter=Major urban centres |pages=44–46}}

The city was planned under Garden city principles with numerous pedestrian walkways and open spaces.{{Cite book|last1= Keiner|first1=Marco|last2= Zegras|first2=Christopher|last3= Schmid|first3=Willy A.|editor1-last= Keiner|editor1-first= Marco|editor2-last= Zegras|editor2-first= Christopher|editor3-last= Schmid|editor3-first= Willy A.|display-editors = 3 |editor4-last= Salmerón|editor4-first= Diego | title =From understanding to action: sustainable urban development in medium-sized cities in Africa and Latin America|pages=19, 63, 68, 93 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=eHZYT0-SsSEC | publisher=Springer|year=2004|isbn=978-1-4020-2879-3 | access-date =6 August 2009}} Building of Gaborone started in mid-1964. During the city's construction, the chairman of Gaberones Township Authority, Geoffrey Cornish, likened the layout of the city to a "brandy glass" with the government offices in the base of the glass and businesses in the "mall", a strip of land extending from the base.{{cite news | title = Capital City Being Built On Virgin Soil | author = Paine, David J. | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7uQQAAAAIBAJ&dq=gaberones&pg=4458%2C3421646 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130102232505/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7uQQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-OADAAAAIBAJ&dq=gaberones&pg=4458,3421646 | url-status=dead | archive-date = 2 January 2013 | agency = Associated Press | newspaper = Eugene Register-Guard | location = Eugene, Oregon, USA | date = 15 April 1966 | at = section D, p. 3 | access-date =11 July 2010 }}

Most of the early town was built within three years, as a small town designed to accommodate 20,000 people – only to later develop after independence into a modern city. Buildings in early Gaborone include 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.{{cite web |author=killion |title=The Unsustainable urban growth of Gaborone City, Botswana |url=http://www.boidus.co.uk/?p=1188 |publisher=Boidus: Blogs |date=29 June 2009 |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111202355/http://www.boidus.co.uk/?p=1188 |archive-date=11 November 2012 }} Because the town was built so quickly, there was a massive influx of labourers who had built illegal settlements on the new city's southern industrial development zone. These settlements were named Naledi. The latter term literally means "the star", but could also mean "under the open sky" or "a community that stands out from all others". In 1971, because of the growth of illegal settlements, the Gaborone Town Council and the Ministry of Local Government and Lands surveyed an area called Bontleng, which would contain low-income housing. However, Naledi still grew, and the demand for housing was greater than ever. In 1973, the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) built a "New Naledi" across the road from the "Old Naledi". Residents from Old Naledi would be moved to New Naledi. However, the demand for housing increased yet again; moreover, the residents who relocated to New Naledi disliked the houses. The problem was solved in 1975 when Sir Seretse Khama, the president of Botswana, rezoned Naledi from an industrial zone to a low-income housing area.{{Cite book|title=Old Naledi, the village becomes a town: an outline of the Old Naledi Squatter Upgrading Project, Gaborone, Botswana|last=Van Nostrand|first=John Cornelius|publisher=James Lorimer & Company|year=1982|isbn=978-0-88862-650-9|access-date=19 September 2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qGjfAc4J1yUC&pg=PP13|chapter=Old Naledi: History of Settlement|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qGjfAc4J1yUC&pg=PP13|pages=13–15}}

On 30 September 1966, Bechuanaland became the eleventh British dependency in Africa to become independent. The first mayor of Gaborone was Reverend Derek Jones.{{Cite book | last =Grant | first =Sandy | date =18 June 2009 | title =Our Heritage. | location =Gaborone, Botswana | publisher =Mmegi Online | url =http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=6&aid=12&dir=2009/June/Thursday18 | access-date =6 August 2009 | volume =26 | issue =91 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120223122431/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=6&aid=12&dir=2009%2FJune%2FThursday18 | archive-date =23 February 2012 }} The old Gaberones became a suburb of the new Gaborone, and is now known as "the Village".

In the mid-1980s, South Africa attacked Botswana and conducted raids on Gaborone and other border towns. The Raid on Gaborone resulted in twelve deaths.

After the 1994 General Elections, riots started in Gaborone because of high unemployment and other issues.

Today, Gaborone is growing very rapidly. In 1964, Gaborone only had 3,855 citizens;{{Cite book|last=Maundeni |first=Zibani |title=Mapping Local Democracy in Gaborone City |url=http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/botswana/04915.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309233840/http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/botswana/04915.pdf |archive-date=9 March 2012 |access-date=3 August 2010 |date=June 2004 |publisher=Botswana Association of Local Authorities |isbn=99912-564-2-3 |url-status=dead }} seven years later, the city had almost 18,000 residents.{{cite web|author=Central Statistics Office|title=Table 1.6: Distribution of Population in Urban Settlements: 1971–2001 Censuses|url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=147|access-date=27 December 2009|location=Gaborone, Botswana|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113195559/http://www.cso.gov.bw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=142&Itemid=89|archive-date=13 November 2009}} The city originally planned on 20,000 citizens, but by 1992, the city had 138,000 people. This has led to many squatter settlements on undeveloped land.{{Cite book|last1=Carr|first1=Michael | title =New patterns: process and change in human geography|chapter=The form and future shape of the modem city|page=224|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7lKIMAS_7hoC&pg=PA211 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=7lKIMAS_7hoC&pg=PA224 | publisher=Nelson Thornes|year=1997|edition=2nd|isbn=978-0-17-438681-0 | access-date =6 August 2009}} Former mayor Veronica Lesole has stated that Gaborone's development problems were caused by the original city planners.{{cite web|title=Garden City Concept is a thing of the past, says Richard Rogers|url=http://boidus.co.bw/blog/?p=2295|publisher=Boidus.co.bw|access-date=9 October 2011|date=15 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425052329/http://boidus.co.bw/blog/?p=2295|archive-date=25 April 2012}}

{{See also|Geography of Botswana}}

File:Gaborone, Botswana.jpg

File:Gaberone aerial.jpg

Gaborone is situated at {{Coord|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 {{convert|15|km|mi}} from the South African border. The city lies at an elevation of {{convert|1010|m|ft}} above sea level. Gaborone is surrounded by the following cities: Ramotswa to the southwest, 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. Phakalane, an affluent suburb, lies about 13 km north of the city center.{{cite web|author=Phakalane Properties |title=Gaborone Information – Phakalane Properties, Botswana |url=http://www.phakalane.com/phakalane/ |location=Phakalane, Botswana |year=2008 |access-date=24 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418042010/http://www.phakalane.com/phakalane/ |archive-date=April 18, 2011 }}

In the centre of the city lies the Main Mall which houses many diplomatic missions. 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 Main Mall. To the west of the Main 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.

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Gaborone

|North = Dumadumana, Kopong, Lentsweletau

|Northeast = Tlokweng, Pilane, Mochudi

|East = Modipane, Sikwane

|Southeast =

|South = Ramotswa, Otse, Lobatse

|Southwest = Kanye

|West = Gabane, Thamaga

|Northwest = Mogoditshane, Molepolole

}}

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 {{convert|32|°C|°F}}. There are on average 196 days per year with temperatures above {{convert|26|°C|°F}}. There are on average fifty-one days per year with temperatures below {{convert|7|°C|°F}}. There is on average one day per year with temperatures below {{convert|0|°C|°F}}. The average dew point peaks around January and February at {{convert|16|°C|°F}} and hits the lowest levels in July at {{convert|2|°C|°F}}. The average dew point in a given year is {{convert|10|°C|°F}}. The record high temperature ever registered in Gaborone was {{convert|43.9|°C}}.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203143334/http://www.weather.info.bw/resources/entry_fs.html |archive-date=3 December 2008 |url=http://www.weather.info.bw/resources/entry_fs.html |title=Botswana's Climate |publisher=Meteorological Services Botswana |access-date=18 July 2021}} The lowest temperature registered in Gaborone was {{convert|-6.5|°C}}.

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.{{cite web | url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=44286&refer=&cityname=Gaborone-South-East-Botswana&units=us | title =Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Gaborone, Botswana | access-date =26 June 2012 | publisher =Weatherbase | archive-date =24 September 2012 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120924123406/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=44286&refer=&cityname=Gaborone-South-East-Botswana&units=metric | url-status =dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Natural%C2%A0%20Disasters%C2%A0%20Digest%C2%A02008.pdf |author=Central Statistics Office |location=Gaborone, Botswana |access-date=3 July 2010 |date=August 2009 |title=NATURAL DISASTERS DIGEST 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810174557/http://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Natural%C2%A0%20Disasters%C2%A0%20Digest%C2%A02008.pdf |archive-date=10 August 2018 |url-status=live }}

The highest relative humidity occurs in June at 90% while the lowest is in September at 28%.

Solar irradiance ranges from 4.1 kWh m⁻² d⁻¹ in June to 7.3 kWh m⁻² d⁻¹ in December.{{Cite news |first=Carl |last=Bauer |year=2005 |title=Climate |periodical=Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation in the Building Sector in Botswana |place=Gaborone, Botswana |publisher=Bauer Consult |pages=6–13 |url=http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com/3_Climate.pdf |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806211743/http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com/3_Climate.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2010 }}

It is windier from September to November at {{convert|14|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, and it is calmer from May to August at {{convert|8|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. The average wind speed in a given year is {{convert|12|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.

{{Clear }}

{{Weather box

|collapsed =

|location = Gaborone (Sir Seretse Khama Airport, 1981–2010)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high F = 103

|Feb record high C = 40.6

|Mar record high F = 102

|Apr record high F = 98

|May record high F = 91

|Jun record high F = 84

|Jul record high F = 83

|Aug record high F = 91

|Sep record high F = 103

|Oct record high F = 100

|Nov record high F = 104

|Dec record high F = 103

|year record high F = 104

|Jan high C = 32.7

|Feb high C = 32.1

|Mar high C = 30.8

|Apr high C = 28.4

|May high C = 25.6

|Jun high C = 23.1

|Jul high C = 22.9

|Aug high C = 26.2

|Sep high C = 30.0

|Oct high C = 32.0

|Nov high C = 32.3

|Dec high C = 32.5

|year high C = 29.1

|Jan mean C = 25.7

|Feb mean C = 25.2

|Mar mean C = 23.7

|Apr mean C = 20.6

|May mean C = 16.8

|Jun mean C = 13.7

|Jul mean C = 13.5

|Aug mean C = 16.9

|Sep mean C = 21.2

|Oct mean C = 24.0

|Nov mean C = 24.7

|Dec mean C = 25.3

|year mean C = 20.9

|Jan low C = 19.7

|Feb low C = 19.3

|Mar low C = 17.4

|Apr low C = 13.5

|May low C = 8.3

|Jun low C = 5.0

|Jul low C = 4.4

|Aug low C = 7.5

|Sep low C = 12.3

|Oct low C = 16.3

|Nov low C = 17.7

|Dec low C = 18.8

|year low C = 13.4

|Jan record low F = 57

|Feb record low F = 55

|Mar record low F = 52

|Apr record low F = 32

|May record low F = 30

|Jun record low F = 30

|Jul record low F = 28

|Aug record low F = 32

|Sep record low F = 41

|Oct record low F = 45

|Nov record low F = 46

|Dec record low F = 52

|year record low F = 28

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 143

|Feb precipitation mm = 82

|Mar precipitation mm = 74

|Apr precipitation mm = 30

|May precipitation mm = 8.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 7.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 1

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.9

|Sep precipitation mm = 5.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 5.8

|Nov precipitation mm = 58

|Dec precipitation mm = 71

|year precipitation mm =

|Jan rain days = 6

|Feb rain days = 5

|Mar rain days = 5

|Apr rain days = 3

|May rain days = 2

|Jun rain days = 1

|Jul rain days = 1

|Aug rain days = 1

|Sep rain days = 2

|Oct rain days = 4

|Nov rain days = 5

|Dec rain days = 6

|year rain days = 41

|source 1 = African Regional Climate Centre

{{cite web

|url = http://acmad.net/rcc/African-RCC/rcc_country_selection.php

|title = Precipitation and temperature reference climatologies: Seretse Khama International Airport

|publisher = African Regional Climate Centre

|access-date = January 19, 2016

|url-status = live

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160314035305/http://acmad.net/rcc/African-RCC/rcc_country_selection.php

|archive-date = 14 March 2016

}}

|source 2 = Weatherbase (records)

|date=June 2012

}}

{{Historical populations

|shading = on

|percentages = pagr

|1964|3855

|1971|17718

|1981|59657

|1991|133468

|2001|186007

|2006|191776

|2011|231626

|2022|246325

|footnote=Sources:{{cite web|title=BOTSWANA STATISTICAL YEAR BOOK 2010 |url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/Botswana%20Statistical%20Year%20Book%202010.PDF |work=Statistics Botswana |publisher=Central Statistics Office |access-date=25 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904061357/http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/Botswana%20Statistical%20Year%20Book%202010.PDF |archive-date=4 September 2015 |location=Gaborone |date=December 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|title=The Population of Towns, Villages and Associated Localities |work=2011 Population and Housing Census |url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/Population%20of%20Towns%20and%20Villages%20_2011%20PHC_%20Jun%204%202012..pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904061357/http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/Population%20of%20Towns%20and%20Villages%20_2011%20PHC_%20Jun%204%202012..pdf |archive-date=4 September 2015 |access-date=14 June 2012 |date=June 2012 |publisher=Statistics Botswana |location=Gaborone |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=Statistics Botswana - Census 2022 - Population of cities, towns and villages |url=https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Population%20of%20Cities%20Towns%20and%20Villages%20%202022.pdf}}

}}

The population, based on the 2022 census, is 246,325. There are 118,727 males and 127,598 females in the city. There are 58,476 households in Gaborone.{{cite web|author=Central Statistics Office|title=Table 1.1: Population by sex and census districts (1991 And 2001)|url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=142&Itemid=89|access-date=5 August 2009|date=7 February 2008|location=Gaborone, Botswana|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113195559/http://www.cso.gov.bw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=142&Itemid=89|archive-date=13 November 2009|url-status=live}} In 2001, the average household size was 3.11 people. The city of Gaborone is home to over 10% of the population of Botswana. Almost half of Botswana citizens live within {{convert|100|km|mi}} of Gaborone.{{cite web|url=http://www.capital.bw/resources/presentation2010/botswana_country_overview_2010-11.pdf |title=Botswana Country Overview 2010/11 |publisher=Capital Resources |work=Botswana Resource Conference 2010 |year=2010 |access-date=24 May 2011 |last1=Jefferis |first1=Keith |last2=Pickering |first2=Dawn |last3=Kenwendo |first3=Bogolo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904061358/http://www.capital.bw/resources/presentation2010/botswana_country_overview_2010-11.pdf |archive-date=4 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}

The population growth rate of Gaborone is 3.4%, the highest in the country. This is most likely because the city has a more developed infrastructure, making it more livable.{{cite web |author=Central Statistics Office |title=2001 POPULATION CENSUS ATLAS: BOTSWANA |url=http://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Population_Census_Atlas.pdf |access-date=5 August 2009 |date=February 2005 |location=Gaborone, Botswana |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113191219/http://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Population_Census_Atlas.pdf |archive-date=13 November 2016 |url-status=live }} Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Much of the growth is based on net in migration from the rest of Botswana.

The sex ratio of Gaborone is 96.3, meaning that there are 963 men for every 1,000 women. Most of the marriages in Botswana are registered in Gaborone; about 15% of all marriages in Botswana were registered in Gaborone in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/StatsBrief/marriages_june_2010.pdf |title=MARRIAGE STATISTICS 2007 |author=A. N. Majelantle |date=May 2010 |work=STATS BRIEF |publisher=Central Statistics Office |location=Gaborone, Botswana |page=2 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5qyc2XAMi?url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/StatsBrief/marriages_june_2010.pdf |archive-date=4 July 2010 |access-date=6 July 2010 |url-status=dead }} On average, there are 3.3 persons per household in Gaborone. This is a low number compared to the rest of Botswana.{{cite web|url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/HouseHold/2006_bdsrprt.pdf|title=Botswana Demographic Survey 2006|author=Central Statistics Office|location=Gaborone, Botswana|access-date=3 July 2010|date=January 2009|archive-date=23 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923062237/http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/HouseHold/2006_bdsrprt.pdf|url-status=dead}}

{{See also|Religion in Botswana}}

File:Hindu temple gaborone01.jpg

Among places of worship, Christian churches and temples predominate. These include houses of worship affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (Lutheran World Federation), Assemblies of God, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, International Pentecostal Holiness Church, Christ Embassy, Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaborone (Catholic Church).J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 380 Accompanying a significant community of ethnic Serbs in the city, there are also two Serbian Orthodox churches within Gaborone; the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Sava Church.

The National Museum and Art Gallery is located just northwest of the Mall along Independence Road. The museum opened in 1968. It holds many things from traditional crafts to works of art by local artists. The museum houses original paintings by Thomas Baines and Lucas Sithole. Exhibits include Artists in Botswana, Children's Art Competition and Thapong International. Outside the museum, there are various forms of transportation such as wagons, sledges, and bakkies (pickup trucks). There is also an exhibit on the San, the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa.{{cite web |title=Gaborone Holidays – a Visit to the Vibrant Cosmopolitan Capital |date=24 May 2006 |url=http://www.syl.com/travel/gabaroneholidaysavisittothevibrantcosmopolitancapital.html |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625031736/http://www.syl.com/travel/gabaroneholidaysavisittothevibrantcosmopolitancapital.html |archive-date=25 June 2010 }} The museum opened a {{convert|3.6|ha|acre|adj=on|sigfig=1}}{{cite web |title=National Botanical Garden |publisher=Botanic Gardens Conservation International |url=http://www.bgci.org/garden.php?id=2254&ftrCountry=BW&ftrKeyword=&ftrBGCImem=&ftrIAReg= |access-date=19 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310122528/http://www.bgci.org/garden.php?id=2254&ftrCountry=BW&ftrKeyword=&ftrBGCImem=&ftrIAReg= |archive-date=10 March 2012 }} botanical garden called the National Botanical Garden on 2 November 2007.{{cite web |author=Palapye |title=National Museum to Launch Botanical Garden |date=25 October 2007 |url=http://palapye.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/national-museum-to-launch-botanical-garden/ |access-date=31 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824003744/http://palapye.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/national-museum-to-launch-botanical-garden/ |archive-date=24 August 2011 }} The garden was built to protect Botswana's indigenous plant life, and 90% of its total plant species are native plants from Botswana.

The Maitisong Festival was started in 1987 and is held every year for seven days on either the last week of March or the first week of April. The festival holds outdoor concerts, plays, and films in various venues around the city.

"My African Dream" was a performing-arts competition during the 2000s that was held every year at the Gaborone International Convention Center. The show featured many kwaito dancers and musicians.

The book series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, written by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, is set in Gaborone. The books follow Precious Ramotswe, the first female private detective in Botswana, and the mysteries that she solves. The Detective Kubu series, by Michael Stanley (South African co-writers Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip), features Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu of the Botswana Police Service Criminal Investigation Department.

File:I-Tower 20200402.jpg

Gaborone is the center of the national economy. The headquarters of important financial institutions such as the Bank of Botswana, Bank Gaborone, BancABC, and the Botswana Stock Exchange are centrally located, as well as the headquarters for Air Botswana, Consumer Watchdog, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, and Debswana, the joint diamond mining venture between De Beers and the Botswana government.

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.

Several international companies have invested in the city: Hyundai, SABMiller, Daewoo, Volvo, and Siemens.

File:Orapa_house,_Gaborone_6_(Botswana).jpgOrapa House, owned by Debswana, is where the diamonds mined from Debswana are sorted and valued. Orapa House is located at the intersection of Khama Crescent and Nelson Mandela Drive. It has a unique style of architecture that allows the optimal amount of indirect sunlight to shine through the windows in order to accurately sort diamonds.{{cite web |title=African cities- Gaborone Culture |url=http://gaborone.info/php/gabculture.php?name=Gaborone%20Culture |work=Gaborone.info |publisher=AfricanCities.net |access-date=5 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721202404/http://gaborone.info/php/gabculture.php?name=Gaborone%20Culture |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}

A Diamond Technology Park was recently opened{{when|date=November 2022}}, this is as part of Botswana Government's vision for establishment of downstream diamond industry.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Companies dealing in diamonds have established their local operations in the park.

The Botswana Resource Conference is held annually at the Gaborone International Conference Centre.

The unemployment rate in Gaborone is 11.7% {{As of|2008|lc=y}}.{{update inline|date=June 2022}} 19.7% of the population in Gaborone is employed in the financial sector.{{update inline|date=June 2022}}

According to Mercer's 2011 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Gaborone has the 195th highest cost of living for expatriates in the world, up from 203rd in 2010. Gaborone comes between Chennai, India and Quito, Ecuador. Gaborone is the fourth least expensive city for expatriates in Africa, coming in above Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 211th, Kampala, Uganda at 202nd and Windhoek, Namibia at 198th.{{cite web |url=http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/1420615 |title=Worldwide Cost of Living survey 2011 – city ranking |date=12 July 2011 |work=Cost of Living Survey |publisher=Mercer |location=Toronto |access-date=25 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410174442/http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/1420615 |archive-date=10 April 2014 }}

There are several football stadiums located in and around Gaborone. These include SSKB Stadium, Mochudi Stadium, and Botswana National Stadium. There are also several football teams representing Gaborone, which include, amongst others, Botswana Defence Force XI, Gaborone United, Police XI, Township Rollers and Uniao Flamengo Santos FC, which is based in nearby Gabane; all of them have played in the Botswana Premier League. The Botswana national football team plays in the National Stadium, but has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, even though they recently qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, held in Gabon in January 2012.

The Botswana Cricket Association, the governing body of cricket in Botswana, is headquartered in Gaborone. There are two Ovals where cricket is played in the city.

The Steinmetz Gaborone Marathon, the second marathon in Botswana, was held for the first time on 18 April 2010. The route started at the Phakalane Golf Estate in Phakalane, north of the city, and went through Gaborone, passing the National Assembly Building. The marathon, which was cancelled in 2011, has been held annually starting from 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.gaboronecitymarathon.com/ |title=Gaborone City Marathon |access-date=4 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322200348/http://www.gaboronecitymarathon.com/ |archive-date=22 March 2010 }}

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The Gaborone Dam is located south of Gaborone along the Gaborone-Lobatse road, and provides water for both Gaborone and Lobatse. The dam is the second biggest in Botswana, able to hold {{convert|141400000|m3|cuyd|sigfig=4|lk=on}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/Enviro/botswanawater_statisticsreport.pdf |title=Botswana water statistics |first=A. |last=Majelantle |date=October 2009 |publisher=Central Statistics Office |location=Gaborone, Botswana |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5r28HPAkm?url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/Enviro/botswanawater_statisticsreport.pdf |archive-date=7 July 2010 |access-date=7 July 2010 |url-status=dead }} It is also starting to be marketed as a recreational area. The northern end of the reservoir is planned to become an entertainment venue called The Waterfront. There is a yacht club, called Gaborone Yacht Club, also on the northern side of the lake. The southern end houses the Kalahari Fishing Club and a new public facility called City Scapes. City Scapes contains parks, playgrounds, and boating facilities.{{cite web |author=Gabscity.com |location=Gaborone, Botswana |title=City – Gabscity.com all about Gaborone |url=http://www.gabscity.com/city/index.php |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809032116/http://www.gabscity.com/city/index.php |archive-date=9 August 2009 }} The dam is popular with birdwatchers, windsurfers, and anglers. However, there is no swimming due to the presence of crocodiles and parasitic bilharzias.

{{See also|Wildlife of Botswana}}

File:Watch house.jpg

The Gaborone Game Reserve is a {{convert|600|ha|acre|adj=on}} park east of the city on Limpopo Drive. The reserve was built in 1988 and is now the third-busiest in Botswana. Examples of animals in the park are impala, kudu, ostriches, wildebeest, zebras, gemsbok, bushbuck, springbok, duiker, common eland, and common warthogs. The park is a destination for birdwatching. Birds in the marshy section of the park include snake eagles, boubou, gallinule, kingfishers, and hornbills.

File:Ostriches at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana.JPG

Kgale Hill is located a few hundred metres from the city. The hill is nicknamed the Sleeping Giant and is {{convert|1287|m|ft}}. There are three different paths to reach the top, usually taking two hours.

The Mokolodi Nature Reserve is a {{convert|30|km2|sqmi|adj=on}} reserve that was created in 1994. It is located {{convert|12|km|mi}} south of Gaborone. There are many different species of animals found in the park such as common warthogs, steenbok, kudu, zebras, giraffes, common eland, ostriches, hippos and rhinos. The park helps with wildlife projects in Botswana that include: the reintroduction of the white rhino and the relocation of "problem" cheetahs. Mokolodi also holds the Education Centre, which teaches children about the conservation projects.{{cite web |author=Mokolodi Nature Reserve |title=Introduction |url=http://www.mokolodi.com/introduction.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312010501/http://www.mokolodi.com/introduction.php |archive-date=March 12, 2008 |publisher=Mokolodi Nature Reserve |access-date=5 August 2009}}

Somarelang Tikologo (Environment Watch Botswana) is a member-based environmental NGO housed inside an ecological park at the heart of Gaborone. The aim of the organization is to promote sustainable environmental protection by educating, demonstrating and encouraging best practices in environmental planning, resource conservation and waste management in Botswana. The park was officially opened by the Botswana Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Onkokame kitso Mokaila on 27 February 2009. The park contains a playground for children to play on throughout the day, a community organic garden, a recycling drop-off center, and a shop where visitors can purchase products made of recycled material.{{cite web |author=Somarelang Tikologo |title=What is ST? |url=http://www.somatiko.org.bw |publisher=Somarelang Tikologo |access-date=17 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914112716/http://www.somatiko.org.bw/ |archive-date=14 September 2010 }}

{{main|Parliament of Botswana}}

File:BotswanaParliament.jpg]]

{{main|Gaborone City Council}}

Gaborone is controlled by the Gaborone City Council, the wealthiest council in Botswana.{{cite thesis |last=Nengwekhulu |first=Ranwedzi |title=An evaluation of the nature and role of local government in post colonial Botswana |chapter-url=http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-09222008-160653/unrestricted/03chapter5.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714024518/http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-09222008-160653/unrestricted/03chapter5.pdf|archive-date=14 July 2010 |access-date=17 June 2012 |degree=DPhil |date=1 April 1996 |publisher=University of Pretoria School of Public Management and Administration |id=etd-09222008-160653|pages=98–124|chapter=Chapter Five: The Structure and Membership of the Council}} It is composed of 35 councillors representing the wards of Gaborone. The Townships Act mandates the structure of local governments in Botswana. Because Botswana is a unitary state, the power of the local councils are delegated from the national level. The Ministry of Local Government, Land and Housing has a major influence in terms of personnel hiring and training, budgeting, and development planning.{{cite journal|last=Wunsch |first=James S. |title=Decentralization, Local Governance and the Democratic Transition in Southern Africa: A Comparative Analysis |journal=African Studies Quarterly |year=1998 |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=19–45 |access-date=17 June 2012 |publisher=University of Florida Center for African Studies |location=Gainesville, Florida |issn=2152-2448 |url=http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v2/v2i1a2.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216190909/http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v2/v2i1a2.pdf |url-status=dead }}

The city commission-style council is run by the city clerk and the deputy city clerk. The city is governed by the mayor, deputy mayor, and several committees run by councillors: the financial and general purposes committee; the public health, social welfare and housing committee; the Self-Help Housing Agency (SHAA) management committee; the town planning committee; the trade licensing committee; and the education committee.{{Cite journal|last=Lekorwe |first=Mogopodi |title=The politics of urban governance and management in Gaborone |url=http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/PULA/pula012001/pula012001006.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616154953/http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/PULA/pula012001/pula012001006.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2011 |access-date=3 August 2010 |journal=Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies |volume=12 |issue=1 & 2 |year=1998 }} The councillors elect the mayor in a first-past-the-post system and place each other in the committees yearly. The council has 2,515 employees.

An income tax called the Local Government Tax used to be the main source of income of the city council, but it was abolished. Today, the city council derives most of its revenue from property rates. City councillors feel that because of recurrent obligations, they have little room to institute new solutions.

The city council has been criticised by the Botswana Association of Local Authorities for its closed elections and minimal authority. In 2010, the council had problems with waste management: Frenic, the waste management company hired by the city, sued the Gaborone City Council for unpaid compensation.{{cite web|last=Mooketsi|first=Lekopanye|title=Frenic Company sues Gaborone City Council|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=603&dir=2010/March/Wednesday3|publisher=Mmegi|access-date=4 August 2010|date=3 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161312/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=603&dir=2010%2FMarch%2FWednesday3|archive-date=7 March 2012}} This has led to a buildup of uncollected garbage.{{cite web|last=Ngwanaamotho|first=Maranyane|title=Gaborone City Council fails to collect garbage|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=1532&dir=2010/April/Friday9|publisher=Mmegi|access-date=4 August 2010|date=9 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161335/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=1532&dir=2010%2FApril%2FFriday9|archive-date=7 March 2012}} Haskins Nkaigwa, mayor of Gaborone from 2011, has stressed the importance of more local autonomy. He advocates for a stronger city council with the power to determine budgets and hire and fire clerks and officers.{{cite web|last=Keoreng|first=Ephraim|title=New Gaborone Mayor seeks power to hire and fire|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=494&dir=2011/October/Wednesday5|access-date=17 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104154805/http://mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=494&dir=2011%2FOctober%2FWednesday5|archive-date=4 November 2011|location=Gaborone|date=5 October 2011|url-status=dead}}

File:Gaborone Downtown, Botswana.jpg

Gaborone is the political centre of Botswana. Most government buildings are located west of the Main Mall in an area called the Government Enclave. The National Assembly of Botswana, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, the National Archives, the Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building, and the Ministry of Health. Near the entrance of the parliament building, there is a statue of Sir Seretse Khama, Botswana's first president as well as a memorial dedicated to the three hundred Batswana who were killed from 1939 to 1945.{{cite journal| year = 2010| title = Botswana Review 29th Edition| journal = Botswana Review of Commerce and Industry| volume = 29| publisher = B&T Directories (Pty) LTD| location = Gaborone, Botswana| url = https://www.scribd.com/doc/32694240/Botswana-Review-2010| access-date = 11 October 2010| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100707102758/http://www.scribd.com/doc/32694240/Botswana-Review-2010| archive-date = 7 July 2010}} Another monument pays tribute to the Botswana Defence Force soldiers who died in the Rhodesian Bush War.

Before 1982, Gaborone held one parliamentary constituency, in the Parliament of Botswana. From 1982 to 1993, Gaborone was divided into two constituencies, Gaborone North and Gaborone South. A third seat in Parliament was given to a member elected for the whole city of Gaborone. In January 1993, two new constituencies were created: Gaborone West and Gaborone Central. For local government elections, the four constituencies were divided into wards. Gaborone North had seven, Gaborone West had seven. Gaborone Central had six, and Gaborone South had five. In 2019, the city had five constituencies: Gaborone North, Gaborone Central, Gaborone South, Gaborone Bonnington North, and Gaborone Bonnington South.{{cite web|title=How Parties Fared in 2019 Parliamentary Election|url=https://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=83222&dir=2019/october/28|last=Odubeng|first=Maureen|date=18 October 2019|website=The Monitor|access-date=30 May 2020}}

An International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) was established on 24 July 2000 in Gaborone. The academy would provide training for middle managers for the countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).{{Cite web | date =29 June 2009 | title =History | url =http://www.ileagaborone.co.bw/History.htm | publisher =ILEA Gaborone-Botswana | access-date =24 May 2011 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110706164523/http://www.ileagaborone.co.bw/History.htm | archive-date =6 July 2011 }}

There are 21 diplomatic missions in Gaborone.

File:St. Joseph's College students.JPG

{{main|List of schools in Botswana}}

There are more people who have earned a degree or postgraduate qualifications in Gaborone than anywhere else in Botswana. 70.9% of the population of Gaborone have earned at least a secondary-level education 2.6% of the population of Gaborone has never attended school.{{cite web|title=2008 Botswana AIDS Impact Survey III |url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/aids%20impact%20survey.pdf |work=BAIS |publisher=Central Statistics Office |access-date=25 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904061358/http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/aids%20impact%20survey.pdf |archive-date=4 September 2015 |location=Gaborone |date=November 2009 |url-status=dead }}

Gaborone has many primary and secondary schools, both public and private. These include Westwood International School,{{Cite web|url=http://www.westwoodis.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231212237/http://www.westwoodis.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-12-31|title=Westwood International School|website=www.westwoodis.com|access-date=2016-06-17}} Maru-a-Pula School,{{Cite web|url=http://www.maruapula.org/|title=Home - Maru-a-Pula School|website=Maru-a-Pula School|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512235657/http://www.maruapula.org/|archive-date=12 May 2016}} St. Joseph's College, Kgale,{{Cite web|url=http://www.localbotswana.com/company/12397/ST_JOSEPHS_COLLEGE|title=ST JOSEPH'S COLLEGE|website=LocalBotswana|access-date=2016-06-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701070249/http://www.localbotswana.com/company/12397/ST_JOSEPHS_COLLEGE|archive-date=1 July 2016}} Legae Academy,{{Cite web|url=http://www.legaeacademy.co.bw/|title=Home|website=www.legaeacademy.co.bw|access-date=2016-06-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729203756/http://www.legaeacademy.co.bw/|archive-date=29 July 2016}} Northside Primary School, Thornhill Primary School and Hillcrest International School. Seventeen of the sixty private schools in Botswana are located in Gaborone.{{cite web|title=Education Statistics 2011 |url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/Educ%20Stats%20Brief%20Dec%2020%202011..pdf |work=Statistics Botswana |publisher=Central Statistics Office |access-date=25 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904061358/http://www.cso.gov.bw/templates/cso/file/File/Educ%20Stats%20Brief%20Dec%2020%202011..pdf |archive-date=4 September 2015 |location=Gaborone |page=1 |date=December 2011 |url-status=dead }}

The main campus of the University of Botswana (which was established in 1982) is on the eastern extent of the city.

In addition there are other universities or institutions of higher education that cater to specialized study and instruction.

• Limkokwing University Of Creative Technology (which also has a campus in Gaborone)
• Botswana Accountancy College (which caters to both accounting and IT students)
• Botswana Institute of Administration and Commerce{{cite web |title=General Information |url=http://www.biac.gov.bw/page29.html |archive-url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20050409000000/http://www.biac.gov.bw/page29.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-04-09 |website=gov.bw via Wikiwix |accessdate=2023-10-13}}
• Botswana Open University (offering long-distance learning)
• Gaborone Technical College
• Boitekanelo College
• Botho University (which offers courses ranging from computing, accounting and finance, business, engineering and health information management)
• Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, situated approximately {{convert|15|km|mi}} from the city centre{{citation |title=BCA becomes university |date=12 November 2013 |work=Daily News |url=http://www.dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=7018 |location=Gaborone, Botswana |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701184051/http://www.dailynews.gov.bw/news-details.php?nid=7018 |archive-date=1 July 2016 |access-date=4 April 2016 }}

Further, in year 2006, the Gaborone Universal College of Law, opened its main campus in Gaborone,{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.guc.co.bw/guc-aboutus.html |publisher=Gaborone Universal College of Law |access-date=9 October 2010 |location=Gaborone, Botswana |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128201650/http://www.guc.co.bw/guc-aboutus.html |archive-date=28 January 2011 }} with its first group of students graduating in 2010.{{cite news|last=Mokgoabone |first=Kabo |title=Gaborone University College of Law holds 2010 graduation |url=http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=8767&GroupID=1 |access-date=9 October 2010 |newspaper=Sunday Standard |date=6 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722000420/http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=8767&GroupID=1 |archive-date=22 July 2011 }}

Newspapers published in Gaborone include Mmegi, The Botswana Gazette, The Monitor, Midweek Sun, The Patriot on Sunday, Sunday Standard, and The Voice. Magazines published are Lapologa, Peolwane, Kutwlano among others.

Radio station Yarona FM broadcasts from Gaborone; its frequency in Gaborone is 106.6 FM. Another small, local radio station in Gaborone is Gabz FM, Duma FM & Yarona FM.{{Cite book|last1=Denbow|first1=James Raymond|last2=Thebe|first2=Phenyo C. | title =Culture and customs of Botswana|chapter=Literature and Media|pages=72–73|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ycoVZ-DfrYC&q=gabz+FM&pg=PA55

| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=8ycoVZ-DfrYC&pg=PA72 | publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group

| year=2006|isbn=978-0-313-33178-7| access-date =6 August 2009}} 86.6% of Gaborone households own a working radio.

Before 2000, residents of Gaborone received television programming from BOP TV in Mahikeng via a repeating transmitter on the summit of Kgale Hill. Today, the Gaborone Broadcasting Company and Botswana TV provide television programming for Gaborone. 78.7% of the households in Gaborone have a working television. Other local channels based in Gaborone are Now TV, Khuduga HD, Access TV & Maru TV.

93.7% of the households in Gaborone have a cell phone.

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Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. The growth of Gaborone, especially suburban growth, has caused much of the farmland surrounding the city to be absorbed into the city. Much of the food for Gaborone comes from north of the city with some smaller-scale farms on the southern end.{{cite magazine | last1 = Cavric | first1 = Branko I. | last2 = Mosha | first2 = Aloysius C. | magazine=Urban Agriculture Magazine | volume = 4 | pages = 25–27 | date = July 2001 | title = Incorporating Urban Agriculture In Gaborone City Planning | url = http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/Incorporating%20Urban%20Agriculture%20In%20Gaborone%20City%20Planning.pdf |via=RUAF Foundation | access-date = 4 August 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725133838/http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/Incorporating%20Urban%20Agriculture%20In%20Gaborone%20City%20Planning.pdf | archive-date = 25 July 2011 }}

The city centre was planned to be functionalist, with major buildings designed and built in the style of Modern architecture. The city is surrounded by smaller buildings. The city's central business district (CBD) is still under construction so when one says downtown, they actually mean the Main Mall and Government Enclave areas where tall buildings are usually found.{{cite web | title = Gaborone: a capital city w/ a strange design | url = http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/d513c/1d7ca9/ | date = 25 February 2008 | access-date = 4 August 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090305032648/http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/d513c/1d7ca9/ | archive-date = 5 March 2009 }}{{cite web |author=Gabscity.com |location=Gaborone, Botswana |title=Home – Gabscity.com all about Gaborone |url=http://www.gabscity.com/index.php |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808204551/http://www.gabscity.com/index.php |archive-date=8 August 2009 }} The Main Mall, a car-free shopping and commercial area, runs in an east–west direction with the Government Enclave and National Assembly on the west end and the Gaborone City Town Council complex on the east.

Gaborone's CBD is home to the new Square Mall, The Tower, the new SADC headquarters, the Industrial Court,{{Cite book|last=Mosinyi|first=Wanetsha|date=8 May 2009|location=Gaborone, Botswana|publisher=Mmegi Online|title=New CBD threatens office space market|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=4&aid=20&dir=2009/May/Friday8|access-date=6 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223122450/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=4&aid=20&dir=2009%2FMay%2FFriday8|archive-date=23 February 2012}} a court specifically for settling trade disputes,{{cite web |website=Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs|title=The Industrial Court of Botswana |url=http://www.gov.bw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=40 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327024303/http://www.gov.bw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=40 |archive-date=March 27, 2008 |access-date=6 August 2009}} and the Three Dikgosi Monument, a landmark featuring the statues of Khama III, Sebele I, and Bathoen I,{{cite web |title=Historians support dikgosi statues |url=http://www.gabscity.com/place-to-visit/historians-support-dikgosi-statues.html |publisher=Gabscity.com |location=Gaborone, Botswana |access-date=30 June 2010 |date=8 September 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725111732/http://www.gabscity.com/place-to-visit/historians-support-dikgosi-statues.html |archive-date=25 July 2009 }} three dikgosi, or chiefs, who traveled to Great Britain to establish the Bechuanaland Protectorate separate from Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) or the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa). The monument was inaugurated on 29 September 2005.{{cite news |title=The Highlights Of An Eventful Year|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/2005/December/Monday19/917370795169.html|newspaper=Mmegi |access-date=30 June 2010|date=19 December 2005|volume=49|issue=5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195528/http://www.mmegi.bw/2005/December/Monday19/917370795169.html|archive-date=3 March 2016}} While the statues represent famous historical figures, there has been some controversy over the cost of the construction, P12,000,000 (approx. US$1.7M, €1.4M, or £1.1M as of June 2010), and over the construction company, North Korean Mansudae Overseas Projects, putting the wrong inscription date.{{cite news |author=Keto Segwai|title=Three dikgosi in waiting|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/2006/July/Friday28/122256372162.html|newspaper=Mmegi |access-date=30 June 2010|date=28 July 2006|volume=23|issue=111 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024943/http://www.mmegi.bw/2006/July/Friday28/122256372162.html|archive-date=4 March 2016}} Other buildings under construction in the CBD include the Holiday Inn Gaborone, retail space, and office space.{{Cite book |first=Brian |last=Benza |title=Masa Towers To Cost P275 Million – Giachetti |url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=4&aid=20&dir=2008/August/Monday11 |publisher=Mmegi Online |location=Gaborone, Botswana |date=11 August 2008 |access-date=6 August 2009 |volume=25 |issue=116 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223122506/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=4&aid=20&dir=2008%2FAugust%2FMonday11 |archive-date=23 February 2012 }}

The city gets most of its water from the reservoir formed from the Gaborone Dam on the southeast side of the city, which has facilitated growth. The city of Gaborone was originally constructed as a small town, so the Gaborone Dam needed to be built to provide water for all its citizens.

From 2007 to 2008, {{convert|23963000|m3|cuyd|sigfig=5|lk=on}} of water was sold in Gaborone. The government sector bought the most water, {{convert|11359000|m3|cuyd |sigfig=5|lk=on}}. {{convert|8564000|m3|cuyd|sigfig=4|lk=on}} of water was bought for domestic use, and {{convert|4040000|m3|cuyd|sigfig=3|lk=on}} of water was bought by the commercial and industrial sectors. In 2008, the city of Gaborone consumed {{convert|25657363|kl|cuyd}} of water, and the water consumption per capita was {{convert|0.184|m3|cuyd|sigfig=3|lk=on}} per person per year, the lowest rate since 1999.

Gaborone has some of the highest water tariffs in the country because of high transportation costs and high water consumption. The high tariffs may also be due to the fact that some of Gaborone's water supply is imported from the Letsibogo Dam.

The average pH of the water in the Gaborone Dam is 7.95 as of February 2006. The concentration of calcium in the reservoir was 14.87milligrams per litre from April 2001 to August 2006. During the same period, the concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) was 57.73 milligrams per litre, slightly over Botswana's ideal concentration which means the water is hard. Also during the same period, the chloride concentration was 6.44 mg/l, the fluoride concentration was 0.54 mg/l, the potassium concentration was 6.72 mg/l, and the sodium concentration was 10.76 mg/l.

{{main|List of hospitals in Botswana}}

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The Botswana Red Cross Society, established in 1968, is headquartered in Gaborone. The Princess Marina Hospital is the main referral hospital in Gaborone and houses 500 beds.{{Cite web

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101229125740/http://www.velavke.co.za/projects.htm?action=view-item&id=860

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There is also Gaborone Private Hospital and Sidilega Private Hospital all operating in the city of Gaborone.

The Cancer Association of Botswana is a voluntary non-governmental organization established as a trust in 1998.

{{See also| HIV/AIDS in Botswana}}

AIDS is a very serious problem in Gaborone. 17,773 Gaborone citizens, 17.1% of the total population of Gaborone, have tested positive for HIV. There is a higher prevalence of HIV among women; 20.5% of women have tested positive compared to 13.6% of men. The population between 45 and 49 years of age are most likely to have AIDS with 35.4% of the residents in that age group testing positive.

HIV/AIDS education is extensive in Gaborone. However, a 2008 study shows that 14.5% of Gaborone residents between 10 and 64 who have heard of HIV/AIDS believe that HIV can be spread through witchcraft, and 31.3% of the residents believe HIV can be spread through mosquito bites.

{{main|Rail transport in Botswana}}

The railway that served the founding purpose of the city remains important, bisecting the city in a north–south direction. Botswana Railways runs a line that goes from Cape Town to Harare via Bulawayo. The railway station in Gaborone is located south of the Parliament House in the city's centre.{{cite map |publisher=Botswana Tourism Board |title=Gaborone City map |url=http://www.ambafrance-bw.org/IMG/gif/gabs_big.gif |year=2001 |series=Botswana Maps |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108052236/http://www.ambafrance-bw.org/IMG/gif/gabs_big.gif |archive-date=8 November 2016 }} The line stops at the following cities in and near Botswana: Ramatlabama on the South African border, Lobatse, Gaborone, Palapye, Serule, Francistown, Ramokgwebana, and Plumtree, Zimbabwe.{{cite map |publisher=Botswana Tourism Board |title=Botswana Railway Network |url=http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/railway_big.jpg |scale=1 : 8,000,000 |series=Botswana Maps |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201329/http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/railway_big.jpg |archive-date=4 March 2016 }} The line became a cargo-only line on 1 April 2009{{Cite book|first=Lewis|last=Malikongwa|title=Termination of Botswana Railways' Passenger Service|url=http://www.botswanarailways.co.bw/press/27feb09.html|place=Botswana|publisher=Ministry of Works and Transport|date=27 February 2009|access-date=4 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125015605/http://www.botswanarailways.co.bw/press/27feb09.html|archive-date=25 November 2013}} but passenger services resumed in early 2016.{{Cite web|last=Mouwane|first=Tumelo|date=2016-03-23|title=New, improved passenger train sets off|url=https://www.mmegi.bw/news/new-improved-passenger-train-sets-off/news|access-date=2023-02-06|website=Mmegi Online|language=en}}

{{main|List of airports in Botswana}}

File:Aeropuerto Internacional Sir Seretse Khama de Gaborone, Botswana.jpg (GBE)]]

Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (ICAO code: FBSK{{GCM|FBSK|Sir Seretse Khama International Airport}} IATA code: GBE) lies {{convert|25|km|mi}}{{Cite book|last1= LeVert|first1=Suzanne | title =Botswana|pages=15, 27–28, 105 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=f9JybmRxB2oC | publisher=Marshall Cavendish|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7614-2330-0 | access-date =6 August 2009}} north of the city and in 2018 has flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Addis Ababa and various domestic destinations.{{cite map |publisher=Botswana Tourism Board |title=Domestic & international airline routes map |url=http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/airline_big.gif |series=Botswana Maps |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128075435/http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/airline_big.gif |archive-date=28 November 2011 }} It is the headquarters of Air Botswana, the national airline of Botswana.

In 2008, Sir Seretse Khama International Airport handled 15,844 aircraft movements, second only to Maun Airport (ICAO code: FMBN{{GCM|FMBN|Maun Airport}} IATA code: MUB) Air traffic in Gaborone has decreased since 2006. However, Gaborone has the most air passenger traffic, accounting for 51.6% of all passenger movement in Botswana. International passengers total 244,073 passengers while domestic air passenger movement comes up to 333,390 passengers. Gaborone International Airport terminal was rebuilt into a modern terminal in 2010.

File:Gaborone Road Map.png

Highways in and around Gaborone include the Trans-Kalahari Highway, A1 Highway, A10 Highway and the Cairo-Cape Town Highway. There are five major roads in Gaborone that go to Lobatse, Kanye, Molepolole, Francistown via Mochudi, and Tlokweng.{{cite map |publisher=Botswana Tourism Board |title=Road network map |url=http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/road_big.jpg |series=Botswana Maps |scale=1 : 6,000,000 |inset=lower right |access-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225052828/http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/road_big.jpg |archive-date=25 February 2014 }}

;Kombi

File:Public transport in Gaborone.jpg

Public transport in the city is generally reliable, when compared with major African cities. Kombis (small vans) and taxis ply the routes within the city, while buses serve surrounding villages and other towns in Botswana.

{{Update section|date=January 2024}}

Gaborone has several vehicle licensing stations. 15,538 new private motor vehicles, accounting for 46.5% of Botswana's total new vehicle registrations, were registered in Gaborone in 2008, of which 8,440 were passenger cars, 440 were minibuses, 204 were motorcycles, and 181 were tractors. The total has increased from 12,690 new vehicle registrations in 2007. Gaborone also has the highest number of vehicle registration renewals at 73,206 in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/Transport/2008_transport_report.pdf |title=Botswana transport statistics – 2008 |author=A. N. Majelantle |date=December 2009 |work=Botswana Transport Statistics |publisher=Central Statistics Office |location=Gaborone, Botswana |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5r1sNfkq4?url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/images/stories/Transport/2008_transport_report.pdf |archive-date=6 July 2010 |access-date=6 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Including the district of Gaborone West, Gaborone had 9,415 vehicle accidents with 74 human fatalities in 2008. Most of the traffic collisions in that year, 3,146 collisions, were side collisions. 263 accidents involved animals. The city has also seen 679 pedestrian casualties in 2008; 24 pedestrians were killed. The majority of vehicle accident casualties involved pedestrians, and most traffic accidents occur between 16:00 and 18:00.

{{Category see also|People from Gaborone}}

• Letsile Tebogo (b. 2003) Motswana Athlete, Sprinter, won He won the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in the 100 m

• Kgosi Gaborone ({{circa}} 1825–1931), Motswana chief, after whom the city is named
• Alec Campbell (1932–2012), archaeologist and museum curator
• Thamsanga Mnyele (1948–1985), member of the African National Congress and artist
• Vernon Nkadimeng (1958–1985), member of the African National Congress, killed in Gaborone by the apartheid police
• Boniface Tshosa Setlalekgosi (b. 1927), Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Gaborone, Botswana from 1981 to 2009
• Wally Serote (b. 1944), poet and anti-apartheid activist
• Dipsy Selolwane (b. 1978), football player
• Mpule Kwelagobe (b. 1979), Miss World Botswana 1997, Miss Universe Botswana 1999 and Miss Universe 1999
• Alister Walker (b. 1982), squash player
• Abednico Powell (b. 1983), football player
• Joel Mogorosi (b. 1984), football player
• Dirang Moloi (b. 1985), member of the Botswana national football team
• Donald Molosi (b. 1985), actor, writer and playwright attended Maru a Pula School in his teens,[http://www.mmegi.bw/2004/June/Thursday24/2835465531965.html A piecing together of fragments] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916054103/http://www.mmegi.bw/2004/June/Thursday24/2835465531965.html |date=16 September 2017 }} Mmegi Online. Retrieved September 15, 2017. and the National Arts Festival in South Africa{{cite news |last=Setlalekgosi |first=Onneile |title=The immortal story teller |publisher=The Voice |location=Botswana |date=2016-07-15 |url=https://thevoicebw.com/immortal-story-teller/ |access-date=2018-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916053332/https://thevoicebw.com/immortal-story-teller/ |archive-date=16 September 2017 |url-status=live }}
• Sumaiyah Marope ({{circa}} 1987), Miss Botswana 2009
• Emma Wareus (b. 1990), Miss World Botswana 2010, first runner-up to Miss World 2010
• Matsieng, a Setswana traditional music group, formed in Gaborone in 2005

Gaborone has been twinned with:

• {{flagicon|USA}} Burbank, United States{{cite web|title=Burbank's Sister Cities |url=http://www.burbanksistercity.org/burbank_sister_cities.html |publisher=Burbank Sister City Organization |access-date=22 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521114332/http://burbanksistercity.org/burbank_sister_cities.html |archive-date=21 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}
• {{flagicon|IDN}} Sorong, Indonesia{{Cite web |title=Sister cities of Gaborone — sistercity.info |url=http://en.sistercity.info/sister-cities/Gaborone.html |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=en.sistercity.info}}
• {{flagicon|SWE}} Västerås, Sweden
• {{Flagicon|CHN}} Zhejiang, China
• {{Flagicon|CHN}} Chongqing, China

File:Flag map of Gaborone.svg|alt=A flag map of Gaborone|Flag map of Gaborone

File:GaboroneStreetScene.jpg|alt=A road with a Bank Gaborone building to the left and a taller building with curved truss structures on the windows to the right|Street scene near the Main Mall

File:RhodesiaRailcar.jpg|alt=A brown train, viewed from the side, is at rest under a small open station. "1035 Rhodesia Railways" is written in gold letters over the train's windows. There is a white fence and a brick walkway in front of the train.|Rhodesia Railways car at the national museum

File:Kgale Hill 2.jpg|View from Kgale Hill (Oodi Hill on horizon)

File:Gaborone Dam 1.jpg|Gaborone Dam

File:Gaborone Dam 2.jpg|Gaborone Dam

File:Botswana Gaborone I Towers.jpg|Botswana Gaborone I Towers

File:Gaborone, Botswana Hindu Temple.jpg|Gaborone Hindu Temple

File:Gaborone, Botswana Mosque.jpg|Gaborone Mosque

File:Botswana, Gaborone Central Business District.jpg|CBD

File:Gaborone, Botswana New Development CBD.jpg|CBD Developments

File:Gaborone, Botswana - 51207616203.jpg|New Construction Developments

File:Gaborone, Botswana Room 52 Rooftop Restaurant.jpg|Room 52 Roof Top Restaurant

File:Gaborone, Botswana - 51208479090.jpg|New CBD

File:Gaborone, Botswana Christ The King Cathedral.jpg|Christ The King Cathedral

File:Gaborone, Botswana - 51206700752.jpg|CBD Mall

File:Gaborone, Botswana - Sir Seretse Khama International Airport.jpg|SSKI Airport

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Sister project links|Gaborone|b=no|q=no|s=no|n=no|v=no|voy=Gaborone|d=Q3919}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120514114903/http://www.gov.bw/en/Ministries--Authorities/Local-Authorities/Gaborone-City-Council/ Gaborone City Council Website]
• [http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=-24.6499815&lon=25.9100533&z=13&l=0&m=b Gaborone] Satellite view at WikiMapia (not affiliated with Wikipedia/Wikimedia Foundation)
• [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/223198/Gaborone Gaborone] Encyclopædia Britannica entry
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170202022458/http://www.botswanatourism.us/images/gabs_big.gif Map of Gaborone]

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