Map of Botswana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. The economy closely tied to South Africa's is dominated by cattle raising and mining.


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Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 600,370 km²
Land: 585,370 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: Total 4,013 km, Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: None; landlocked

Climate: Semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain: Predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
Extremes highest point: Tsodilo Hill 1,489 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 75%
Forests and woodland: 2%
Other: 21%

Irrigated land: 20 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic groups:

Languages: English (official), Setswana

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing, primarily as a result of the expansion of the cattle population; desertification; limited natural fresh water resources
Current issues Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
International agreements: party to_Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified_Biodiversity
International agreements note: Landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 46.01 years (1996 est.), 63.56 years (1995 est.)
Male: 44.94 years (1996 est.), 60.54 years (1995 est.)
Female: 47.11 years (1996 est.), 66.67 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 69.8%
Male: 80.5%
Female: 59.9%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
Conventional short form: Botswana
Former: Bechuanaland

Government type: Parliamentary republic

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-East, Southern; in addition, there are 4 town councils_Francistown, Gaborone, Lobatse, Selebi-Phikwe

Dependent areas

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from U.K.)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Legal system: Based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Sir Ketumile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992); election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held October 1999); results_President Sir Ketumile MASIRE was reelected by the National Assembly
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: Bicameral Parliament House of Chiefs:Is a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of chiefs of the 8 principal tribes, 4 elected subchiefs, and 3 members selected by the other 12 National Assembly:Elections last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held October 1999; results_percent of vote by party NA; seats_(44 total of which 40 are elected and 4 are appointed) BDP 27, BNF 13

Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: Light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for more than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs and accounts for only 5% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating 25% of GDP in 1980 to 39% in 1994. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. Hampered by a still sluggish diamond market in 1994 and 1995, GDP grew by only 1% in both years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts, beans, cowpeas, sunflower seeds; livestock

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 4.6% (FY92/93; accounts for about 43% of GDP, including mining

Labor force: 428,000 (1992)
Note:

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.7 billion
Expenditures: $1.99 billion, including capital expenditures of $652 million (FY93/94)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: total value. $1.8 billion (f.o.b. 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity
Capacity: 220,000 kW
Production: 900 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 694 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 19,109 telephones (1985 est.); sparse system
Local: NA
Intercity: small system of open wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radio communication stations
International: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $199 million, 5.2% of GDP (FY93/94)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 81
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 44 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 22

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs