Botswana

Botswana

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republic of Botswana Area 582,000 sq km/224,710 sq mi Capital Gaborone Language English (official), Setswana (national) Religion Christian 50%, animist 50% Time difference GMT +2 Major holidays 1–2 January, 30 September, 25–26 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Holy Saturday, President's Day (July), July Holiday, October Holiday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Mahalapye, Serowe, Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe, Molepoloe, Kange, Maun Physical features Kalahari Desert in southwest (70–80% of national territory is desert), plains (Makgadikgadi salt pans) in east, fertile lands and Okavango Delta in north Airports one main international airport, four other major domestic airports, and 108 airfields; total passengers carried: 183,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 888 km/552 mi (1995); total passenger journeys: 637,000 (2001) Roads total road network: 25,233 km/15,679 mi, of which 35.1% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 91.5 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Festus Mogae from 1998 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions nine district councils and four town councils Political parties Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), moderate centrist; Botswana National Front (BNF), moderate left of centre; Botswana Freedom Party (BFP) Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 9,000 plus paramilitary forces of 1,500 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 2.8 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 2.2 (2002 est) Health spend (% GDP) 3.3 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency pula GDP (US$) 9.4 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4.2 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 9.1 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 10,250 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 11.3% (2006 est) Unemployment 23.8% (2004 est) Labour force 22.6% agriculture, 22% industry, 55.4% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 512.5 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners UK, all fellow members of SACU (Southern African Customs Union), Zimbabwe, USA Resources diamonds (world's third-largest producer), copper-nickel ore, coal, soda ash, gold, cobalt, salt, plutonium, asbestos, chromite, iron, silver, manganese, talc, uranium Industries mining, food processing, textiles and clothing, beverages, soap, chemicals, paper, plastics, electrical goods Exports diamonds, copper and nickel, textiles, vehicles and parts, meat and meat products. Principal market: UK 75.7% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, food, beverages, tobacco, chemicals and rubber products, textiles and footwear, fuels, wood and paper products. Principal source: SACU 85.1% (2005) Arable land 0.7% (2006 est) Agricultural products sorghum, vegetables, pulses; cattle raising (principally for beef production) is main agricultural activity


POPULATION

Population 1,759,600 (2006 est) Population growth rate -0.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 3 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 53 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 38%, 15–59 57%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups about 95% Tswana (Butswana) and 4% Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi; 1% European Life expectancy 35 (men); 33 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 116 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 76% (men); 82% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 2.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.6 (2002 est) HIV infection (per 100 people) 7.5 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 18,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 90 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 7.5 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 46.6 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 156 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 44 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 4.5 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 3.4 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

18th century Formerly inhabited by nomadic hunter-gatherer groups, including the Kung, the area was settled by the Tswana people, from whose eight branches the majority of the people are descended. 1872 Khama III the Great, a converted Christian, became chief of the Bamangwato, the largest Tswana group. He developed a strong army and greater unity among the Botswana peoples. 1885 Became British protectorate of Bechuanaland at request of Chief Khama, who feared invasion by Boers from Transvaal (South Africa) following discovery of gold. 1895 Southern part of Bechuanaland Protectorate annexed by Cape Colony (South Africa). 1960 New constitution created legislative council controlled (until 1963) by British High Commissioner. 1965 Capital transferred from Mafeking to Gaborone. Internal self-government achieved. 1966 Independence achieved from Britain as Botswana. mid-1970s Economy grew rapidly as diamond mining expanded. 1993 Relations with South Africa normalized following end of apartheid and establishment of multiracial government. 1997 Constitutional changes reduced voting age to 18. 1998 Festus Mogae (BDP) of Botswana Democratic Party became president. 1999 International Court of Justice ruled in Botswana's favour in sovereignty dispute with Namibia over river island territory. 2000 Serious flooding claimed many lives; 60,000 homeless. 2001 First government in Africa to introduce free drug treatment to fight HIV/AIDS epidemic. 2004 BDP retained power with landslide victory in elections; Mogae secured second term as president. 2006 San people, or Bushmen, won legal action against eviction from ancestral homeland in central Kalahari game reserve.


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