Botswana
Republic of Botswana
parliamentary republicIndependence 30 September 1966 (from the UK)
Botswana as the 2021 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 172 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Seeking to stop the incorporation of their land into Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) or the Union of South Africa, in 1885, three tribal chiefs traveled to Great Britain and successfully lobbied the British Government to put "Bechuanaland" under UK protection. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana. More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa.
The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric MASISI assumed the presidency in April 2018 following the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in October 2019, and he is Botswana’s fifth president since independence. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
Geography
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
20 fieldsLand useshare of 581,730 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
- Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km;
- Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km;
- Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
- Atlantic Ocean drainage:
- Orange (941,351 sq km)
- Indian Ocean drainage:
- Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
- Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:
- Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)
Population distribution
- 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 as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Geography - note
landlocked; population concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country
People and Society
37 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2020 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2021 est.)
Male · female
Religions(2011 est.)
Nationality
- noun:
- Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
- adjective:
- Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic groups
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%
Languages
Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)
Demographic profile
Botswana has experienced one of the most rapid declines in fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total fertility rate has fallen from more than 5 children per woman in the mid 1980s to approximately 2.4 in 2013. The fertility reduction has been attributed to a host of factors, including higher educational attainment among women, greater participation of women in the workforce, increased contraceptive use, later first births, and a strong national family planning program.
Botswana was making significant progress in several health indicators, including life expectancy and infant and child mortality rates, until being devastated by the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 1990s.
Today Botswana has the third highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world at approximately 22%, however comprehensive and effective treatment programs have reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths. The combination of declining fertility and increasing mortality rates because of HIV/AIDS is slowing the population aging process, with a narrowing of the youngest age groups and little expansion of the oldest age groups.
Nevertheless, having the bulk of its population (about 60%) of working age will only yield economic benefits if the labor force is healthy, educated, and productively employed.
Batswana have been working as contract miners in South Africa since the 19th century. Although Botswana’s economy improved shortly after independence in 1966 with the discovery of diamonds and other minerals, its lingering high poverty rate and lack of job opportunities continued to push workers to seek mining work in southern African countries.
In the early 1970s, about a third of Botswana’s male labor force worked in South Africa (lesser numbers went to Namibia and Zimbabwe). Not until the 1980s and 1990s, when South African mining companies had reduced their recruitment of foreign workers and Botswana’s economic prospects had improved, were Batswana increasingly able to find job opportunities at home.
Most Batswana prefer life in their home country and choose cross-border migration on a temporary basis only for work, shopping, visiting family, or tourism. Since the 1970s, Botswana has pursued an open migration policy enabling it to recruit thousands of foreign workers to fill skilled labor shortages.
In the late 1990s, Botswana’s prosperity and political stability attracted not only skilled workers but small numbers of refugees from neighboring Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
Population distribution
- 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 as shown in this population distribution map
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.9 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.76 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.71 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.93 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- high (2020)
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria
Environment
15 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- overgrazing;
- desertification;
- limited freshwater resources;
- air pollution
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 21.24 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 6.34 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 5.73 megatons (2020 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 71.6% of total population (2021)
- rate of urbanization:
- 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- high (2020)
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:
- 210,854 tons (2010 est.)
- municipal solid waste recycled annually:
- 2,109 tons (2005 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
- 1% (2005 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
- Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km;
- Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km;
- Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
- Atlantic Ocean drainage:
- Orange (941,351 sq km)
- Indian Ocean drainage:
- Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
- Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:
- Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 100.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- industrial:
- 23.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
- agricultural:
- 69 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Mokgweetse Eric MASISI (since 1 April 2018); President Mokgweetse Eric MASISI (since 1 April 2018)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament consists of the National Assembly, 57 seats, elected 23 October 2019one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Composition: NA
Country name
- 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
Capital
- name:
- Gaborone
- geographic coordinates:
- 24 38 S, 25 54 E
- time difference:
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- named after GABORONE (ca. 1825-1931), a revered kgosi (chief) of the Tlokwa tribe, part of the larger Tswana ethnic group
Administrative divisions
10 districts and 6 town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South East, Southern, Sowa Town*
Constitution
- 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 2016
Legal system
mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- 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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Mokgweetse Eric MASISI (since 1 April 2018);
- Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Mokgweetse Eric MASISI (since 1 April 2018);
- Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- 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 on 31 October 2019);
- vice president appointed by the president
- election results:
- President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008) stepped down on 1 April 2018 having completed the constitutionally mandated 10-year term limit;
- upon his retirement, then Vice President MASISI became president;
- national elections held on 23 October 2019 gave MASISI'S BPD 38 seats in the National Assembly which then selected MASISI as President
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (63 seats; 57 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 4 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 23 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2024)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - BDP 52.7%, UDC 35.9%, BPF 4.4%, AP 5.1%, other 1.7%;
- seats by party - BDP 38, UDC 15, BPF 3, AP 1;
- composition - NA
Judicial branch
- highest courts:
- 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
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance of Progressives or AP [Ndaba GAOLATHE]
- Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Dumelang SALESHANDO]
- Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Mokgweetsi MASISI]
- Botswana Movement for Democracy or BMD [Sidney PILANE]
- Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]
- Botswana Patriotic Front or BPF [Biggie BUTALE]
- Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Motlatsi MOLAPISI]
- Real Alternative Party or RAP [Gaontebale MOKGOSI]
- Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC [Duma BOKO] (various times the collation has included the BMD, BPP, BCP and BNF) (2019)
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Onkokame Kitso MOKAILA (since 17 September 2020)
- chancery:
- 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 244-4990
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 244-4164
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; http://www.botswanaembassy.org/
- consulate(s) general:
- Atlanta
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Craig Lewis CLOUD (since 2 April 2019)
- embassy:
- Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone
- mailing address:
- 2170 Gabarone Place, Washington DC 20521-2170
- telephone:
- [267] 395-3982
- FAX:
- [267] 318-0232
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://bw.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
- 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Fatshe leno la rona" (Our Land)
- lyrics/music:
- Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE
note: adopted 1966
Economy
Until the beginning of the global recession in 2008, Botswana maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since its independence in 1966.
34 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
Economic overview
Until the beginning of the global recession in 2008, Botswana maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since its independence in 1966. Botswana recovered from the global recession in 2010, but only grew modestly until 2017, primarily due to a downturn in the global diamond market, though water and power shortages also played a role.
Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world five decades ago into a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of approximately $18,100 in 2017. Botswana also ranks as one of the least corrupt and best places to do business in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Because of its heavy reliance on diamond exports, Botswana’s economy closely follows global price trends for that one commodity. Diamond mining fueled much of Botswana’s past economic expansion and currently accounts for one-quarter of GDP, approximately 85% of export earnings, and about one-third of the government's revenues.
In 2017, Diamond exports increased to the highest levels since 2013 at about 22 million carats of output, driving Botswana’s economic growth to about 4.5% and increasing foreign exchange reserves to about 45% of GDP. De Beers, a major international diamond company, signed a 10-year deal with Botswana in 2012 and moved its rough stone sorting and trading division from London to Gaborone in 2013. The move was geared to support the development of Botswana's nascent downstream diamond industry.
Tourism is a secondary earner of foreign exchange and many Batswana engage in tourism-related services, subsistence farming, and cattle rearing. According to official government statistics, unemployment is around 20%, but unofficial estimates run much higher. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is second highest in the world and threatens the country's impressive economic gains.
Agricultural products
milk, roots/tubers, vegetables, sorghum, beef, game meat, watermelons, cabbages, goat milk, onions
Industries
- diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver;
- beef processing;
- textiles
Exports
$6.16 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) · $7.53 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports
$7.44 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) · $7.31 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7.491 billion (31 December 2017 est.) · $7.189 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 10.90512 (2020 est.) · 10.81081 (2019 est.) · 10.60446 (2018 est.) · 10.1263 (2014 est.) · 8.9761 (2013 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2019)
Installed generating capacity, 735,000 kW(2016 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–21 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- due to effective regulatory reform and active competition, Botswana’s telecom market is one of the most liberalized in the region;
- strategy to drive nationwide ICT penetration is slowed;
- one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa;
- operators developing 3G and LTE;
- Internet use rising due to lower prices;
- government has embraced digitalization, e-government and identity programs that require citizens to provide detailed personal information;
- previously dependent on satellites for international connectivity, country’s new submarine cable landings improved competition and tripled international Internet capacity;
- importer of broadcast equipment from Hong Kong and China (2020) (2020)
- domestic:
- fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 6 telephones per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular teledensity has advanced to 174 telephones per 100 persons (2019)
- 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)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes;
the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media
- 2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned;
- privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available;
- 2 state-owned national radio stations;
- 4 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2019)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 253,417 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 110,000 mt-km (2018)
Military and Security
6 fieldsMilitary and security forces
Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2021); note - both the armed forces and the Botswana Police Service report to the Ministry of Defense, Justice, and Security
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) has approximately 9,000 active personnel (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the BDF has a mix of foreign-supplied and mostly older weapons and equipment, largely from Europe and the US;
- since 2010, France is the leading supplier of armaments to the BDF (2020)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)
Military - note
Bechuanaland/Botswana did not have a permanent military during colonial times, with the British colonial administrators relying instead on small, lightly armed constabularies such as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and by the early 1960s, the Police Mobile Unit (PMU);
after independence in 1966, Botswana militarized the PMU and gave it responsibility for the country’s defense rather than create a conventional military force; however, turmoil in neighboring countries and numerous cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces demonstrated that the PMU was inadequate for defending the country and led to the establishment of the BDF in 1977;
as of 2021, the BDF’s primary missions included securing territorial integrity/border security and internal duties such as disaster relief and anti-poaching
as of 2021, the Army was comprised of approximately 4 small combat brigades (2 infantry, 1 light armored, 1 artillery), while the Air Force had 1 fighter/ground attack squadron; Botswana has no navy, but the Army has a marine unit with boats and other river craft for patrolling the country’s numerous waterways, particularly the Chobe River and Okavango swamps
Botswana participates in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Standby Force, and in 2021 contributed nearly 300 troops to the SADC’s effort to help the Mozambique Government suppress an insurgency
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Botswana.” The World Factbook 2021. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/botswana/2021.