Ethnic groups in Botswana

The ethnic Tswana populace are concentrated mostly in the southern ,South-eastern as well as Central parts of the country and are split up among eight tribes: Bangwato, Bakwena, Bangwaketse, Bakgatla, Barolong,Batlokwa,Balete and Batawana.

Ovambanderu), the Basubiya,Mbukushu as well as Bayei and all of them being situated in the North Western parts of the country alongside the ethnic Batawana and Bananzwa people.

In the lingua franca of Tswana, tribal groups are usually denoted with the prefix 'ba', which means 'the people of...'.Therefore, the Herero are known as Baherero, and the Kgalagadi as Bakgalagadi, and so on.

[4] The Herero probably originated from the eastern or central Africa and migrated across the Kavango River into northeastern Namibia in the early 16th century.

The ensuing conflict between the Germans and the Herero was to last for years, only ending in a calculated act of genocide which saw the remaining of the tribe flee across the border into Botswana.

For a long time, the Basubiya were the dominant force, pushing the Wayeyi from the Chobe river and into the Okavango after a little spat over a lion skin, so tradition says.

The Basubiya were agriculturists and as such proved easy prey for the growing Lozi Empire (from modern Zambia), which in turned collapsed in 1865.

Originally from the same areas in Namibia and Angola as the Mbukushu, the Wyeyi moved south from the Chobe river into the Okavango Delta in the mid-18 century to avoid the growing conflict with the Basubiya.