Botswana

Geography

Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area 600,370 sq km
land area 585,370 sq km
comparative area slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total 4,013 km, Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

International disputes: short section of boundary with Namibia is indefinite; quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; recent dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain: predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

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

Land use:
arable land 2%
permanent crops 0%
meadows and pastures 75%
forest and woodland 2%
other 21%

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues overgrazing; desertification; water scarcity
natural hazards NA
international agreements party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

Note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

People

Population: 1,359,352 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.45% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 32.19 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 7.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 39.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population 63.05 years
male 60.03 years
female 66.16 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.06 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

Ethnic divisions: Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi 4%, white 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Languages: English (official), Setswana

Literacy: age 15 and over able to read and write simple sentences (1990 est.)
total population 23%
male 32%
female 16%

Labor force: 428,000 (1992)
by occupation 220,000 formal sector employees, most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.); 14,300 are employed in various mines in South Africa (March 1992)

Government

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

Digraph: BC

Type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-East, Southern; in addition, there are 4 town councils - Francistown, Gaborone, Lobaste, Selebi-Phikwe

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government President Sir Ketumile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992); election last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results - President Sir Ketumile MASIRE was reelected by the National Assembly
cabinet Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
House of Chiefs is a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of chiefs of the 8 principal tribes, 4 elected subchiefs, and 3 members selected by the other 12
National Assembly elections last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total of which 34 are elected and 4 are appointed) BDP 31, BNF 3, unfilled seats pending new elections 4

Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Sir Ketumile MASIRE; Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth KOMA; Botswana People's Party (BPP), Knight MARIPE; Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai MPHO

Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE
chancery Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone (202) 244-4990 or 4991
FAX (202) 244-4164

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission Ambassador Howard JETER
embassy address NA, Gaborone
mailing address P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone [267] 353-982
FAX [267] 356-947

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

Economy

Overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for more than 80% of the population, but produces only about 50% of food needs. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating 25% of GDP in 1980 to 50% in 1991. No other sector has experienced such growth, especially not agriculture, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%. Although diamond production was down slightly in 1992, substantial gains in coal output and manufacturing helped boost the economy. Recovery in sluggish diamond markets in second half 1993 helped Botswana achieve moderate growth of 3% for the year.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 3% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $4,500 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues $1.7 billion
expenditures $1.99 billion, including capital expenditures of $652 million (FY94)

Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b. 1992)
commodities diamonds 78%, copper and nickel 6%, meat 5%
partners Switzerland, UK, SACU (Southern African Customs Union)

Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products
partners Switzerland, SACU (Southern African Customs Union), UK, US

External debt: $344 million (December 1991)

Industrial production: growth rate 6.8% (FY91); accounts for about 53% of GDP, including mining

Electricity:
capacity 220,000 kW
production 901 million kWh (in addition 228,000,000 kWh were imported)
consumption per capita 874 kWh (1992 est.)

Industries: mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing

Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP; subsistence farming predominates; cattle raising supports 50% of the population; must import up to of 80% of food needs

Economic aid:
recipient US aid (1992), $13 million; Norway (1992), $16 million; Sweden (1992), $15.5 million; Germany (1992), $3.6 million; EC/Lome-IV (1992), $3-6 million in grants; $28.7 million in long-term projects (1992)

Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1 - 3.1309 (January 1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992), 2.0173 (1991), 1.8601 (1990), 2.0125 (1989)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications

Railroads: 712 km 1.067-meter gauge

Highways:
total 11,514 km
paved 1,600 km
unpaved crushed stone, gravel 1,700 km; improved earth 5,177 km; unimproved earth 3,037 km

Airports:
total 101
usable 90
with permanent-surface runways 9
with runways over 3,659 m 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m 30

Telecommunications: the small system is a combination of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radio-communications stations; 26,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 13 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Branches: Botswana Defense Force (including Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 294,603; fit for military service 154,997; reach military age (18) annually 15,156 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $196 million, 4.9% of GDP (FY93/94)