Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 provided courtesy of
the libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
======================================================
National Trade Data Bank
ITEM ID     : CI WOFACT WO0033
DATE        : Oct 28, 1994
 
AGENCY      : CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PROGRAM     : WORLD FACTBOOK
TITLE       : World Factbook: Botswana
 
Source key      : CI 
Program key     : CI WOFACT 
Update sched.   : Annually         
Data type       : TEXT 
End year        : 1994
Date of record  : 19941020
Keywords 3      :  
Keywords 3      : | Botswana 
 
 
                                 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:
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)
 
 
 
===========================================================================
This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 produced by the United States
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK (NTDB) CD-ROM,
November, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/11/v.1-2 / Presented by Raleigh Muns,
(srcmuns@umslvma.umsl.edu) University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries.