Botswana

total:

0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%)

per capita:

107 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.68 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria (2009)

noun:

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

adjective:

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

conventional long form:

Republic of Botswana

conventional short form:

Botswana

local long form:

Republic of Botswana

local short form:

Botswana

former:

Bechuanaland

name:

Gaborone

geographic coordinates:

24 45 S, 25 55 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law;
• judicial review limited to matters of interpretation;
• accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

chief of state:

• President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008);
• Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 20 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%

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

• Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO];
• Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Gilson SALESHANDO];
• Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Daniel KWELAGOBE];
• Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO];
• Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Bernard BALIKANI];
• MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS [Themba JOINA];
• New Democratic Front or NDF [Dick BAYFORD]

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

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

• First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization);
• Pitso Ya Ba Tswana;
• Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites)

other:

diamond mining companies

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 Stephen J. NOLAN

embassy:

Embassy Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone

mailing address:

Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone

telephone:

[267] 395-3982

FAX:

[267] 395-6947

• light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center;
• the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony

name:

"Fatshe leno la rona" (Our Land)

lyrics/music:

Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE

note: adopted 1966

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver;
• livestock processing;
• textiles

general assessment:

• Botswana is participating in regional development efforts;
• expanding fully digital system with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east as well as a system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relays links, and radiotelephone communication stations

domestic:

• fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 7 telephones per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular subscribership is rapidly approaching a teledensity of 100 telephones per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 267;
• international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing;
• 2 international exchanges;
• digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)

• 2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately-owned;
• privately-owned satellite TV subscription service is available;
• 2 state-owned national radio stations;
• 3 privately-owned radio stations broadcast locally (2007)

total:

888 km

country comparison to the world: 97

narrow gauge:

888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

total:

25,798 km

country comparison to the world: 103

paved:

8,410 km

unpaved:

17,388 km (2005)

males age 16-49:

543,097

females age 16-49:

520,896 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

347,070

females age 16-49:

315,743 (2010 est.)

male:

23,496

female:

22,944 (2010 est.)

• Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and 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 at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary