1998 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 310,253; female 302,960) 15-64 years: 54% (male 370,925; female 409,941) 65 years and over: 4% (male 20,637; female 33,738) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

32.02 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

20.89 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

59.29 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

English (official), Setswana

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 40.09 years male: 39.46 years female: 40.75 years (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Population

1,448,454 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.11% (1998 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: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.03 children born/woman (1998 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

Executive branch

chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 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 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 note: President MASIRE resigned on 31 March 1998; Vice President MOGAE assumed the presidency pending elections to be held in 1999; on 2 April 1998, Festus MOGAE, then president, designated S. K. Ian KHAMA to be vice president after he is elected to the National Assembly in accordance with constitutional requirements

FAX

[1] (202) 244-4164 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982

[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 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

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE]; 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]; Unified Action Party or UAP [Lepetu SETSHWEALD]

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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

sorghum, maize, 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

$619 million (1996)

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. Diamond mining and tourism also are important to the economy. 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 35% in 1997. Unemployment officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. On the plus side is the substantial positive trade balance.

Electricity-capacity

217,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

962 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

1 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

pula (P) per US$1-3.8547 (January 1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996), 2.7716 (1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993)

Exports

total value: $2.31 billion (f.o.b. 1996 est.) commodities: diamonds 71%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 3% partners: Europe 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 22%, Zimbabwe 3%

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$5 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 4% industry: 45% (including 35% mining) services: 51% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$3,300 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

6% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, 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

10% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995) 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.)

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.)

Unemployment rate

20-40% (1997 est.)

Airports

92 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 12 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 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 55 under 914 m: 22 (1997 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)

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: 335,301 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 177,248 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-military age

18 years of age

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males: 18,148 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River is presently at the ICJ; at least one other island in Linyanti River is contested (territory of Norway)