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 one of the most robust on the continent is dominated by diamond mining.


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Location: Southern Africa north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S 24 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 600,370 km²
Land: 585,370 km²
Water: 15,000 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 4,013 km
Border countries: (3) 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: predominantly 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 Hills 1,489 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 46%
Forests and woodland: 47%
Other: 6% (1993 est.)

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
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 0.47% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 47% (2000 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79% Kalanga 11% Basarwa 3% other including Kgalagadi and white 7%

Languages: English (official) Setswana

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50% Christian 50%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.3% (male 321,164; female 318,007)
15-64 years: 55.56% (male 423,954; female 457,227)
65 years and over: 4.14% (male 26,691; female 39,076) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.47% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 28.85 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 24.18 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 63.2 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 37.13 years
Male: 36.77 years
Female: 37.51 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 35.8% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 290,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 24,000 (1999 est.)

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 can read and write
Total population: 69.8%
Male: 80.5%
Female: 59.9% (1995 est.)

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 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
Chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54.3%

Legislative branch
Elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 57.2%, BNF 26%, other 16.8%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)

Political parties and leaders
Note: main parties are: BDP, BNF, BCP; other minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim SETSHWAELO, chairman] but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the Botswana Peoples Party, the Independence Freedom Party [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]

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 WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kgosi SEEPAPITSO IV
In the us chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-4,990
In the us fax: [1] (202) 244-4,164
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John E. LANGE
From the us embassy: address NA, Gaborone
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
From the us telephone: [267] 353,982
From the us fax: [267] 356,947

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: Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $6,600 in 2000. Diamond mining has fueled much of Botswana's economic expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for three-fourths of export earnings. Tourism subsistence farming and cattle raising are other key sectors. The government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is 19% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 46% (including 36% mining)
Services: 50% (1998 est.)

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: 6.2% (2000 est.)

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: 40% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 47% (2000 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.6 billion
Expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560 million (FY96)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.6% (2000 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: $2.6 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: diamonds 72% vehicles copper nickel meat (1998)
Partners: EU 77% Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 18% Zimbabwe 3% (1998)

Imports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and transport equipment textiles petroleum products
Partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 76% Europe 10% South Korea 5% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $455 million (2000)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: pulas per US dollar - 5.4585 (January 2001) 5.1018 (2000) 4.6244 (1999) 4.2259 (1998) 3.6508 (1997) 3.3242 (1996)


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Electricity
Production: 610 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 1.517 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 950 million kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 86,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system
General assessment: sparse system
Domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations
International: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .bw
Service providers isps: 3 (2000)
Users: 12,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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

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 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 81
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 56
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 22 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 888 km
Narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2000)

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs