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Botswana
Physical. Botswana is located in Southern Africa north of South Africa.
It covers an area slightly smaller than Texas. Landlocked with 70% of the
country covered by the Kalahari Desert, the climate is semiarid with warm
winters and hot summers. The terrain is mostly a flat to gently rolling
tableland with the Kalahari Desert in the southwest. Natural resources include
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore and silver.
People. Over 1.6 million people live in Botswana. The official
language is English but 78% of the population speaks Setswana. Major ethnic
groups include Tswana or Setswana (79%), Kalanga (11%), Basarwa (3%), and other,
including Kgalagadi and white (7%). However, with more than 37% of the
population afflicted with AIDS, population statistics do not distribute as one
would expect. Religions practiced in the country include: Christian (72%),
Badimo (6%), other (1.4%), unspecified (0.4%), and none (20.6%) (2001 census)
Government. The country's official name is the Republic of Botswana.
Its capital, Gabarone, is located on the southeast corner of the country and is
considered Africa’s fastest growing city. Botswana is a parliamentary democracy
that gained its independence from British rule in 1966. Elections are held every
five years in its nine districts and five town councils.
Economy. Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic
growth rates since independence in 1966. It has moved from one of the poorest
countries in the world to a middle-income country (per capita GDP of $10,000 in
2005). 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. However, there
is an expected leveling off in diamond mining production anticipated. Other key
sectors are tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle
raising. However there are high rates of unemployment (perhaps 40%) and poverty,
which is not surprising with one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates (37%)
in the world. Botswana does have one of the most progressive and comprehensive
programs for dealing with AIDS.
Areas of Concern. Environmental problems include overgrazing,
desertification and limited fresh water supplies. The expected downturn in
diamond production will negatively affect the already high unemployment and
poverty rates, but the most devastating issue is the high rate of AIDS.
For more information, you may write to the chancery at 1531-1533 New
Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; check the U.S. State Department or
World Factbook country sites; or type in the country's name on the Internet
using a broad-based World Wide Web search engine.
Botswana statistics
Geography
Area: 600,370 sq km
Capital: Gabarone (186,000 - 2001),
Environmental concerns: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water
resources
Geographical features: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland with the
Kalahari Desert in the southwest
Climate: semiarid with warm winters and hot summers
People
1,640,000 (July 2006 est.) (estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than
would otherwise be expected) Tswana or Setswana (79%), Kalanga (11%), Basarwa
(3%), other, including Kgalagadi and white (7%)
Annual growth rate: -0.04% (2006 est.)
Major languages are Setswana (78%), Kalanga (8%), Sekgalagadi (3%), English (2%
- official), other (9%) (2001 census)
Religions: Christian (72%), Badimo (6%), other (1.4%), unspecified (0.4%), none
(20.6%) (2001 census)
Health and social issues
Life expectancies: male 34; female 34
Infant mortality: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Population below the poverty line: 30.3% (2003)
1 physician to 4,395 people (2004)
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 37.3% (2003 est.)
79.8% of adults are literate
Compulsory education: provided for 10 years with newly instituted fees
Communication and transportation
136,500 (2004) main telephone lines in use
60,000 (2002) Internet users
25,233 km of roadways
888 km railroads
85 (2005) airports
150,000 motor vehicles (2004)
Government
Botswana is a parliamentary republic.
The chief of state and head of government is President Festus G. Mogae (since 1
April 1998).
Universal suffrage at 18 years of age
Military
Military expenditures as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is
3.4% (2005 est.).
Current disputes: border disputes with Namibia along the Caprivi Strip;
downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of a
hydroelectric dam at Popa Falls; Zimbabwe refugees
Economy
Currency: pula
Per capita GDP: $10,500 (2005 est.)
GDP: $17.24 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate: 4.5 (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: 8.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: agriculture (NA), industry (NA) and services (NA)
Resources and industry
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron
ore, silver
Agriculture: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industry: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
processing; textiles
Exports: $3.68 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports: $3.37 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Suggested web sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/botswana
http://www.gov.bw/home.html
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