A new African country is set to be showcased to internet users around the world as we bring Street View to the beautiful southern African nation of Botswana.
In the coming weeks, our Google cars will start driving around this vast country. Images collected by our cars will be processed and carefully stitched together, a process that can take several months. They will be made available at a later date in Street View on Google Maps.
Once launched, Street View will allow users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery of Botswana streets and sites. You can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, or get a helping hand with geography homework.
Botswana businesses can also benefit from the Street View technology by embedding Google Maps directly into their site for free, helping them to promote their hotel or increase awareness of a local store or restaurant.
Our initial Street View driving in Botswana will primarily be focused on the major urban areas of Gaborone and Francistown. Some of the country’s stunning destinations and wildlife reserves will also be photographed, with our cars set to drive around Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, and the Nxai salt pans.
Street View is a popular free feature of Google Maps which we launched in 2007 and is already available in more than 30 countries around the world. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile. Street View has put imagery of some of the world’s most interesting and significant destinations online for everyone to virtually explore.
Following the launch of Street View in South Africa just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Botswana will become only the second African country to be on Street View.
Posted by Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Policy Manager, South Africa and Julie Taylor, Communications Manager, Sub Saharan Africa
