56.2 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 11
Budget:
revenues: $8.516 billion
expenditures: $8.867 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
34% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
1.6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.98% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 120
7.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.49 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 57
$5.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.614 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 62
$5.597 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$10.26 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
$8.895 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and
aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:
11.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Electricity - production:
11.32 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - consumption:
8.488 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - exports:
4.344 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.743 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Oil - consumption:
29,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Oil - exports:
191.8 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Oil - imports:
25,990 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Natural gas - consumption:
310 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - imports:
310 million cu m
country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Current account balance:
-$2.764 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
-$1.931 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$5.194 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
$4.243 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products
Exports - partners:
Croatia 20.7%, Slovenia 16.7%, Italy 16.7%, Germany 13%, Austria
10.3%, Hungary 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$12.29 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$9.947 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.6%, Slovenia 12.7%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 10.5%, Hungary
6.6%, Turkey 6.5%, Austria 6.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.516 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
$4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.388 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
$6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.3083 (2008 est.),
1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004)
note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro
Communications ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.031 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 80
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.179 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 106
Telephone system:
general assessment: post-war reconstruction of the
telecommunications network, aided by a internationally sponsored
program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the number of
main telephone lines available; mobile cellular subscribership has
been increasing rapidly
domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 22 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density has reached 70 per 100 persons
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Internet country code:
.ba
Internet hosts:
69,370 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 79
Internet users:
1.308 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 81
Transportation ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Airports:
25 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 132
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Heliports:
5 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,000 km
country comparison to the world: 88
standard gauge: 1,000 km 1.435-m gauge (590 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 21,846 km
country comparison to the world: 107
paved: 11,425 km (4,714 km of interurban roads)
unpaved: 10,421 km (2006)
Waterways:
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all
inland waterway ports on the Sava River), Orasje
Military ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Military branches:
Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces (OSBiH): Army of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzracna Obrana, ZPO) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,212,007
females age 16-49: 1,170,645 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 991,953
females age 16-49: 959,226 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,368
female: 25,644 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Transnational Issues ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Disputes - international:
sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several
small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access
that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 7,269 (Croatia)
IDPs: 131,600 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced in
1992-95 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western
Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable
to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and
unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of
corruption
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Botswana (Africa)
Introduction ::Botswana
Background:
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted
its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
economies in Africa. 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 known rates of
HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
Geography ::Botswana
Location:
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 581,730 sq km
country comparison to the world: 47
land: 566,730 sq km
water: 15,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe
813 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain:
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in
southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore,
silver
Land use:
arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
14.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%)
per capita: 107 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west,
carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
visibility
Environment - current issues:
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements:
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
Geography - note:
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
People ::Botswana
Population:
1,990,876
country comparison to the world: 146
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 352,399/female 340,058)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 613,714/female 608,003)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 31,155/female 45,547) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.7 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 21.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.937% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Birth rate:
22.89 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Death rate:
8.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Net migration rate:
5 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 21
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 141
male: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.85 years
country comparison to the world: 178
male: 61.72 years
female: 61.99 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.6 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
23.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
300,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
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 white 7%
Religions:
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6%
(2001 census)
Languages:
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1%
(official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.2%
male: 80.4%
female: 81.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
8.7% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 10
Government ::Botswana
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
local long form: Republic of Botswana
local short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Gaborone
geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*,
Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast,
Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern
Independence:
30 September 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (Botswana 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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
elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004
(next to be held on 9 October 2009); vice president appointed by the
president
election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 52%: note - MOGAE stepped down on 1 April
2008 and designated KHAMA to serve out the remainder of his term
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely
advisory 15-member body with 8 ex-officio members consisting of the
chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving
5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members
selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63
seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are
appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and
Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 2009
(next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%,
BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 4.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4,
BAM 1, other 1
Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each
district)
Political parties and leaders:
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba
Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga
elites)
other: diamond mining companies
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
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
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
Flag description:
light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy ::Botswana
Economy - overview:
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth
rates since independence in 1966, though growth fell below 5% in
2007-08. 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 $13,300 in
2008. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit
risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and
currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of
export earnings. Tourism, financial services, 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 was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates
place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second
highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic
gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production
overshadows long-term prospects.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$27.11 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
$26.35 billion (2007 est.)
$25.23 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.46 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
4.4% (2007 est.)
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,900 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$13,800 (2007 est.)
$13,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 52.6% (including 36% mining)
services: 45.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
685,300 formal sector employees (2007)
country comparison to the world: 146
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
7.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Population below poverty line:
30.3% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
63 (1993)
country comparison to the world: 4
Investment (gross fixed):
23.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Budget:
revenues: $4.326 billion
expenditures: $4.808 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
5.9% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
8.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
7.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
15% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 17
14.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.54% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 34
16.22% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.008 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 87
$1.026 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.183 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 75
$4.336 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$3.556 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 82
$5.887 billion (31 December 2007)
$3.947 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industries:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
processing; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Electricity - production:
1.052 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - consumption:
2.648 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.181 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Oil - consumption:
15,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - imports:
15,180 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
Current account balance:
$750.3 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
$2.434 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$4.707 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
$5.158 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Imports:
$4.486 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
$3.447 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment,
textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products,
metal and metal products
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.119 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
$9.79 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$409 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
$408 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7907 (2008 est.), 6.2035 (2007),
5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004)
Communications ::Botswana
Telephones - main lines in use:
142,300 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 135
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.486 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 133
Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of
mobile-cellular service and participation in regional development;
system is fully digital with fiber-optic cables linking the major
population centers in the east; fixed-line connections declined in
recent years and now stand at roughly 8 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 80 per 100
persons
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations;
mobile-cellular service is growing fast
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1 state-owned, 1 private)