Botswana

Plates Front and Back

License plates are present on both the front and back.

Random Panorama Blurs

Botswana coverage often shows small random blurs on the panorama. They are especially noticeable in urban areas and are mostly absent on rural roads.

Botswana Street Suffixes

In Botswana, street suffixes include "Crescent", "Cres", and "Cr". These all refer to "Crescent".

Botswana Street Suffixes

In Botswana, 'Avenue' or 'Ave' can be used as a street suffix. Both terms denote an avenue.

Street Suffix: Terrace

In Botswana, the street suffix 'Terrace' is used as 'Terrace'.

Botswana Street Suffixes

Street suffixes in Botswana include "Street", "Str", and "St".

Botswana Street Suffixes

In Botswana, common street suffixes include 'Road' and 'Rd'. Both suffixes indicate 'Road'.

Striped Signposts

Botswana has black-and-yellow striped signposts. Red-and-white signposts can also appear more rarely.

Blue Road Signs

Some road signs in Botswana have a blue background. This is an older sign style from before white-background signs were introduced and is relatively unique to Botswana.

Botswana Signposts

These signposts indicate Botswana. In Southern Africa, they are only found in Botswana.

White Road Signs

Most road signs have the newer white background.

Eastern Botswana Vegetation

The eastern pocket north of Francistown features red, firm, and rocky soil with an arid appearance. Common vegetation includes trees and bushes with yellowed leaves, many appearing bare and withered, with fallen leaves on the ground.

Street Suffixes

Street suffixes in Botswana include 'Drive' and 'Dr'.

Botswana Google Car

Street View imagery across Botswana was collected by a white Google car without an antenna.

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Botswana Topography

Botswana is mostly flat. Elevation is present, with hills most likely found in two specific areas.

English Signs, Local Names

Signs in Botswana are usually in English. Most town names are derived from indigenous languages spoken in the country.

Afrikaans Is Rare

Afrikaans is very rare in Botswana. Afrikaans place names are almost never found.

Maun–Khwai Road Clue

The road north of Maun toward Khwai is mostly unpaved and can be identified by extremely white sandy soil and tall green trees along the road. The section between Maun and Shorobe is paved, but it still has the trees, faint road markings, and power lines to the west of the road.

Road Line Colors

Outside road lines, if present, are yellow, while centre road lines are white.

Yellow Edge Lines

Outside yellow road lines in arid environments also appear in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and the UAE. Those countries all drive on the right side.

Road Line Colors

Outside road lines are yellow, and inside road lines are white.

Botswana Housing

Housing in Botswana ranges from small shacks to middle-class bungalows. Some buildings have exposed grey bricks, and traditional round huts can also appear.

Street Suffix Close

Street names may use the suffix “Close,” abbreviated as “Cl.”

Leafless Trees in June

Near the pans, many dirt road views were taken in June. Trees there may be without leaves or beginning to lose their leaves.

Lusher A33 Vegetation

Along the A33, the landscape is more lush than usual, with trees carrying lots of green leaves and very tall grass. Vegetation becomes more lush farther north.

Dry Vegetation Zone

A large region in the middle-western part of Botswana is characterized by very white sandy soil. Vegetation in this area also tends to look very dry.

Forest Reserve Roadworks

Part of the A33 within the Sibuya Forest Reserve and the CT/3 (Tamafupa) Commercial Wildlife Utilisation area is under construction. This is visible from the service road or embankment alongside the road.

Salt Pans and Trees

Salt pans can be found in central-eastern Botswana, mainly around the Nwetwe Pan. Dirt roads leading to the pans can have similar soil and grass, with many trees along the road, and the pans may appear as lakes on the map.

Rural Track Vegetation

Just outside Gaborone, very rural small dirt tracks may have orange-red dirt and abundant green trees and bushes along the road.

Dry Sandy Vegetation

Botswana is typically dry and mostly flat, with some limited elevation in certain regions. Common vegetation includes shrubs, small trees, and occasional dry golden grasslands, with arid sandy soil ranging from white to red.

Autumn-Looking Roadside Trees

Some stretches of the A30 have an autumn-like look, with orange-colored leaves on trees lining the road in straight rows. Tall grass is also often present there.

Regional Vegetation Clues

Botswana has many distinct regions across the country. Main landscape differences can be identified by soil, vegetation, and other clues.

Dry Red-Soil Vegetation

The landscape is characterised by red soil, dry grey-coloured trees, and very little grass. This vegetation pattern appears along the A20.

Street Suffix

The street suffix “Lane” appears as “Lane.”

Southern Border Road

Along Botswana’s southern border, including through Middlepits, the road asphalt can have a distinct red tint. The surrounding landscape is arid, and some sections have slight hills.

Left-Side Driving

In Botswana, traffic drives on the left side of the road.

Front and Rear Plates

Botswana uses white front plates and yellow rear plates. The plates are UK-style.

A20 Near Tshabong

Southeast of Tshabong, the A20 may have very bright yellow lines from recent repainting and relatively dark asphalt. A powerline runs alongside it to the northeast, with orange-tan sandy soil and patches of yellow flowers nearby.

Chobe Flood Plains

In the far north, Chobe Flood Plains National Park has many small, winding dirt roads, with much of the coverage just south of the Chobe River. Scattered lush bushes line both sides, and wildlife such as elephants and warthogs is often visible.

A2 Overcast Coverage

The western part of the A2 has overcast coverage. This can make it recognisable.

White Sandy Soil

Bright white sandy soil is typical of Botswana’s middle western region. Among the country’s relatively large cities, Maun is the only one noted for this soil.

Francistown Antenna Hill

In Francistown, a lone hill with radio antennas is visible on the north side of the city. This can help identify Francistown rather than Gaborone.

Flat-Topped Antenna Hill

A flat-topped hill with tall red-and-white striped towers can be a clue. This is distinct from a similar hill in Serowe, where the towers differ.

Gaborone Overview

Gaborone is Botswana’s capital and largest city. Most of the city is flat, though hills can be seen in some southern parts.

Middlepits Soil

Near the town of Middlepits, the soil is very red and dotted with small white pebbles.

A35 Road Clue

The A35 is described as a recognisable road with a power line to the west. It is also noted for grainy asphalt, faded markings, and many small tracks running parallel before disappearing into the bushes.

White Sand Clue

In Botswana, a clue may be the bright white color of the sand. Sandy soil can be found in many places, so this tip refers specifically to the sand’s white color.

Semi-Arid Shrub Hills

Southeastern Botswana near Gaborone has many semi-arid hills covered in short shrubs. Seeing many of these suggests the area between Gaborone and Lobatse.

Hill Clusters

Similar hills can be found elsewhere in Botswana and across the border in South Africa. A large quantity of them can indicate southeastern Botswana if other clues rule out South Africa.

Isolated Hills

Many of Botswana’s hills are geographically isolated, so even the indicated areas can include many very flat stretches. Lone hills may also appear far outside those areas.

Covered Road Surfacing

This map distinguishes covered roads by surface, showing which are paved and which are unpaved. It is slightly simplified for readability, and small unpaved side roads in and near towns are not shown.

Coverage and Roads

Coverage in Botswana is fairly limited because the road system is sparse. Coverage is most dense in the east and near Gaborone, and larger towns have extensive side road coverage, with both paved roads and some rural unpaved roads represented.

Green Direction Signs

Direction signs have a green background.

South Africa Road Numbers

In South Africa, road numbers never start with A.

Roadside Chevrons

Small red-and-white chevrons can sometimes be found next to the road.

Striped Road Features

Curbs and guardrails are usually striped. Possible colour schemes include black-and-yellow, red-and-white, and black-and-white.

Pandamatenga Silos

Distinctive silos can be found in Pandamatenga, in northeastern Botswana. They can be seen around the town.

Yellow Rear Plates

Botswana is one of the only countries in southern Africa where yellow rear plates are predominantly found. Namibia is the other country with this clue.

Also Seen Nearby

Within Africa, this car can also be found in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

Country Domain

Botswana uses the .bw country domain.

Tsodilo Hills Roads

Tsodilo Hills is a World Heritage Site with large protruding hills and exposed rock faces. Coverage around the hills is entirely on dirt roads.

A-Road Numbers

Major road numbers start with A in Botswana. These road numbers often appear on direction signs.