Botswana has a population of around 2.4 million, small for a country the size of France. Most people live in the southeast, concentrated in and around Gaborone and along the railway corridor to Francistown. The rest of the country is remarkably empty.
The Tswana people make up the large majority and give the country its name -- Botswana means "land of the Tswana." There are eight principal Tswana groups, each historically associated with a region and a chief. Tswana culture values community, respect for elders, and the kgotla -- the traditional assembly where community decisions are debated openly. You may encounter a kgotla meeting in a village; they are a living tradition, not a performance.
The San (also called Basarwa or Bushmen) are among the oldest peoples on earth, with a presence in southern Africa spanning tens of thousands of years. Their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life has been profoundly disrupted, and their status in modern Botswana is complex and sometimes contentious. Cultural tourism near Ghanzi and in the Kalahari provides some economic opportunity, though the relationship between the San and the state has a difficult history.
Other significant groups include the Kalanga in the northeast, the Herero in the northwest (descended from refugees who fled German colonial violence in Namibia), and a small but economically influential community of Indian and white Batswana.
Batswana are generally reserved and polite. Greetings matter -- always say hello before getting to business. Handshakes are common, often with the left hand touching the right forearm as a sign of respect. The word "Rra" (sir) and "Mma" (madam) are used frequently and appreciated.