Botswana

• overgrazing;
• desertification;
• limited fresh water resources

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.63 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria (2004)

noun:

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

adjective:

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

conventional long form:

Republic of Botswana

conventional short form:

Botswana

former:

Bechuanaland

• based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law;
• judicial review limited to matters of interpretation;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state:

• President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections:

• president indirectly elected for a five-year term;
• election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2009);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%

• High Court;
• Court of Appeal;
• Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)

• Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE];
• Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO];
• Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE];
• Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]

note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO];

the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; and the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA

chancery:

1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-4990

FAX:

[1] (202) 244-4164

chief of mission:

Ambassador Joseph HUGGINS

embassy:

address NA, Gaborone

mailing address:

Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone

telephone:

[267] 353982

FAX:

[267] 312782

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash;
• livestock processing;
• textiles

general assessment:

the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development

domestic:

small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile cellular service is growing fast

international:

• country code - 267;
• two international exchanges;
• digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

total:

888 km

narrow gauge:

888 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

total:

10,217 km

paved:

5,619 km

unpaved:

4,598 km (1999)

• 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