Botswana
Republic of Botswana
parliamentary republicIndependence 30 September 1966 (from UK)
Botswana as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 95 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
18 fieldsLand useshare of 600,370 sq km
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 42% (male 310,253; female 302,960)
- 15-64 years:
- 54% (male 370,925; female 409,941)
- 65 years and over:
- 4% (male 20,637; female 33,738) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.9 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Nationality
- noun:
- Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
- adjective:
- Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government; President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
20 fieldsLegislature, 40 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Botswana
- conventional short form:
- Botswana
- former:
- Bechuanaland
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
Legal system
- based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law;
- judicial review limited to matters of interpretation;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president
- elections:
- president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term;
- election last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999);
- vice president appointed by the president
- election results:
- Sir Ketumile MASIRE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote-NA
note: President MASIRE resigned on 31 March 1998; Vice President MOGAE assumed the presidency pending elections to be held in 1999; on 2 April 1998,
Festus MOGAE, then president, designated S. K. Ian KHAMA to be vice president after he is elected to the National Assembly in accordance with constitutional requirements
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (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) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- National Assembly-elections last held 15 October 1994 (next to be held October 1999)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-BDP 27, BNF 13
Political parties and leaders
- Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE];
- Botswana Freedom Party or BFP [leader NA];
- Botswana National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA];
- Botswana People's Party or BPP [Knight MARIPE];
- Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO];
- Unified Action Party or UAP [Lepetu SETSHWEALD]
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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
- chancery:
- Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER
- embassy:
- address NA, Gaborone
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
- telephone:
- [267] 353982
Economy
Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more | than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs | and accounts for only 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle | raising predominate.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1997 est.)
Economy-overview
Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs and accounts for only 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. Diamond mining and tourism also are important to the economy. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils.
Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 35% in 1997. Unemployment officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. On the plus side is the substantial positive trade balance.
Labor force
- total:
- 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)
- by occupation:
- 100,000 public sector;
- 135,000 private sector, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa;
- most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1995 est.)
Agriculture-products
sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock
Exports
- total value:
- $2.31 billion (f.o.b. 1996 est.)
- commodities:
- diamonds 71%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 3%
- partners:
- Europe 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 22%, Zimbabwe 3%
Imports
- total value:
- $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
- commodities:
- foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products
- partners:
- Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6%
Exchange rates
pula (P) per US$1-3.8547 (January 1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996), 2.7716 (1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993)
Telephone system
sparse system
- domestic:
- small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations
- international:
- microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
6 fieldsNetworkskm
Airports-with paved runways
- total:
- 12
- over 3,047 m:
- 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military
Botswana Defense Force (includes Army and Air | Wing), Botswana National Police
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes-international
- quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement;
- dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River is presently at the ICJ;
- at least one other island in Linyanti River is contested BOUVET ISLAND (territory of Norway)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Botswana.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/botswana/1998.