Francistown

Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 113,315 (urban area - census 2001). It is located in eastern Botswana, about 400 kilometers north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone. Francistown is near the Shashe River (tributary to the Limpopo) and close to the international border with Zimbabwe. Francistown was the epicenter of southern Africa's first gold rush, and is still surrounded by old and abandoned mines. The city is named after Daniel Francis, an English prospector who acquired prospecting licences in the region in 1869.