The national flag of Botswana consists of a light blue field cut horizontally in the center by a black stripe with a thin white frame.  

Before gaining independence, Botswana did not have its own distinctive colonial flag, with the flag of the United Kingdom serving as the de facto flag of the protectorate. When the national flag of Botswana was created in 1966, it was designed symbolically to contrast with the flag of South Africa, as the latter country was governed under an apartheid regime. Thus, the black stripe with the white frame came to personify peace and harmony among people of African and European descent residing in Botswana. The new flag was first raised at midnight on September 30, 1966, the day Botswana became an independent country.  

The colors of the flag have cultural, political and regional meanings. The light blue represents water, specifically, in the form of rain, as it is a precious resource in Botswana, which relies on agriculture and suffers from frequent droughts due to the dry and arid climate of the Kalahari Desert. Blue also alludes to the motto on Botswana's coat of arms, Pula, which means "Let it rain" in Setswana, as well as life, which is sustained by water.

The black band with the white frame has two meanings. First of all, they symbolize harmony and cooperation between people of different races living in Botswana, as well as the racial diversity of the country. In addition, they represent the stripes of the zebra, the national animal of Botswana.

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