Why was Botswana known as Bechuanaland before independence?

Before gaining independence in 1966, the country was known as the Bechuanaland Protectorate because it was a territory under British control inhabited primarily by the Tswana people.12

The name "Bechuanaland" was derived from the name of the Tswana people, who were divided by colonial boundaries in the late 19th century. In 1885, the British established the protectorate over their Tswana allies to secure trade routes and prevent the expansion of German and Boer interests in the region.321

For much of the colonial period, the British government viewed the territory as a temporary administrative entity, intending for it to eventually be incorporated into the Union of South Africa. Consequently, the territory remained underdeveloped and was governed as an appendage of South Africa until the mid-20th century, when it became clear that the region would instead move toward political and economic self-sufficiency. Upon achieving independence in 1966, the nation adopted the name Botswana, reflecting the identity of its people.1452