Ketumile MASIRE]; Botswana Freedom Party or BFP [leader NA]; Botswana
National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana People's Party or BPP
[Knight MARIPE]; Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]
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, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244–4990, 4991 FAX: [1] (202) 244–4164
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER (14 June 1996) embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 356947
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. 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 33% in 1995. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. On the plus side is the substantial positive trade balance.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,100 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 43% services : 53% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 9.8% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total : 428,000 (1992) by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 21% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues : $1.8 billion expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $613 million (FY95/96)
Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing
Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)
Electricity - capacity: 197,000 kW (1993)
Electricity - production: 950 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 747 kWh (1993 est.)
Agriculture - products: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts), beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock
Exports: total value: $2.1 billion (f.o.b. 1995 est.) commodities: diamonds 71%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 3% partners: Europe 81%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 14%, Zimbabwe 3%
Imports: total value: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 78%, Europe 8%, Zimbabwe 6%
Debt - external: $691 million (1994)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $189 million (1993)
Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1 - 3.6417 (January 1997), 3.3014 (1996), 2.7716 (1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Botswana: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 13, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 13,800 (1993 est.)
@Botswana:Transportation
Railways: total: 971 km narrow gauge: 971 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
Highways: total: 11,800 km paved : 1,676 km unpaved: 10,124 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 80 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 34 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m : 9 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 46 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m : 43 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Botswana Defense Force (includes Army and Air
Wing), Botswana National Police
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15–49: 343,929 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 180,692 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 17,632 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $199 million (FY93/94)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.2% (FY93/94)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: quadripoint with Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Kasikili (Sidudu) Island in Linyanti (Chobe) River remained unresolved in January 1996 and the parties have agreed to refer the matter to the ICJ ______________________________________________________________________
BOUVET ISLAND
(territory of Norway)
@Bouvet Island:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
Geographic coordinates: 54 26 S, 3 24 E
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 58 sq km land : 58 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 29.6 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about 800 meters; coast is mostly inaccessible
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 780 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures : 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all ice)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography