Map of Botswana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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: 22 00 S 24 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

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

Elevation

Natural resources: diamonds copper nickel salt soda ash potash coal iron ore silver

Land use

Irrigated land: 20 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west carrying sand and dust across the country which can obscure visibility

Geography
Note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country


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Population: 1,576,470
Growth rate: 0.76% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 47% (1999 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Batswana 95% Kalanga Basarwa and Kgalagadi 4% white 1%

Languages: English (official) Setswana

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50% Christian 50%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.76% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 29.63 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 22.08 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 61.68 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*; Central Chobe Francistown* Gaborone* Ghanzi Kgalagadi Kgatleng Kweneng Lobatse* Ngamiland North-East Selebi-Pikwe* South-East Southern

Dependent areas

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes four elected subchiefs and three members selected by the other 12) and the National Assembly (44 seats 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Michael DINGAKE]; Botswana People's Party or BPP [Knight MARIPE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C CCC ECA FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat Interpol IOC ISO ITU NAM OAU OPCW SACU SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO 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: Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs and accounts for only 3% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. Diamond mining and tourism also are important to the economy. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 38% in 1998. Unemployment officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. The Orapa 2000 project which will double the capacity of the country's main diamond mine will be finished in early 2000. This will be the main force behind continued economic expansion.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,900 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sorghum corn millet pulses groundnuts (peanuts) beans cowpeas sunflower seed; livestock

Industries: diamonds copper nickel coal salt soda ash potash; livestock processing

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)

Labor force: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)
By occupation: 100,000 public sector; 135,000 private sector including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20%-40% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 47% (1999 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.7% (1999 est.)

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: $2.36 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: diamonds 72% vehicles copper nickel meat (1998)
Partners: EU 74% Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 21% Zimbabwe 3% (1996)

Imports: $2.05 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and transport equipment textiles petroleum products
Partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78% Europe 8% Zimbabwe 6% (1996)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $651 million (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: pulas (P) per US$1 - 4.6168 (January 2000) 4.6244 (1999) 4.2259 (1998) 3.6508 (1997) 3.3242 (1996) 2.7722 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 1 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 1.619 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 689 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 78,000 (1998)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: sparse system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 2 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $61 million (FY99/00)
Percent of gdp: 1.2% (FY99/00)

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: 92 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River resolved by the ICJ in favor of Botswana (13 December 1999); at least one other island in Linyanti River is contested

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs