At independence in 1966, Botswana had about 12 km of paved road and only a few dozen university graduates; within six decades it became an upper-middle-income country with one of the highest GDP per h
Botswana transformed from one of the world's poorest nations at independence in 1966 into an upper-middle-income economy. The country successfully leveraged its diamond wealth through strategic government planning and infrastructure investment, avoiding the common 'resource curse'.
Why it matters
It serves as a rare and successful case study of how mineral-rich developing nations can achieve long-term economic stability through prudent governance.
Twelve kilometres of paved road. That is the figure that opens almost every account of Botswana at independence.
The article presents historical economic data and analysis without partisan framing or inflammatory language.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in