est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.01 years male: 44.94 years female: 47.11 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1996 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 (1995 est.)
total population: 69.8%
male: 80.5%
female: 59.9%
Government—————
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Data code: BC
Type of government: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*;
Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*,Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng,
Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Phikwe*,
South-East, Southern,
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) was elected for a five-year term by the
National Assembly; election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be
held October 1999); Vice President Festus MOGAE (since 9 March 1992)
was appointed by the president
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament House of Chiefs: is a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three 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, 40 elected and 4 appointed by the majority party) 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
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security
Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald MOGWE
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———
Economic 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 sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. 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. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. Hampered by a still sluggish diamond market in 1994 and 1995, GDP grew by only 1% in both years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 1% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,200 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: NA% services: NA% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1994 est.)
Labor force: 428,000 (1992)
by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees; 14,300 are employed
in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged in cattle
raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 21% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.7 billion
expenditures: $1.99 billion, including capital expenditures of $652
million (FY93/94)
Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash,
potash; livestock processing
Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)
Electricity: capacity: 220,000 kW production: 900 million kWh consumption per capita: 694 kWh
