Map of Botswana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Seeking to stop the incorporation of their land into Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) or the Union of South Africa, in 1885, three tribal chiefs traveled to Great Britain and successfully lobbied the British Government to put 'Bechuanaland' under UK protection. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana. More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric MASISI assumed the presidency in April 2018 following the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in October 2019, and he is Botswana’s fifth president since independence. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.


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Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 581,730 km²
Land: 566,730 km²
Water: 15,000 km²
Rank: 49
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois

Land boundaries
Total: 4,347 km
Border countries: (4) Namibia 1544 km; , South Africa 1969 km; , Zambia 0.15 km; , Zimbabwe 834 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

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

Elevation
Mean elevation: 1013 m
Lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
Highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 45.8% (2011 est.)
Forest: 19.8% (2011 est.)
Other: 34.4% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (2012)

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 the southern and eastern parts of the country


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Population
Distribution rank: population distribution map: 2,317,233 (July 2020 est.)
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Rank: 144
Growth rate: 1.48% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 71
Below poverty line: 19.3% (2009 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 people of European ancestry 7%

Languages: Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)

Religions: Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile: Botswana has experienced one of the most rapid declines in fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total fertility rate has fallen from more than 5 children per woman in the mid 1980s to approximately 2.4 in 2013. The fertility reduction has been attributed to a host of factors, including higher educational attainment among women, greater participation of women in the workforce, increased contraceptive use, later first births, and a strong national family planning program. Botswana was making significant progress in several health indicators, including life expectancy and infant and child mortality rates, until being devastated by the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 1990s.Today Botswana has the third highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world at approximately 22%, however comprehensive and effective treatment programs have reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths. The combination of declining fertility and increasing mortality rates because of HIV/AIDS is slowing the population aging process, with a narrowing of the youngest age groups and little expansion of the oldest age groups. Nevertheless, having the bulk of its population (about 60%) of working age will only yield economic benefits if the labor force is healthy, educated, and productively employed.Batswana have been working as contract miners in South Africa since the 19th century. Although Botswana’s economy improved shortly after independence in 1966 with the discovery of diamonds and other minerals, its lingering high poverty rate and lack of job opportunities continued to push workers to seek mining work in southern African countries. In the early 1970s, about a third of Botswana’s male labor force worked in South Africa (lesser numbers went to Namibia and Zimbabwe). Not until the 1980s and 1990s, when South African mining companies had reduced their recruitment of foreign workers and Botswana’s economic prospects had improved, were Batswana increasingly able to find job opportunities at home.Most Batswana prefer life in their home country and choose cross-border migration on a temporary basis only for work, shopping, visiting family, or tourism. Since the 1970s, Botswana has pursued an open migration policy enabling it to recruit thousands of foreign workers to fill skilled labor shortages. In the late 1990s, Botswana’s prosperity and political stability attracted not only skilled workers but small numbers of refugees from neighboring Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.54% (male 357,065/female 350,550)
15-24 years: 18.31% (male 208,824/female 215,462)
25-54 years: 39.67% (male 434,258/female 484,922)
55-64 years: 5.92% (male 59,399/female 77,886)
65 years and over: 5.56% (male 53,708/female 75,159) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 61.1
Youth dependency ratio: 53.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.3
Potential support ratio: 13.8 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.7 years
Male: 24.5 years
Female: 26.7 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 157

Population growth rate: 1.48% (2020 est.)
Rank: 71

Birth rate: 20.9 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 71

Death rate: 9.2 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 54

Net migration rate: 2.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 37

Population distribution
Rank: population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 70.9% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.87% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 26.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 29.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 24.2 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 65

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.8 years
Male: 62.8 years
Female: 66.9 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 197

Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 76

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 67.4% (2017)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.8% of population
Rural: 3.1% of population
Total: 3.8% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.1% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.53 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 1.8 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 7.1% of population
Rural: 39.2% of population
Total: 17.2% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 22.2% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 3
People living with hivaids: 380,000 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 19
Deaths: 5,000 (2019 est.)
Deaths rank: 25

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 18.9% (2016)
Rank: 114

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures
Note: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.5%
Male: 88%
Female: 88.9% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years (2013)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
Conventional short form: Botswana
Local long form: Republic of Botswana
Local short form: Botswana
Former: Bechuanaland
Etymology: the name Botswana means Land of the Tswana - referring to the countrys major ethnic group

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Gaborone
Geographic coordinates: 24 38 S, 25 54 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: named after GABORONE (ca. 1825-1931), a revered kgosi (chief) of the Tlokwa tribe, part of the larger Tswana ethnic group

Administrative divisions: 10 districts and 6 town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South East, Southern, Sowa Town*

Dependent areas

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

Constitution
History: previous 1960 (preindependence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval in two successive Assembly votes with at least two-thirds majority in the final vote; proposals to amend constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and branches of government, and public services also requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and assent by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2006

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mokgweetse Eric MASISI (since 1 April 2018); Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Mokgweetse Eric MASISI (since 1 April 2018); Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 October 2014 (next to be held on 31 October 2019); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008) stepped down on 1 April 2018 having completed the constitutionally mandated 10-year term limit; upon his retirement, then Vice President MASISI became president; national elections held on 23 October 2019 gave MASISIS BPD 38 seats in the National Assembly which then selected MASISI as President

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (63 seats; 57 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 4 nominated by the president and indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the rest of the National Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the president and attorney general; elected members serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members - 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswanas principal tribes, 22 indirectly elected by the chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president; the House of Chiefs consults on issues including powers of chiefs, customary courts, customary law, tribal property, and constitutional amendments
Elections: last held on 23 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 52.7%, UDC 35.9%, BPF 4.4%, AP 5.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - BDP 38, UDC 15, BPF 3, AP 1; composition - NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president and other judges appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; all judges appointed to serve until age 70
Subordinate courts: Industrial Court (with circuits scheduled monthly in the capital city and in 3 districts); Magistrates Courts (1 in each district); Customary Court of Appeal; Paramount Chiefs Court/Urban Customary Court; Senior Chiefs Representative Court; Chiefs Representative’s Court; Headmans Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Progressives or AP [Ndaba GAOLATHE]Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Dumelang SALESHANDO]Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Mokgweetsi MASISI]Botswana Movement for Democracy or BMD [Sidney PILANE]Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]Botswana Patriotic Front or BPF [Biggie BUTALE]Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Motlatsi MOLAPISI]Real Alternative Party or RAP [Gaontebale MOKGOSI]Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC [Duma BOKO] (various times the collation has included the BMD, BPP, BCP and BNF) (2019)

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Onkokame Kitso MOKAILA (since 17 September 2020)
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
In the us consulate: Atlanta
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Craig Lewis CLOUD (since 2 April 2019)
From the us telephone: [267] 395-3,982
From the us embassy: Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone
From the us mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
From the us FAX: [267] 318-0232

Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center; the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony

National symbols: zebra; national colors: blue, white, black

National anthem
Name: Fatshe leno la rona (Our Land)
Lyricsmusic: Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE
Note: adopted 1966

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 119

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 81

Gross national saving:
Rank: 9

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 48.5% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 18.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 29% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.8% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 39.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -33.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 27.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 70.6% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; beef processing; textiles

Industrial production growth rate: -4.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 193

Labor force: 1.177 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 135

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 189

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 19.3% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 5.305 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 5.478 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 76

Taxes and other revenues: 30.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 75

Public debt:
Rank: 195

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 134

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:
Rank: 38

Exports:
Rank: 112
Partners: Belgium 20.3%, India 12.6%, UAE 12.4%, South Africa 11.9%, Singapore 8.7%, Israel 7%, Hong Kong 4.1%, Namibia 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, beef, textiles

Imports:
Rank: 138
Commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products
Partners: South Africa 66.1%, Canada 8.3%, Israel 5.3% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 82

Debt external:
Rank: 150

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 59% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 71% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 29% (2019)
Production: 2.527 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 3.636 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 109
Imports: 1.673 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 59
Installed generating capacity: 735,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 135
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 4
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 54
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 159
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 178

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 114
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 97
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 100
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 110

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 122
Products consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 135
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 133
Products imports: 21,090 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 116

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 108
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 124
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 73
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 95
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 114

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6.235 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 127

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 139,735
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6.12 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 129
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3,968,526
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 173.81 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 131

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned national radio stations; 4 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2019)

Internet
Country code: .bw
Users total: 1,057,079
Users percent of population: 47% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 138

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 40,044
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2018 est.)
Rank: 138


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 30

Military and security forces: Botswana Defence Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2020)

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 253,417 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 110,000
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A2 (2016)

Airports: 74 (2013)
Rank: 70
With paved runways total: 10 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 64 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 46 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 13 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 888 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 888 km
Note: 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 95

Roadways
Total: 31,747 km (2017)
Paved: 9,810 km (2017)
Unpaved: 21,937 km (2017)
Rank: 95

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs