Background: In the early 1800s, multiple political entities in what is now Botswana were destabilized or destroyed by a series of conflicts and population movements in southern Africa. By the end of this period, the Tswana ethnic group, who also live across the border in South Africa, had become the most prominent group in the area. In 1852, Tswana forces halted the expansion of white Afrikaner settlers who were seeking to expand their territory northwards into what is now Botswana. In 1885, Great Britain claimed territory that roughly corresponds with modern day Botswana as a protectorate called Bechuanaland. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana, which means 'land of the Tswana'. More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created an enduring democracy and upper-middle-income economy. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI assumed the presidency in 2018 after the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in 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.

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

Land boundaries
Total: 4,347.15 km
Border countries (4): (4) Namibia 1,544 km; South Africa 1,969 km; Zambia 0.15 km; Zimbabwe 834 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
Highest point: Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m
Lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
Mean elevation: 1,013 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 45.6% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 45.2% (2023 est.)
Forest: 27.8% (2023 est.)
Other: 26.6% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 25 km² (2014)

Major rivers: Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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; sparsely populated with most settlement concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country; geography dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers about 70% of the country, although the Okavango Delta brings considerable biodiversity as one of the largest inland deltas in the World

Population
Total: 2,450,668 (2024 est.)
Male: 1,174,306
Female: 1,276,362
Distribution: the population is primarily concentrated in the east, with a focus in and around the capital of Gaborone and the eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari Desert to the west.
Growth rate: 1.34% (2024 est.)

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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.7% (male 355,583/female 348,863)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 759,210/female 837,752)
65 years and over: 6.1% (2024 est.) (male 59,513/female 89,747)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 44.1 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 9.3 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 10.7 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 26 years
Female: 28.3 years

Population growth rate: 1.34% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 19.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: the population is primarily concentrated in the east, with a focus in and around the capital of Gaborone and the eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari Desert to the west.

Urbanization
Urban population: 72.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 155 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 25.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 21.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 64.4 years
Female: 68.6 years

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.5% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 20.4% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 7.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 5.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 37% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 14% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 23.2% (2024 est.); 23.4% (2023 est.); 23.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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 chief of the Tlokwa tribe, whose name means 'it is not unbecoming'

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*

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

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)
Head of government: President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); vice president appointed by the president
Most recent election date: 31 October 2024
Election results: BOKO's UDC won 35 seats in the National Assembly, which then selected BOKO as president
Expected date of next election: October 2,029

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: unicameral
Chamber name: National Assembly
Number of seats: 69 (61 directly elected; 6 indirectly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 10/30/2024
Parties elected and seats per party: Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) (36); Botswana Congress Party (BCP) (15); Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) (5); Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) (4); Other (1)
Percentage of women in chamber: 9%
Expected date of next election: October 2,029
Note: the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members -- 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswana's 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

Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe across the middle

National anthem
Title: 'Fatshe leno la rona' (Our Land)
Lyrics/music: Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE
History: adopted 1966

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: -3% (2024 est.); 3.2% (2023 est.); 5.5% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: -3% (2024 est.); 3.2% (2023 est.); 5.5% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 45.3% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 32.1% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 28.5% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 7.7% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -40.9% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Industry: 29.4% (2024 est.)
Services: 63.5% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: -13.5% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 1.173 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 23.2% (2024 est.); 23.4% (2023 est.); 23.7% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 23.2% (2024 est.); 23.4% (2023 est.); 23.7% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $5.474 billion (2024 est.)
Expenditures: $6.296 billion (2024 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 19.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $6.398 billion (2023 est.); $8.914 billion (2022 est.); $7.861 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: diamonds, copper ore, insulated wire, carbonates, cattle (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $7.228 billion (2023 est.); $8.826 billion (2022 est.); $9.25 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, diamonds, cars, flavored water, electricity (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 758,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 3.879 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 2 million kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.923 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 625.694 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 75.9% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 95.5%
Access electrification - rural areas: 25%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 2.242 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.351 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 891,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 300 metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.66 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 22,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 5.897 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2.818 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 3.079 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 32.443 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 90,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 4.44 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 165 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 81% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 85,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2024 est.); 2.6% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.8% of GDP (2022 est.); 3% of GDP (2021 est.); 3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 122 (2025)

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