From: owner-travel-advisories Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Botswana Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 14:55:32 GMT Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die Xref: world wstd.travel.advisories:1496 Path: world!bzs Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Message-ID: <199710201058_MC2-2481-B9DF@compuserve.com> Content-Disposition: inline Precedence: bulk Sender: Wally Doerge <76702.1202@compuserve.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mime-Version: 1.0 Distribution: wstd Approved: usenet@world.std.com Lines: 99 STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Botswana ============================================================ Botswana - Consular Information Sheet October 17, 1997 Country Description: Botswana is a landlocked southern African country. Facilities for tourism are available. The capital city is Gaborone. Entry Requirements: No visa is required of U.S. citizens for stays up to 90 days. For additional information on entry requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana, Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel. (202) 244-4990/1. There are also honorary consuls in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston. Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest Botswana embassy or consulate. Medical Facilities: Medical facilities in Botswana are limited. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate cash payment for health care services. U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. The Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide for payment of medical services outside the United States. Travelers have found supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas and medical evacuation coverage to be useful. For additional health information, travelers can contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's international travelers hotline at tel. (404) 332-4559. Internet: http://www.cdc.gov. Information on Crime: Violent crime is increasing and has affected the American community in Gaborone. Auto theft and auto hijacking have become a daily occurrence in Gaborone. Prudent security measures, such as alarms and immobilizers, may deter such crimes. Petty crime and crimes of opportunity, such as pickpocketing and stealing of personal possessions, remain the most common forms of crime in Botswana. It is dangerous for visitors to travel alone at night on foot in unfamiliar areas. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to local police and to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The pamphlets "A Safe Trip Abroad" and "Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa" provide useful information on personal security while traveling abroad and on travel in the region in general. Both are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Drug Penalties: U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the country in which they are traveling. Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs are strictly enforced. Botswana's laws mandate harsh punishments for unlawful dealing and possession of cannabis (known locally as motokwane or dagga). Road Safety and In-Country Travel: Travel by automobile outside of large towns may be dangerous. Although major roads are generally in good condition, the combination of long, tedious stretches of two-lane highways, high speed limits, and the occasional presence of large animals on the roads makes fatal accidents a frequent occurrence. Driving at night on rural highways is particularly hazardous and is strongly discouraged. Government Trophies: Botswana strictly enforces its law protecting government trophies. Under this law, it is not permitted to possess or remove from Botswana, without a government permit or a receipt from a licensed shop, any living or dead animal or trophy from an animal. A trophy is any horn, ivory, tooth, tusk, bone, claw, hoof, hide, skin, hair, feather, egg, or other durable portion of an animal, whether the item has been processed or not. Curio shops and vendors throughout the country sell items such as animal skins, plain and decorated ostrich eggs and egg shells, and carved bones or teeth of animals protected by this law. All of the souvenirs, though widely sold, are subject to the national trophy law. Travelers departing the country with a trophy must have a receipt from a store licensed to sell such items. Elephant hair, ivory and rhinoceros horn products obtained in Botswana may not be removed from the country under any circumstances. Trophies may not be taken from the wild. Violators will be subject to arrest and may face a penalty of up to five years imprisonment and a substantial fine. Registration/Embassy Location: U.S. citizens are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy and obtain updated information on travel and security in Botswana. The U.S. Embassy is located in Gaborone on Embassy Drive, Government Enclave. The mailing address is P.O. Box 90, Gaborone. The telephone number is (267) 353-982; the fax number is (267) 356-947, and the after-hours emergency telephone number is (267) 357-111. No. 97-146 This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated October 15, 1996, to update information on entry requirements and government trophies. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- The "travel-advisories@stolaf.edu" mailing list is the official Internet and BITNET distribution point for the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. 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