ARRL DXCC ENTITY RE-EVALUATION MEMORANDUM – A2

A2 — BOTSWANA
Evaluation Under 1966 ARRL DXCC Rules

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum evaluates whether A2 — Botswana qualified as a separate ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1966 ARRL DXCC Rules, the criteria in effect when Botswana achieved full political independence.

The evaluation considers:

• Political-entity criteria (sovereignty, independent government, international recognition)
• Pre-independence status as the British Bechuanaland Protectorate
• Geographic characteristics of Botswana as a continental African state
• DXCC prefix assignment and historical continuity
• Whether Botswana satisfied all applicable 1966 DXCC criteria to qualify as an Entity

Botswana appears on the DXCC List as a sovereign African nation using the A2 prefix.

II. BACKGROUND

Political & Administrative Status (as of 1966)

Before independence:

• Botswana was the Bechuanaland Protectorate, a British-administered territory established in 1885.
• Although under British protection, Bechuanaland:
– Was not part of South Africa
– Was not incorporated into any British colony
– Maintained local tribal/territorial authorities under British oversight
– Had its own administrative structures separate from other High Commission Territories (Basutoland → Lesotho, Swaziland → Eswatini)

On 30 September 1966:

• The Bechuanaland Protectorate became the fully sovereign Republic of Botswana.
• Botswana established:
– A president as head of state
– A national parliament
– Independent judicial and civil institutions
– Ministries of defense, foreign affairs, finance, and home affairs

• Botswana’s sovereignty was recognized immediately by:
– The United Nations
– United Kingdom
– United States
– Newly independent African nations
– The global diplomatic community

Geographic Characteristics

• Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa.
• Borders (1966):
– South Africa (south)
– South West Africa / Namibia (west)
– Rhodesia / Zimbabwe (north)
– Zambia (northwest)

• Terrain: Kalahari Desert, Okavango basin, savannas, and interior plains.
• Geography does not drive DXCC qualification; political sovereignty does.

DXCC Prefix

• The international callsign block A2 was allocated to Botswana following independence.
• Pre-independence operations used British colonial or High Commission Territory identifiers (rare and limited).
• Post-1966, A2 immediately appeared in DXCC listings and QST DX bulletins as Botswana.

DXCC History

• During the early/mid-1960s, ARRL policy was consistent:
– All newly sovereign states emerging from decolonization automatically qualified as DXCC Entities.

• Examples from this era:
– Tanganyika (5H, 1961)
– Uganda (5X, 1962)
– Algeria (7X, 1962)
– Rwanda (9X, 1962)
– Burundi (9U, 1962)
– Kenya (5Z, 1963)
– Malawi (7Q, 1964)
– Lesotho (7P, 1966)
– Botswana (A2, 1966)

Botswana fits squarely within this DXCC recognition pattern.

III. ANALYSIS UNDER THE 1966 DXCC RULES

The 1966 ARRL DXCC Rules recognized DXCC Entities in two primary categories:

Political Entities
– Fully sovereign states
– UN-recognized independent nations
– States emerging from colonial rule or protectorate status
Geographic Entities
– Remote islands separated by ≥100 miles of water
– Not relevant to Botswana (continental)

Botswana’s DXCC qualification is based entirely on political sovereignty.

1. POLITICAL ENTITY CRITERIA (1966)

1(a) Sovereign Independent State — ✔ PASS

• Botswana became a fully sovereign republic on 30 September 1966.
• It gained complete authority over its:
– Diplomacy
– Defense
– National governance
– Internal security
• Admitted to the UN in 1966.

1(b) Independent Government — ✔ PASS

• Botswana established:
– A Presidency
– A National Assembly
– Courts and judicial system
– Civil service and administrative ministries

1(c) International Recognition — ✔ PASS

• Recognized immediately by global powers and African states.
• UN recognition affirmed full international legal personality.

1(d) Distinct Political Identity — ✔ PASS

• Historically distinct from neighboring territories.
• Protectorate status was administratively separate from South Africa and other regions.
• Upon independence, Botswana became an internationally distinct nation-state.

Conclusion:
Botswana meets all political-entity requirements under the 1966 DXCC Rules.

2. GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY CRITERIA (1966)

Not required for qualification, but reviewed for completeness.

2(a) Above high tide — ✔ PASS

• Entirely continental.

2(b) Island separation requirement — N/A

• Botswana is landlocked; geographic separation rules do not apply.

2(c) Geographic distinctiveness — ✔ PASS

• Clear and historically documented territorial boundaries.

Conclusion:
Geography plays no role in DXCC qualification; sovereignty alone qualifies Botswana.

3. SPECIAL-AREA CRITERIA (1966)

These rules applied to:

• Antarctic sectors
• UN Trust Territories
• Special international zones

Before independence:
• Bechuanaland was a protectorate, not a trust territory.
After independence:
• It became a sovereign state—special-area criteria irrelevant.

4. 1966 DELETION CRITERIA — NOT TRIGGERED

Deletion required:

Loss of sovereignty, or
Absorption into another state

Neither occurred in 1966.

• Botswana gained sovereignty.
• It did not merge with South Africa, Namibia, or Rhodesia.

V. FINAL DETERMINATION

✅ A2 — BOTSWANA qualifies as an ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1966 DXCC Rules.

Qualification Basis (1966):

✔ Newly sovereign independent republic (30 Sept 1966)
✔ UN recognition and full diplomatic acceptance
✔ Clear political separation from colonial and regional administrative neighbors
✔ Following DXCC policy recognizing all new African independent states
✔ Distinct prefix block (A2) assigned upon sovereignty

Conclusion:
Under the 1966 ARRL DXCC Rules, Botswana unequivocally qualifies as a Political DXCC Entity.

VI. SUMMARY TABLE

Rule (1966)	Pass/Fail	Notes
Sovereign Country	✔ PASS	Independence 1966
Independent Government	✔ PASS	Republic with full political control
UN Recognition	✔ PASS	Admitted 1966
Distinct Political Identity	✔ PASS	Former Bechuanaland Protectorate
Geographic Criteria	N/A	Landlocked
Deletion Criteria	Not Triggered	Sovereignty gained
Final Status	VALID ENTITY (1966)	Political Entity

References

ARRL DXCC Rules, editions current through 1966
Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, “How to Count Countries Worked, A New DX Scoring System,” QST, October 1935
ARRL DXCC Country Lists, mid- to late-1960s editions
Historical records of the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Botswana independence (1966)
DXCC precedent involving newly independent African states recognized in the 1960s