Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. 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 known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
Location
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates
22 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
600,370 sq km
land
585,370 sq km
water
15,000 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
total
4,013 km
border countries
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
Elevation extremes
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
arable land
0.65%
permanent crops
0.01%
other
99.34% (2005)
Irrigated land
10 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environment - current issues
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
Population
1,815,508
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
35.8% (male 330,377/female 319,376)
15-64 years
60.3% (male 549,879/female 545,148)
65 years and over
3.9% (male 28,725/female 42,003) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
20.9 years
male
20.7 years
female
21.1 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.503% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
23.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
13.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.034 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.009 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.684 male(s)/female
total population
1.003 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
43.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male
45.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female
42.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
50.58 years
male
51.55 years
female
49.58 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.73 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
37.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
350,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
33,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease
malaria (2007)
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%
Religions
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)
Languages
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
81.2%
male
80.4%
female
81.8% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Botswana
conventional short form
Botswana
local long form
Republic of Botswana
local short form
Botswana
former
Bechuanaland
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name
Gaborone
geographic coordinates
24 45 S, 25 55 E
time difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern
Independence
30 September 1966 (from UK)
National holiday
Independence Day (Botswana 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998); 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 G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998); Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president
elections
president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president
election results
Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1
Judicial branch
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)
Political parties and leaders
Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone
[1] (202) 244-4990
FAX
[1] (202) 244-4164
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN
embassy
address NA, Gaborone
mailing address
Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone
[267] 353982
FAX
[267] 312782
Flag description
light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy - overview
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth slowed to 4.7% in 2006. 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 more than $11,000 in 2006. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$17.94 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$9.761 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$10,900 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
2.4%
industry
46.9% (including 36% mining)
services
50.7% (2003 est.)
Labor force
288,400 formal sector employees (2004)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
Unemployment rate
23.8% (2004)
Population below poverty line
30.3% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index
63 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
11.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
21.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$4.256 billion
expenditures
$3.968 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
pulas per US dollar - 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
132,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
823,100 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development
domestic
small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile cellular service is growing fast
international
country code - 267; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios
252,720 (2000)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2001)
Televisions
31,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.bw
Internet hosts
5,499 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
11 (2001)
Internet users
60,000 (2002)
Airports
85 (2006)
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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
75
1,524 to 2,437 m
3
914 to 1,523 m
55
under 914 m
17 (2006)
Railways
total
888 km
narrow gauge
888 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
24,355 km
paved
8,914 km
unpaved
15,441 km (2004)
Military branches
Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
350,649
females age 18-49
361,642 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
136,322
females age 18-49
136,315 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
21,103
females age 18-49
21,379 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3.3% (2006)
Disputes - international
the alignment of the boundary with Namibia in the Kwando/Linyanti/Chobe River, including the Situngu marshlands, was resolved amicably in 2003; concerns from international experts and local populations over the ecology of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls) along the Angola-Namibia border; Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary
