1997 Edition

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 Hill 1,489 m

Environment - current issues

overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection 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

predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 319,920; female 312,104) 15-64 years: 54% (male 384,533; female 428,157) 65 years and over : 4% (male 21,949; female 34,102) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

32.65 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

17.9 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

54.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English (official), Setswana

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 44.52 years male: 43.52 years female: 45.55 years (1997 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 (1997 est.)

Population

1,500,765 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.48% (1997 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.14 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Administrative divisions

10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Phikwe*, South-East, Southern

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 Robert C. KRUEGER (14 June 1996) embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission : Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991

Executive branch

chief of state : President Sir Ketumile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Sir Ketumile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992); 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 15 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999); vice president appointed by the president election results: Sir Ketumile MASIRE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA

FAX

[1] (202) 244-4164

[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, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, 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 15 October 1994 (next to be held October 1999) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BDP 27, BNF 13

National capital

Gaborone

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

Political parties and leaders

Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Sir Ketumile MASIRE]; Botswana Freedom Party or BFP [leader NA]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana People's Party or BPP [Knight MARIPE]; Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues : $1.8 billion expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $613 million (FY95/96)

Currency

1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Debt - external

$691 million (1994)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $189 million (1993)

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 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 33% in 1995. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. On the plus side is the substantial positive trade balance.

Electricity - capacity

197,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - consumption per capita

747 kWh (1993 est.)

Electricity - production

950 million kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

pula (P) per US$1 - 3.6417 (January 1997), 3.3014 (1996), 2.7716 (1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992)

Exports

total value: $2.1 billion (f.o.b. 1995 est.) commodities: diamonds 71%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 3% partners: Europe 81%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 14%, Zimbabwe 3%

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 4% industry: 43% services : 53% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,100 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6%

Industrial production growth rate

4.6% (FY92/93)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

9.8% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total : 428,000 (1992) by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

21% (1995 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

sparse system domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations international: microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones

19,109 (1985 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1988 est.)

Televisions

13,800 (1993 est.)

Airports

80 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 34 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m : 9 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 46 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m : 43 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 11,800 km paved : 1,676 km unpaved: 10,124 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

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

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$199 million (FY93/94)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.2% (FY93/94)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 343,929 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 180,692 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 17,632 (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

quadripoint with Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River remained unresolved in January 1996 and the parties have agreed to refer the matter to the ICJ ______________________________________________________________________ BOUVET ISLAND (territory of Norway)