1970s in Botswana

The Botswana Development Corporation is established.^[2]^: 95
Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.^[3]
January – The power to allocate tribal land is transferred from the kgosis to independent land boards under the Tribal Land Act.^[3]
6 March – Botswana establishes diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia.^[3]
July – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is established.^[3]
September – President Seretse goes to Lusaka to speak at the Non-Aligned Movement summit.^[3]

1 July – The Orapa diamond mine is established.^[3]
1 September – Simon Hirshfeldt becomes the first Motswana police commissioner.^[3]

15 January – Botswana sends its first citizen to train in the diamond industry in the United Kingdom.^[3]
15 January – The Agricultural Resources (Conservation) Act is passed.^[3]

The Selebi-Phikwe mine opens.^[4]^: 22
The Tribal Grazing Lands Policy is established.^[2]^: 67
January – The Botswana Agricultural Market Board is established.^[3]
March – Botswana ends its recognition of the Republic of China, instead recognizing the People's Republic of China.^[3]
26 October – The 1974 Botswana general election is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.^[3]

Kimberlite diamonds are discovered in Jwaneng.^[3]
July – Student protests in South Africa cause refugees to flee to Botswana.^[3]
26 July – President Khama visits China.
23 August – The Bank of Botswana is established. The Botswana pula replaces the South African rand as Botswana's official currency.^[3]

January – The United Nations passes a resolution demanding that Rhodesian forces end their hostilities along the Botswana–Rhodesia border.^[5]
April – The pula is valued at 5% above the rand.^[3]
15 April – The Botswana Defence Force is established.^[3]
19 April – Mompati Merafhe and Ian Khama are appointed commander and deputy commander of the Botswana Defence Force, respectively.^[3]
October – Four people are arrested as they travel through Botswana to serve in the military in Rhodesia.^[3]
4 October - A referendum on electoral reform was held.

Botswana Football Association is affiliated with FIFA (international governing body of association football).^[6]
Medu Art Ensemble relocates to Gaborone, Botswana.^[7]
27 February – A skirmish at Leshoma sees fifteen soldiers of the Botswana Defence Force killed by Rhodesian soldiers.^[3]
29 March – Three suspected mercenaries from Rhodesia are killed in the Tuli Block.^[3]
11 September – The University of Botswana closes amid riots.^[3]

13 April – The Gaborone–Francistown Highway is completed.^[3]
13 April – 14 members of the Zimbabwe African People's Union are kidnapped in Francistown by Rhodesian soldiers.^[3]
July – Botswana co-founds the Southern African Development Coordination Conference.^[3]
July – Queen Elizabeth II visits Gaborone and gives President Khama his second knighthood.^[3]
20 October – The 1979 Botswana general election is held. The Botswana Democratic Party maintains its majority.^[3]

Incumbents