Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

2 (1999)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 7, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios [time series]

237,000 (1997)

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: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

78,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

NA

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

31,000 (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

sorghum, corn, 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 [time series]

$651 million (1998)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$73 million (1995)

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 3% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. Diamond mining and tourism also are important to the economy. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 38% in 1998. Unemployment officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. The Orapa 2000 project, which will double the capacity of the country's main diamond mine, will be finished in early 2000. This will be the main force behind continued economic expansion.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

1.619 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

689 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

1 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

pulas (P) per US$1 - 4.6168 (January 2000), 4.6244 (1999), 4.2259 (1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996), 2.7722 (1995)

Exports [time series]

$2.36 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

diamonds 72%, vehicles, copper, nickel, meat (1998)

Exports - partners [time series]

EU 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 21%, Zimbabwe 3% (1996)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

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

purchasing power parity - $5.7 billion (1999 est.)

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

agriculture: 4% industry: 46% (including 36% mining) services: 50% (1998 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $3,900 (1999 est.)

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

6.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$2.05 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners [time series]

Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6% (1996)

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) [time series]

7.7% (1999 est.)

Labor force [time series]

235,000 formal sector employees (1995)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

47% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

20%-40% (1999 est.)

Area [time series]

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

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 Hills 1,489 m

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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

22 00 S, 24 00 E

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]

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Gaborone

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]

BC

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador John E. LANGE embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 356947

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Kgosi SEEPAPITSO IV chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; vice president KHAMA is on a one-year leave of absence, effective 1 January 2000, but retains the title of vice president head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA April 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; vice president KHAMA is on a one-year leave of absence, effective 1 January 2000, but retains the title of vice president cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 61.3%

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, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, 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 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 61.3%, other 38.7%; seats by party - BDP 33, other 7

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 National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Michael DINGAKE]; Botswana People's Party or BPP [Knight MARIPE] note: main parties are: BDP, BNF, BCP; other minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Kenneth KOMA, chairman] but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the Social Democratic Union, the Independence Freedom Party [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana Progressive Union [Gideon KAELO]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. The economy, closely tied to South Africa's, is dominated by cattle raising and mining.

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

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$61 million (FY99/00)

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

1.2% (FY99/00)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 373,990 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 196,572 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 19,132 (2000 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 41% (male 321,766; female 318,304) 15-64 years: 55% (male 417,734; female 453,947) 65 years and over: 4% (male 26,436; female 38,283) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

29.63 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

22.08 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

61.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Setswana

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 39.27 years male: 38.63 years female: 39.93 years (2000 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 (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

1,576,470 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.76% (2000 est.)

Religions [time series]

indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River resolved by the ICJ in favor of Botswana (13 December 1999); at least one other island in Linyanti River is contested [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports [time series]

92 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 82 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 57 under 914 m: 21 (1999 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)