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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.6 billion expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560 million (FY96/97)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$619 million (1996)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $189 million (1993)

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

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 (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

217,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

962 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

1 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

1 April-31 March Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

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

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

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

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

6% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

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 [time series]

4.6% (FY92/93)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

10% (1996 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

19,109 (1985 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (1988 est.)

Televisions [time series]

13,800 (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

20-40% (1997 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 600,370 sq km land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than Texas

Climate [time series]

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hill 1,489 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

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 [time series]

22 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

Irrigated land [time series]

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 47% other: 6% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

Natural resources [time series]

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver

Terrain [time series]

predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 244-4164

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[267] 356947

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

Government type [time series]

parliamentary republic

Independence [time series]

30 September 1966 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

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 [time series]

High Court; Court of Appeal

Legal system [time series]

based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Gaborone

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$199 million (FY93/94)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

5.2% (FY93/94)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 335,301 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 177,248 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower-military age) [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower-reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 18,148 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Death rate [time series]

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

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

English (official), Setswana

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

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

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.8% male: 80.5% female: 59.9% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

1,448,454 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.11% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Sex ratio [time series]

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 [time series]

4.03 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

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 BOUVET ISLAND (territory of Norway)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

92 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

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 (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 55 under 914 m: 22 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 18,482 km paved: 4,343 km unpaved: 14,139 km (1996 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

none

Railways [time series]

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