1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Coastline
none--landlocked
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Texas
Disputes
short section of the boundary with Namibia is indefinite; quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement
Environment
rains in early 1988 broke six years of drought that had severely affected the important cattle industry; overgrazing; desertification
Land boundaries
4,013 km total; Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Land use
2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 75% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Maritime claims
none--landlocked
Natural resources
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver, natural gas
Note
landlocked; very long boundary with South Africa
Terrain
predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Total area
600,370 km2; land area: 585,370 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
95% Batswana; about 4% Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi; about 1% white
Infant mortality rate
43 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
400,000; 163,000 formal sector employees, most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1988 est.); 19,000 are employed in various mines in South Africa (1988)
Language
English (official), Setswana
Life expectancy at birth
58 years male, 64 years female (1990)
Literacy
60%
Nationality
noun and adjective--Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
19 trade unions
Population
1,224,527 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Religion
50% indigenous beliefs, 50% Christian
Total fertility rate
4.8 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-East, Southern; note--in addition, there may now be 4 town councils named Francistown, Gaborone, Lobaste, Selebi-Pikwe
Capital
Gaborone
Communists
no known Communist organization; Koma of BNF has long history of Communist contacts
Constitution
March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE; Chancery at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-4990 or 4991; US--Ambassador-designate David PASSAGE; Deputy Chief of Mission Johnnie CARSON; Embassy at Botswana Road, Gaborone (mailing address is P. O. Box 90, Gaborone); telephone [267] 353982 through 353984
Elections
President--last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results--President Quett K. J. Masire was reelected by the National Assembly; National Assembly--last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(34 total, 30 elected) BDP 31, BNF 3
Executive branch
president, vice president, Cabinet
Flag
light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Independence
30 September 1966 (from UK; formerly Bechuanaland)
Judicial branch
High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Quett K. J. MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Peter S. MMUSI (since 3 January 1983)
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 an upper house or House of Chiefs and a lower house or National Assembly
Long-form name
Republic of Botswana
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern African Customs Union, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Botswana Day, 30 September (1966)
Political parties and leaders
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Quett Masire; Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth Koma; Botswana People's Party (BPP), Knight Maripe; Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai Mpho; Botswana Progressive Union (BPU), Daniel Kwele
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
parliamentary republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for only 5% of GDP; subsistence farming predominates; cattle raising supports 50% of the population; must import large share of food needs
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $242 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $43 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $24 million
Budget
revenues $1,235 million; expenditures $1,080 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY90 est.)
Currency
pula (plural--pula); 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
Electricity
217,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 510 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
pula (P) per US$1--1.8734 (January 1990), 2.0125 (1989), 1.8159 (1988), 1.6779 (1987), 1.8678 (1986), 1.8882 (1985)
Exports
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--diamonds 88%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 4%, cattle, animal products; partners--Switzerland, US, UK, other EC-associated members of Southern African Customs Union
External debt
$700 million (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$1.87 billion, per capita $1,600; real growth rate 8.4%
Imports
$1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, vehicles, textiles, petroleum products; partners--Switzerland, US, UK, other EC-associated members of Southern African Customs Union
Industrial production
growth rate 16.8% (FY86)
Industries
livestock processing; mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
11.45% (1989)
Overview
The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for over 80% of the population, but produces only about 50% of food needs and contributes a small 5% to GDP. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating 25% of GDP in 1980 to over 50% in 1988. No other sector has experienced such growth, especially not that of the agricultural sector, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%. A scarce resource base limits diversification into labor-intensive industries.
Unemployment rate
25% (1987)
Communications
Airports
99 total, 87 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
6 major transport aircraft
Highways
11,514 km total; 1,600 km paved; 1,700 km crushed stone or gravel, 5,177 km improved earth, 3,037 km unimproved earth
Railroads
712 km 1.0 67-meter gauge
Telecommunications
the small system is a combination of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and a few radiocommunication stations; 17,900 telephones; stations--2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Air Wing, Botswana Police
Defense expenditures
2.2% of GNP (1987)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 249,480; 131,304 fit for military service; 14,363 reach military age (18) annually