BOTSWANA
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
BOTSWANA
@Botswana:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Map references: Africa
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BOTSWANA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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GABORONE 111,000 24.45S, 25.55E 267-31 GMT+2
Mahalapye 101,000 23.05S, 26.51E 267-41 GMT+2
Serowe 93,000 22.25S, 26.44E 267-43 GMT+2
Tutume 85,000 20.26S, 27.02E 267- GMT+2
Bobonong 54,000 21.58S, 28.26E 267- GMT+2
Francistown 49,000 21.07S, 27.32E 267-21 GMT+2
Selebi-Phikwe 46,000 21.58S, 27.48E 267-81 GMT+2
Lobatse 26,000 25.11S, 25.40E 267-33 GMT+2
Molepolole 21,000 24.25S, 25.30E 267-32 GMT+2
Kanye 20,000 24.59S, 25.19E 267-34 GMT+2
Mochudi 18,000 24.28S, 26.05E 267-37 GMT+2
Maun 15,000 20.00S, 23.25E 267-26 GMT+2
Ramotswa 13,000 24.56S, 25.50E 267-39 GMT+2
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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; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu)
Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River remained unresolved in mid-February
1995 and the parties agreed to refer the matter to the International
Court of Justice
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, primarily as a result of the expansion of
the cattle population; desertification; limited natural fresh water
resources
natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from
the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
visibility
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
@Botswana:People
Population: 1,392,414 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (female 300,598; male 303,333)
15-64 years: 53% (female 398,347; male 344,838)
65 years and over: 4% (female 25,773; male 19,525) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.36% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 31.01 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.41 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.56 years
male: 60.54 years
female: 66.67 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.86 children born/woman (1995 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 can read and write (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)
@Botswana: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, Lobatse, 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 15 October 1994 (next to be held October
1999); 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 15 October 1994 (next to be
held October 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44
total of which 40 are elected and 4 are appointed) BDP 27, BNF 13
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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory
user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE
chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Howard F. JETER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 356947
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 supplies only about 50% of food needs and
accounts for only 5% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising
predominate. 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 39% in 1994. 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%. Hampered
by a still sluggish diamond market in 1994, GDP grew by only 1%.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 1% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $3,130 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.7 billion
expenditures: $1.99 billion, including capital expenditures of $652
million (FY93/94)
Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b. 1994)
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 4.6% (FY92/93); accounts for about
43% of GDP, including mining
Electricity:
capacity: 220,000 kW
production: 900 million kWh
consumption per capita: 694 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash,
potash; livestock processing
Agriculture: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts, beans,
cowpeas, sunflower seeds; livestock
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 million-$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 - 1.7086 (January 1995), 2.6976
(November 1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992), 2.0173 (1991), 1.8601
(1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Botswana:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (1992)
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
Ports: none
Airports:
total: 100
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 23
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 5
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 62
@Botswana:Communications
Telephone system: 26,000 telephones; sparse system; telephone density
- 18.67 telephones/1,000 persons
local: NA
intercity: small system of open wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radio communication stations
international: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 0
televisions: NA
@Botswana:Defense Forces
Branches: Botswana Defense Force (includes Army and Air Wing),
Botswana National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 306,878; males fit for military
service 161,376; males reach military age (18) annually 15,403 (1995
est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $198 million, 5.2% of
GDP (FY93/94)
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