2024 Edition Primary

Background

In the early 1800s, multiple political entities in what is now Botswana were destabilized or destroyed by a series of conflicts and population movements in southern Africa. By the end of this period, the Tswana ethnic group, who also live across the border in South Africa, had become the most prominent group in the area. In 1852, Tswana forces halted the expansion of white Afrikaner settlers who were seeking to expand their territory northwards into what is now Botswana. In 1885, Great Britain claimed territory that roughly corresponds with modern day Botswana as a protectorate called Bechuanaland. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana, which means "land of the Tswana." More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created an enduring democracy and upper-middle-income economy. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI assumed the presidency in 2018 after the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in 2019, and he is Botswana’s fifth president since independence. 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 rates of HIV/AIDS infection but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.    

Area

land

566,730 sq km

total

581,730 sq km

water

15,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois

Climate

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m

lowest point

junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m

mean elevation

1,013 m

Geographic coordinates

22 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; sparsely populated with most settlement concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country; geography dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers about 70% of the country, although the Okavango Delta brings considerable biodiversity as one of the largest inland deltas in the World 

Irrigated land

25 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

border countries

Namibia 1,544 km; South Africa 1,969 km; Zambia 0.15 km; Zimbabwe 834 km

total

4,347.15 km

Land use

agricultural land

45.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 45.2% (2018 est.)

forest

19.8% (2018 est.)

other

34.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Major aquifers

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

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

Population distribution

the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Age structure

0-14 years

28.7% (male 355,583/female 348,863)

15-64 years

65.2% (male 759,210/female 837,752)

65 years and over

6.1% (2024 est.) (male 59,513/female 89,747)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

19.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

67.4% (2017)

Current health expenditure

6.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

45% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Botswana has experienced one of the most rapid declines in fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total fertility rate fell from more than 5 children per woman in the mid 1980s to approximately 2.4 in 2013, and remains at that level in 2022. The fertility reduction has been attributed to a host of factors, including higher educational attainment among women, greater participation of women in the workforce, increased contraceptive use, later first births, and a strong national family planning program. Botswana was making significant progress in several health indicators, including life expectancy and infant and child mortality rates, until being devastated by the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 1990s. In 2021,  Botswana had one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world at close to 20%, however comprehensive and effective treatment programs have reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths. The combination of declining fertility and increasing mortality rates because of HIV/AIDS is slowing the population aging process, with a narrowing of the youngest age groups and little expansion of the oldest age groups. Nevertheless, having the bulk of its population (about 60% as of 2022) of working age will only yield economic benefits if the labor force is healthy, educated, and productively employed. Batswana have been working as contract miners in South Africa since the 19th century. Although Botswana’s economy improved shortly after independence in 1966 with the discovery of diamonds and other minerals, its lingering high poverty rate and lack of job opportunities continued to push workers to seek mining work in southern African countries. In the early 1970s, about a third of Botswana’s male labor force worked in South Africa (lesser numbers went to Namibia and Zimbabwe). Not until the 1980s and 1990s, when South African mining companies had reduced their recruitment of foreign workers and Botswana’s economic prospects had improved, were Batswana increasingly able to find job opportunities at home. Most Batswana prefer life in their home country and choose cross-border migration on a temporary basis only for work, shopping, visiting family, or tourism. Since the 1970s, Botswana has pursued an open migration policy enabling it to recruit thousands of foreign workers to fill skilled labor shortages. In the late 1990s, Botswana’s prosperity and political stability attracted not only skilled workers but small numbers of refugees from neighboring Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.7

potential support ratio

13.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.5

youth dependency ratio

51.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.9% of population

improved: total

total: 99.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population

Education expenditures

8.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%

Gross reproduction rate

1.15 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.8 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

21.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

25.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.6 years

male

64.4 years

total population

66.4 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

88.9% (2015)

male

88%

total population

88.5%

Major urban areas - population

269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

186 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

28.3 years

male

26 years

total

27.1 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

noun

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Net migration rate

2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016)

Physician density

0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

1,276,362 (2024 est.)

male

1,174,306

total

2,450,668

Population distribution

the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.34% (2024 est.)

Religions

Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 63% of population

improved: total

total: 85.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 94.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 37% of population

unimproved: total

total: 14.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 5.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

12 years (2021)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

8.3% (2020 est.)

male

30.4% (2020 est.)

total

19.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.34 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 districts and 6 town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South East, Southern, Sowa Town*

Capital

etymology

named after GABORONE (ca. 1825-1931), a revered kgosi (chief) of the Tlokwa tribe, part of the larger Tswana ethnic group

geographic coordinates

24 38 S, 25 54 E

name

Gaborone

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval in two successive Assembly votes with at least two-thirds majority in the final vote; proposals to amend constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and branches of government, and public services also requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and assent by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2021

history

previous 1960 (pre-independence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Botswana

conventional short form

Botswana

etymology

the name Botswana means "Land of the Tswana" - referring to the country's largest ethnic group

former

Bechuanaland

local long form

Republic of Botswana

local short form

Botswana

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Howard A. VAN VRANKEN (since 24 May 2023)

email address and website

ConsularGaborone@state.govhttps://bw.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone

FAX

[267] 318-0232

mailing address

2170 Gaborone Place, Washington DC  20521-2170

telephone

[267] 395-3982

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Mpho Churchill MOPHUTING (since 18 September 2024)

email address and website

info@botswanaembassy.orghttp://www.botswanaembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 244-4164

telephone

[1] (202) 244-4990

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)

election results

National elections held in 2024 gave BOKO's UDC 35 seats in the National Assembly, which then selected BOKO as President

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 2024 (next to be held in October 2029); vice president appointed by the president

head of government

President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)

Flag description

light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center; the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

30 September 1966 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president and other judges appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; all judges appointed to serve until age 70

subordinate courts

Industrial Court (with circuits scheduled monthly in the capital city and in 3 districts); Magistrates Courts (1 in each district); Customary Court of Appeal; Paramount Chief's Court/Urban Customary Court; Senior Chief's Representative Court; Chief's Representative’s Court; Headman's Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (65 seats; 58 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 nominated by the president and indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the rest of the National Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the president and vice president of Botswana; elected members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - BDP 52.7%, UDC 35.9%, BPF 4.4%, AP 5.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - BDP 38, UDC 15, BPF 3, AP 1; composition- men 56, women 7, percentage women 11.1%

elections

last held on 23 October 2019 (next to be held by October 2024)

note

note: the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members -- 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswana's principal tribes, 22 indirectly elected by the chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president; the House of Chiefs consults on issues including powers of chiefs, customary courts, customary law, tribal property, and constitutional amendments

National anthem

lyrics/music

Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE

name

"Fatshe leno la rona" (Our Land)

note

note: adopted 1966

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Tsodilo Hills (c); Okavango Delta (n)

total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

National symbol(s)

zebra; national colors: light blue, white, black

Political parties

Alliance of Progressives or AP Botswana Congress Party or BCP Botswana Democratic Party or BDP Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]Botswana Patriotic Front or BPF Botswana Peoples Party or BPP Botswana Republic Party or BRP Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC (various times the coalition has included the BPP, BCP, BNF and other parties)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, root vegetables, vegetables, maize, sorghum, beef, game meat, watermelons, cabbages, goat milk (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$5.099 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$5.989 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

A2 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BBB+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$1.531 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$250.118 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$606.394 million (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$1.507 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

good economic governance and financial management; diamond-driven growth model declining; rapid poverty reductions; high unemployment, particularly among youth; COVID-19 sharply contracted the economy and recovery is slow; public sector wages have posed fiscal challenges

Exchange rates

Currency

pulas (BWP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

10.756 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

11.456 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

11.087 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

12.369 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

13.596 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$4.703 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$7.928 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$8.9 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

diamonds, copper ore, insulated wire, coal, cattle (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

UAE 27%, Belgium 18%, India 15%, South Africa 10%, Hong Kong 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

31.7% (2023 est.)

government consumption

28.9% (2023 est.)

household consumption

42.9% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-35.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

4.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.6% (2023 est.)

industry

34.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

59.4% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$19.396 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015

53.3 (2015 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

41.5% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

1.5% (2015 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2020

$7.554 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$9.252 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$8.7 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

diamonds, refined petroleum, trucks, raw sugar, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

South Africa 61%, Namibia 9%, Belgium 5%, India 4%, Canada 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

2.25% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; beef processing; textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

7.24% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

11.67% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.07% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

1.17 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

16.1% (2015 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2020

19.62% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$43.133 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$45.499 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$46.742 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

11.92% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.49% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.73% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$16,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$17,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$17,500 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.32% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.34% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.31% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$4.802 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$4.279 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$4.756 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.65% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

23.11% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

23.62% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

23.38% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

51.5% (2023 est.)

male

40.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

45.4% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

5.171 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.974 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

8.145 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

2.291 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

539,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

1,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

2.634 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1.66 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

3.697 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

2 million kWh (2022 est.)

imports

1.662 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

738,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

591.813 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

25%

electrification - total population

75.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

95.5%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

99.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

39.265 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2020 est.)

total

259,525 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned national radio stations; 4 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2019)

Internet country code

.bw

Internet users

percent of population

74% (2021 est.)

total

1.924 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 5 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 161 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

effective regulatory reform has made Botswana’s telecom market one of the most liberalized in the region; there is a service-neutral licensing regime adapted to the convergence of technologies and services, and several operators now compete in all telecom sectors; Botswana has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa; in a bid to generate new revenue streams and secure market share, the three mobile network operators have entered the underdeveloped broadband sector by adopting of 3G, LTE, and WiMAX technologies; in the fixed-line broadband market they compete with a large number of ISPs, some of which have rolled out their own wireless access infrastructure; the landlocked country depends on satellites for international bandwidth, and on other countries for transit capacity to the landing points of international submarine cables; the landing of additional cables in the region in recent years has improved the competitive situation in this sector, while prices for connectivity have fallen dramatically (2022)

international

country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

92,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

165 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

4.348 million (2022 est.)

Airports

122 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A2

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

110,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

253,417 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

6

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Railways

narrow gauge

888 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

total

888 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

9,810 km

total

31,747 km

unpaved

21,937 km (2017)

Military - note

the BDF’s key functions include defending the country's territorial integrity on land and in the air, ensuring national security and stability, and aiding civil authorities in support of domestic missions such as disaster relief and anti-poaching; it participates in regional and international security operationsBechuanaland/Botswana did not have a permanent military during colonial times, with the British colonial administrators relying instead on small, lightly armed constabularies such as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and by the early 1960s, the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); after independence in 1966, Botswana militarized the PMU and gave it responsibility for the country’s defense rather than create a conventional military force; however, turmoil in neighboring countries and numerous cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the 1960s and 1970s demonstrated that the PMU was inadequate for defending the country and led to the establishment of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) in 1977 (2024)

Military and security forces

Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2024)

note

note 1: both the BDF and the Botswana Police Service report to the Ministry of Defense and Security; the Botswana Police Service has primary responsibility for internal security; the BDF reports to the Office of the President through the minister of defense and security and has some domestic security responsibilitiesnote 2: the Ground Force Command includes a marine unit with boats and river craft for patrolling Botswana's internal waterways and supporting anti-poaching operations

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 10,000 active BDF personnel (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the BDF has a mix of mostly older weapons and equipment, largely of Western/European origin; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of material from several European countries and the US (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

2.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2024)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

6.34 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

5.73 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Environment - current issues

overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, 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

Land use

agricultural land

45.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 45.2% (2018 est.)

forest

19.8% (2018 est.)

other

34.4% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.23% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

12.24 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

210,854 tons (2010 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

2,109 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

1% (2005 est.)