CIA - The World Factbook

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.

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

slightly smaller than Texas

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

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

periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

22.89 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

8.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

5 migrant(s)/1,000 population

2.6 children born/woman (2009 est.)

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

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

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

parliamentary republic

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

30 September 1966 (from the UK)

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

March 1965; effective 30 September 1966

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

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 ex-officio 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)

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

Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Gilson SALESHANDO]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Ian KHAMA]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Bernard BALIKANI]; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS [Themba JOINA]; New Democratic Front or NDF [Dick BAYFORD]

First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites)

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

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

Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth fell below 5% in 2007-08. 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 $13,300 in 2008. 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 was 23.8% in 2004, 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.

$26.04 billion (2008 est.)

$25.24 billion (2007)

$24.43 billion (2006)

$13.81 billion (2008 est.)

288,400 formal sector employees (2004)

23.9% of GDP (2008 est.)

5.1% of GDP (2008 est.)

NA% (31 December 2008)

14.5% (31 December 2007)

NA% (31 December 2008)

16.22% (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$1.026 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$4.336 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$NA (31 December 2007)

$5.887 billion (31 December 2007)

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

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

979 million kWh (2006 est.)

2.574 billion kWh (2006 est.)

1.959 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

11,640 bbl/day (2006 est.)

14,500 bbl/day (2005)

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$1.611 billion (2008 est.)

$5.127 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

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

$3.931 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

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

$10.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$395 million (31 December 2008 est.)

pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7907 (2008 est.), 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004)

1.427 million (2007)

AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)

2 (1 state-owned, 1 private)

Botswana Defense Force: Ground Forces (includes Air Arm) (2009)

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

Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and 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 at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary