Serowe
| Serowe | |
|---|---|
 Serowe
|
|
| Coordinates: 22°23′S 26°43′E / 22.383°S 26.717°E | |
| Country |
 Botswana
|
| District | Central District |
| Sub-District | Serowe/Palapye |
| Elevation | 1,140 m (3,740 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 47,447 |
| Time zone | Central Africa Time (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | not observed (UTC+2) |
| Area code(s) | 463xxxx |
| ISO 3166 code | BW=CE |
| Climate | BSh |
Serowe (population approximately 60,000) is a town in Botswana's Central District and is a trade and commerce centre. It is as famed Botswana's largest village. Serowe has a rich history in Botswana; it being the capital for the Bamangwato people in the early part of the 20th century and for being the birthplace of many of Botswana's Presidents. In recent times it has seen many developments as the town and Botswana continue to grow.
Serowe has a memorial to Khama III, chief of the Bamangwato people in the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1903 he founded as a new capital of the Bamangwato, Serowe. It is also the birthplace of Seretse Khama, Botswana's first President, and the traditional center of the Bamangwato tribe.
Swaneng Hill School in Serowe was the first of the Brigades Movement schools founded by educationalist Patrick van Rensburg.
Serowe is located in a fertile area, well-watered by the Lotsane River. It lies west of the Gaborone–Francistown road, from which it is easily reached. It also marks the beginning of the Serowe-Orapa road, which ends at the diamond mines in Orapa. Construction of this road began in 1986, and was completed several years later.
There are two hills at Swaneng - called Rra-Swaneng and Mma-Swaneng: Father- and Mother- Swaneng respectively.
Notable features of the local area include a Botswana Defence Force (BDF) base on the road to Paje and the Khama Rhino Sanctuary.
The Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a charitable game reserve established in 1992 by the Ballentines and Watsons (local families) and Ian Khama (the current President) that lies 25 km north of Serowe itself. The 4,300 hectares of Kalahari sandveld was established as a haven for black and white Rhinoceros.
Serowe currently serves as the capital of the Central District. The town also has a rich history in the Botswana Government, with Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana and father of current president, President Lieutenant General Ian Khama, and former president, Festus Mogae, having been born in Serowe.
...
Wikipedia