Data code: BC
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*;
Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi,
Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*,
South-East, Southern
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)
Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice
President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA 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) and
Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since NA 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 Seretse
Ian KHAMA to be vice president
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 NA October 1999) election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—BDP 27, BNF 13
Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP
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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE chancery: 1531–1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy
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%.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$5.25 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,600 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 45% (including 35% mining) services: 51% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)
Labor force—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.)
Unemployment rate: 20–40% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560
million (FY96/97)
Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash,
potash; livestock processing
Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)
Electricity—production: 990 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 1.675 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 685 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock
Exports: $2.25 billion (f.o.b. 1998 est.)
Exports—commodities: diamonds 76%, copper, nickel 4%, meat (1997)
Exports—partners: EU 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 21%, Zimbabwe 3% (1996)
Imports: $2.43 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport
equipment, textiles, petroleum products
Imports—partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%,
Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6% (1996)
Debt—external: $610 million (1997)
Economic aid—recipient: $73 million (1995)
Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
Exchange rates: pulas (P) per US$1—4.5725 (January 1999), 4.2258 (1998), 3.6508 (1997), 3.3242 (1996), 2.7722 (1995), 2.6846 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March
Communications
Telephones: 19,109 (1985 est.)
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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: