Botswana

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios

237,000 (1997)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

78,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Televisions

31,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

sorghum, corn, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock

Budget

revenues: $1.6 billion expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560 million (FY96/97)

Currency

1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Debt - external

$651 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$73 million (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

1.619 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

689 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

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)

Exports

$2.36 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds 72%, vehicles, copper, nickel, meat (1998)

Exports - partners

EU 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 21%, Zimbabwe 3% (1996)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 4% industry: 46% (including 36% mining) services: 50% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,900 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2.05 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate

4.6% (FY92/93)

Industries

diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.7% (1999 est.)

Labor force

235,000 formal sector employees (1995)

Labor force - 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.)

Population below poverty line

47% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

20%-40% (1999 est.)

Area

total: 600,370 sq km land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

22 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 47% other: 6% (1993 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Terrain

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

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

Capital

Gaborone

Constitution

March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland

Data code

BC

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador John E. LANGE embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 356947

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Kgosi SEEPAPITSO IV chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Executive branch

chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; vice president KHAMA is on a one-year leave of absence, effective 1 January 2000, but retains the title of vice president head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; vice president KHAMA is on a one-year leave of absence, effective 1 January 2000, but retains the title of vice president 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 - 61.3%

Flag description

light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

30 September 1966 (from UK)

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

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal

Legal system

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

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) elections: National Assembly - elections last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 61.3%, other 38.7%; seats by party - BDP 33, other 7

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

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] note: main parties are: BDP, BNF, BCP; other minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Kenneth KOMA, chairman] but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the Social Democratic Union, the Independence Freedom Party [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana Progressive Union [Gideon KAELO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Botswana Defense Force (includes Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$61 million (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.2% (FY99/00)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 373,990 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 196,572 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 19,132 (2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41% (male 321,766; female 318,304) 15-64 years: 55% (male 417,734; female 453,947) 65 years and over: 4% (male 26,436; female 38,283) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

29.63 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

22.08 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi 4%, white 1%

Infant mortality rate

61.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), Setswana

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 39.27 years male: 38.63 years female: 39.93 years (2000 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.8% male: 80.5% female: 59.9% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

1,576,470 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 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.76% (2000 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

92 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 82 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 57 under 914 m: 21 (1999 est.)

Highways

total: 18,482 km paved: 4,343 km unpaved: 14,139 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

total: 971 km narrow gauge: 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)