Republic of Botswana

President: Festus Mogae (1998)

Land area: 226,012 sq mi (585,371 sq km); total area: 231,804 sq mi (600,370 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 1,639,833 (growth rate: 0.0%); birth rate: 23.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 53.7/1000; life expectancy: 33.7; density per sq mi: 7

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Gaborone, 195,000

Monetary unit: Pula

Languages: English 2% (official), Setswana 78%, Kalanga 8%, Sekgalagadi 3%, other (2001)

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

Religions: Christian 72%, Badimo 6%, none 21% (2001)

Literacy rate: 80% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $16.48 billion; per capita $10,000. Real growth rate: 3.3%. Inflation: 8.3%. Unemployment: 23.8% (2004). Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts. Labor force: 288,400 formal sector employees (2004); agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a.. Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles. Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver. Exports: $3.68 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles. Imports: $3.37 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products. Major trading partners: European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Zimbabwe (2004).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 142,400 (2002); mobile cellular: 435,000 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001). Internet hosts: 1,920 (2003). Internet users: 60,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 888 km (2004). Highways: total: 10,217 km; paved: 5,619 km; unpaved: 4,598 km (1999). Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 85 (2004 est.).

International disputes: commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape 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, thereby de facto recognizing their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary.


 

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