At independence in 1966 Botswana was one of the world’s poorest countries. It was devastated by drought and dependant upon Britain for over half the cost of its budget. It had no capital city, just a few miles of tarred road, and only 80 students in the fifth year of secondary school. But over the next 20 years, Botswana had the fastest rate of economic growth of any country in the world, partly due to the discovery of several mines which had an enormous impact on the economy. The authors analyse the management of mineral wealth, the extent to which economic policy also contributed to growth, and how rapid growth affected the people of Botswana.