Botswana

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet country code

.bw

Internet users

12,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios

237,000 (1997)

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

86,000 (1997)

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)

Currency

pula (BWP)

Currency code

BWP

Debt - external

$455 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

$73 million (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

1.517 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

950 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

610 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

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)

Exports

$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

EU 77%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 18%, Zimbabwe 3% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 76%, Europe 10%, South Korea 5% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

6.2% (2000 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.6% (2000 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% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

40% (2000 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

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

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

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%

FAX

[1] (202) 244-4164

FAX

[267] 356947

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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

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

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 57.2%, BNF 26%, other 16.8%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1

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 Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO] 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$61 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.2% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 380,152 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 199,995 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 19,479 (2001 est.)

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.)

Birth rate

28.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

24.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

35.8% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

24,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

290,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

63.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

English (official), Setswana

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 37.13 years male: 36.77 years female: 37.51 years (2001 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 (2001 est.)

Population

1,586,119 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.)

Population growth rate

0.47% (2001 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: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.7 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

92 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 81 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 56 under 914 m: 22 (2000 est.)

Highways

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

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2000)

Waterways

none