View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2006 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.bw

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

5,499 (2006)

Internet users [time series]

60,000 (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile cellular service is growing fast international: country code - 267; two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

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

132,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

823,100 (2005)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (2001)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

Budget [time series]

revenues: $3.766 billion expenditures: $3.767 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

pula (BWP)

Current account balance [time series]

$1.584 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$519 million (2005 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

63 (1993)

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

$73 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $10,000 in 2005. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is 23.8%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

2.641 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports [time series]

1.39 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production [time series]

891 million kWh (2004)

Exchange rates [time series]

pulas per US dollar - 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001)

Exports [time series]

$3.68 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles

Exports - partners [time series]

European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$9.046 billion (2005 est.)

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

$17.53 billion (2005 est.)

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

agriculture: 2.4% industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining) services: 50.7% (2003 est.)

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

$10,700 (2005 est.)

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

5.5% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$3.37 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products

Imports - partners [time series]

Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

7.5% (2005 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.6% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

20.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force [time series]

288,400 formal sector employees (2004)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports [time series]

16,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2003)

Population below poverty line [time series]

30.3% (2003)

Public debt [time series]

6.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$6.309 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

23.8% (2004)

Geography

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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]

10 sq km (2003)

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: 0.65% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005)

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern

Capital [time series]

name: Gaborone geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA 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 G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%

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, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)

Legal system [time series]

based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

National holiday [time series]

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

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

Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. 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 known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 350,649 females age 18-49: 361,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 136,322 females age 18-49: 136,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]

males age 18-49: 21,103 females age 18-49: 21,379 (2005 est.)

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

Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006)

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

3.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 38.3% (male 319,531/female 309,074) 15-64 years: 57.9% (male 460,692/female 488,577) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,374/female 38,585) (2006 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

23.08 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate [time series]

29.5 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

37.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

33,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

350,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 54.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages [time series]

Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 33.74 years male: 33.9 years female: 33.56 years (2006 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.8% male: 76.9% female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Median age [time series]

total: 19.4 years male: 18.8 years female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Population [time series]

1,639,833 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 2006 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.04% (2006 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary

Transportation

Airports [time series]

85 (2006)

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 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 55 under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Railways [time series]

total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways [time series]

total: 25,233 km paved: 8,867 km unpaved: 16,366 km (2003)