Botswana Population: 2,127,825
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| Background | |
| 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 stable 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. |
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| Geography | |
| Landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country | |
| Location: | Southern Africa, north of South Africa |
| Geographic coordinates: | 22 00 S, 24 00 E |
| Area: | total: 581,730 sq km land: 566,730 sq km water: 15,000 sq km Size comparison: slightly smaller than Texas |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
| Climate: | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers |
| Terrain: | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m |
| Natural resources: | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver |
| Land use: | arable land: 0.65% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 20 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility |
| Current Environment Issues: | overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources |
| International Environment Agreements: | 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 2,127,825 (July 2013 est.) 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 33.2% (male 360,053/female 346,691) 15-24 years: 21.8% (male 229,713/female 233,546) 25-54 years: 36.7% (male 411,019/female 370,395) 55-64 years: 4.3% (male 40,639/female 51,305) 65 years and over: 4% (male 33,868/female 50,596) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 22.5 years male: 22.4 years female: 22.5 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.477% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 22.02 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 12 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 4.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 10.49 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 55.74 years male: 56.93 years female: 54.51 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.41 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 24.8% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 320,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 5,800 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
| Ethnic groups: | Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% |
| Religions: | Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census) |
| Languages: | Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English (official) 2.1%, other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.5% male: 84% female: 84.9% (2010 est.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana local long form: Republic of Botswana local short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland |
| Government type: | parliamentary republic |
| Capital: | name: Gaborone geographic coordinates: 24 38 S, 25 54 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Pikwe*, South East, Southern |
| Independence: | 30 September 1966 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) |
| Constitution: | March 1965; effective 30 September 1966 |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Ponatshego KEDIKILWE (since 2 August 2012); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Ponatshego KEDIKILWE (since 2 August 2012) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); vice president appointed by the president election results: Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 35-member body with 8 ex-officio members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 27 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, of which 22 are indirectly elected with the remaining 5 appointed by the President) and the National Assembly (63 seats; 57 members directly elected by popular vote, 4 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 on 16 October 2009 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%, BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 3.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4, BAM 1, other 1 |
| Judicial branch: | High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Dumelang SALESHANDO]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Daniel KWELAGOBE]; Botswana Movement for Democracy or BMD [Gomolemo MOTSWALEDI]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Bernard BALIKANI]; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS [Themba JOINA]; New Democratic Front or NDF [Dick BAYFORD] 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 pressure groups and leaders: | First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites) other: diamond mining companies |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Tebelelo Mazile SERETSE chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michelle D. GAVIN embassy: Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 395-3982 FAX: [267] 318-0232 |
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| Economy | |
| Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. However, economic growth was negative in 2009, with the industrial sector shrinking by 30%, after the global crisis reduced demand for Botswana's diamonds. Although the economy recovered in 2010, GDP growth has again slowed. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $16,800 in 2012. 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, 70-80% of export earnings, and about one-third of the government's revenues. Botswana's heavy reliance on a single luxury export was a critical factor in the sharp economic contraction of 2009. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. According to official government statistics, unemployment reached 17.8% in 2009, but unofficial estimates run much higher. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is second highest in the world and threatens Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond production within the next two decades overshadows long-term prospects. A major international diamond company signed a 10-year deal with Botswana in 2012 to move its rough stone sorting and trading division from London to Gaborone by the end of 2013. The move may support Botswana's downstream diamond industry. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $32.67 billion (2012 est.) $30.33 billion (2011 est.) $28.86 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $14.98 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 7.7% (2012 est.) 5.1% (2011 est.) 7% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $16,800 (2012 est.) $16,400 (2011 est.) $15,800 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 2.1% industry: 43.7% services: 50.2% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 1.288 million (2012 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Unemployment rate: | 17.8% (2009 est.) 7.5% (2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 30.3% (2003) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 63 (1993) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.4% (2012 est.) 8.5% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 27.6% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $5.496 billion expenditures: $5.398 billion (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 23% of GDP (2012 est.) 13.4% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts |
| Industries: | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; livestock processing; textiles |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 10.8% (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 417 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 3.118 billion kWh (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 2.89 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $231.3 million (2012 est.) $271 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $4.545 billion (2012 est.) $6.458 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles |
| Imports: | $6.198 billion (2012 est.) $6.275 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $8.648 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $8.082 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $1.968 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $1.969 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $4.44 billion (31 December 2012) $4.107 billion (31 December 2011) $4.076 billion (31 December 2010) |
| Exchange rates: | pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 7.65 (2012 est.) 6.8382 (2011 est.) 6.7936 (2010 est.) 7.1551 (2009) 6.7907 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 149,600 (2011) country comparison to the world: 135 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 2.9 million (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: Botswana is participating in regional development efforts; expanding fully digital system with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east as well as a system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relays links, and radiotelephone communication stations domestic: fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 7 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity now pushing 140 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .bw |
| Internet hosts: | 1,806 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 120,000 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 76 (2012) country comparison to the world: 72 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 10 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 66 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 47 under 914 m: 14 (2012) |
| Railways: | total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008) |
| Roadways: | total: 17,916 km (includes 8,916 km of Public Highway Network roads - 6,116 km paved and 2,800 km unpaved and other 9,000 km of District Council roads) (2011) |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Wing Command, Defense Logistics Command, Special Forces Group (2013) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; official minimum age is unknown (2001) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 557,647 females age 16-49: 531,095 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 340,949 females age 16-49: 302,332 (2010 est.) |
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