Botswana: Fact file

Updated November 2010

Name	Republic of Botswana
Area	581 730 sq km
Capital	Gaborone
Major cities	Francistown, Molepolole, Selebi-Phikwe, Maun, Serowe, Kanye (Frame 2008, 116)
Boundaries	Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia (landlocked)
Population	1.978 million, 2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009a)
Natural pop growth	1.45%, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009b)
Urbanisation	58.9%, 2007 est (UN Statistics Division undated)
Life expectancy	Female 54.8 yrs, male 54.6 yrs; 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009c, 2009d)
Infant mortality	36/1000, 2005-2010 est (UN Statistics Division 2009e)
HIV/AIDS prevalence	23.9%, 15-49 yr 2007 est (UN Statistics Division 2009f)
Adult literacy rate	83%; 2003-2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010a)
Military expenditure	3.5% of GDP; 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010b)
Health expenditure	8.3% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2008)
Legal system	Roman Dutch, customary law (Booi 2006)
Independence	30 September 1966 (from UK)
GDP	US$12.969 billion, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010c)
GDP per capita	US$6,108, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2009g)
GDP growth rate	-1.0%, 2008 est (UN Statistics Division 2010d)
Main exports	Diamonds, copper nickel, textiles, soda meat; 2006 (Frame 2008, 119)
Currency	100 Thebe = 1 Pula
Unemployment	17.5%, 2009 (AFDB/OECD 2010)
Inflation rate	17.2%, 2008 (UN Statistics Division 2010e)
External debt ratio	2.4% of GDP, 2009 (IMF 2010, 95)
Roads	20 000 km, national 8 000 km, tarred 3 000 km (SADC 2007)
Rail	900 km, Single line Cape gauge (SADC 2007)
International airports	Gaborone, Francistown, Kasane, Selebi-Phikwe, Maun (SADC 2007)
Ethnic groups	Tswana 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, Kgalagadi 3%, White African 3%, other 1% (Wikipedia 2010)
Languages	Official: English and Tswana; others include Kalanga, Kgalagadi, Herero, Mbukushu, and 22 smaller groups (Lewis 2009)
Religion	Christian 70%, no religious affilliation 20% (US State Department 2010)

References

AFDB/OECD 2010 "Botswana" IN African Economic Outlook, [www] http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/countries/southern-africa/botswana/ [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

BOOI, L 2006 "Botswana's Legal System and Legal Research" IN Hauser Global Law School Program, [www] http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Botswana.htm [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.

LEWIS, M P (ed) 2009 "Languages of Botswana" IN Ethnologue: Languages of the World, sixteenth edition, [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BW [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

IMF 2010 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2010/AFR/eng/pdf/sreo1010.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

SADC 2007 "Botswana" IN Country Profiles, 98, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/botswana2007_08.pdf (offline 23 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2008 "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, 14 Jul, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Gross+domestic+product&d=WHO&f=inID%3AHSR20 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009a "Total population, both sexes combined" IN UNdata, 18 Jun, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Population&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3a12 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009b "Population growth rate" IN UNdata, 18 Jun, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Population&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3a47 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009c "Life expectancy at birth, females" IN UNdata, 18 Jun, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Life+expectancy&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3a67 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009d "Life expectancy at birth, males" IN UNdata, 18 Jun, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Life+expectancy&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3a66 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009e "Infant mortality rate" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=MExico&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3A77%3BcrID%3A484 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009f "Adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=HIV%2fAIDS+prevalence&d=SOWC&f=inID%3a73 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2009g "Per capita GDP at current prices" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=SNAAMA&f=grID%3a101%3bcurrID%3aUSD%3bpcFlag%3a1 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010a "Adult literacy rate" IN UNdata, 14 Ju, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Adult+literacy&d=SOWC&f=inID%3a74 [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Military expenditure" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010c "GDP" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.MKTP.CD [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010d "GDP growth" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010e "Inflation, GDP deflator" IN UNdata, 12 Feb, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Inflation&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3aNY.GDP.DEFL.KD.ZG [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION UNDATED "Botswana", [www] http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Botswana [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2010 "Botswana" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2010, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148664.htm [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).

WIKIPEDIA 2010 "Demographics of Botswana", [www] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Botswana [opens new window] (accessed 22 Nov 2010).