Botswana

agricultural land:

45.8%;

• arable land 0.6%;
• permanent crops 0%;
• permanent pasture 45.2%

forest:

19.8%

other:

34.4% (2011 est.)

• the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown;
• population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west

• overgrazing;
• desertification;
• limited freshwater 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

noun:

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

adjective:

Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

• the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown;
• population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.15 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.82 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.66 male(s)/female

total population:

1.04 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria (2016)

conventional long form:

Republic of Botswana

conventional short form:

Botswana

local long form:

Republic of Botswana

local short form:

Botswana

former:

Bechuanaland

etymology:

the name Botswana means "Land of the Tswana" - referring to the country's major ethnic group

name:

Gaborone

geographic coordinates:

24 38 S, 25 54 E

time difference:

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

history:

previous 1960 (preindependence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

amendments:

• proposed by the National Assembly;
• passage requires approval in two successive Assembly votes with at least two-thirds majority in the final vote;
• proposals to amend constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and branches of government, and public services also requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and assent by the president of the republic;
• amended several times, last in 2006 (2017)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

• President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008);
• Vice President Mokgweetsi Eric MASISI (since 12 November 2014);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mokgweetsi Eric MASISI (since 12 November 2014)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 24 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

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

description:

• unicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (65 seats; 57 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 6 nominated by the president and indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the rest of the National Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the president and attorney general; elected members serve 5-year terms);
• note - the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members - 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswana's principal tribes, 22 indirectly elected by the chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president;
• the House of Chiefs consults on issues including powers of chiefs, customary courts, customary law, tribal property, and constitutional amendments

elections:

last held on 24 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019)

election results:

percent of vote by party - BDP 46.5%, UDC 30.0%, BCP 20.4%, independent 3.1%; seats by party - BDP 37, UDC 17, BCP 3

highest court(s):

Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament)

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president and other judges appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission;
• all judges appointed to serve until age 70

subordinate courts:

• Industrial Court (with circuits scheduled monthly in the capital city and in 3 districts);
• Magistrates Courts (1 in each district);
• Customary Court of Appeal;
• Paramount Chief's Court/Urban Customary Court;
• Senior Chief's Representative Court;
• Chief's Representative’s Court;
• Headman's Court

• Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
• Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Dumelang SALESHANDO]
• Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Ian KHAMA]
• Botswana Movement for Democracy or BMD [Ndaba GAOLATHE]
• Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]
• Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Motlatsi MOLAPISI]
• Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC [Duma BOKO] (coalition includes BMD, BPP, BCP and BNF)

chief of mission:

Ambassador David John NEWMAN (since 3 August 2015)

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-4990

FAX:

[1] (202) 244-4164

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta

chief of mission:

Ambassador Earl R. MILLER (since 30 January 2015)

embassy:

Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone

mailing address:

Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone

telephone:

[267] 395-3982

FAX:

[267] 318-0232

• 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

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

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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;
• the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation is rolling out 4G service to over 95 sites in the country that will improve network connectivity

domestic:

• fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 6 telephones per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular teledensity now pushing 150 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) (2016)

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

194,005

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

94,729 mt-km (2015)

total:

888 km

narrow gauge:

888 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 94

current situation:

• Botswana is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor;
• young Batswana serving as domestic workers, sometimes sent by their parents, may be denied education and basic necessities or experience confinement and abuse indicative of forced labor;
• Batswana girls and women also are forced into prostitution domestically;
• adults and children of San ethnicity were reported to be in forced labor on farms and at cattle posts in the country’s rural west

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Botswana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• an anti-trafficking act was passed at the beginning of 2014, but authorities did not investigate, prosecute, or convict any offenders or government officials complicit in trafficking or operationalize victim identification and referral procedures based on the new law;
• the government sponsored a radio campaign to familiarize the public with the issue of human trafficking (2015)