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NAVIGATION
Republic of Botswana
Bechuanaland
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland |
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Government type:
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parliamentary republic |
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Capital:
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Gaborone |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 districts and four town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Pikwe*, South-East, Southern |
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Independence:
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30 September 1966 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) |
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Constitution:
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March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 |
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Legal system:
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based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Festus 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 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 elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54.3% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 members) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 are appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 54.3%, BNF 24.7%, other 21%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Mokgweetsi KGOSIPULA]; 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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Kgosi SEEPAPITSO IV
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph HUGGING
embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782 |
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Flag description:
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light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $7,800 in 2001. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for four-fifths of export earnings. Tourism, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is 21%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $12.4 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.7% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 4%
industry: 44% (including 36% mining) services: 52% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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47% (2000 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6.6% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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264,000 formal sector employees (2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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40% (official rate is 21%) (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.3 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02 ) |
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Industries:
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diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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2.4% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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500 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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1.451 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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986 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts |
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Exports:
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$2.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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diamonds 80%, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles (2001) |
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Exports - partners:
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EFTA 85%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 10%, Zimbabwe 2% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products (2000) |
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Imports - partners:
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Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 77%, EFTA 9%, Zimbabwe 4% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$325 million (2001) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$73 million (1995) (1995) |
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Currency:
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pula (BWP) |
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Currency code:
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BWP |
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Exchange rates:
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pulas per US dollar - 6.8353 (January 2002), 5.8412 (2001), 5.1018 (2000), 4.6244 (1999), 4.2259 (1998), 3.6508 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |