Botswana: Fact file
Updated October 2009
| 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 | 1.9 million, 2007 (UNDP 2009) |
| Natural pop growth | 1.3%, 2005-2010 (UNDP 2009) |
| Urbanisation | 41.9%, 1990 (UNDP 2009) |
| Life expectancy | Female 53.3 yrs, male 53.2 yrs, 2007 (UNDP 2009) |
| HIV/AIDS prevalence | 15-49 yrs: 23.9%; 2007 est (WHO 2008, 4) |
| Adult literacy rate | Adult literacy rate, female 82.9, male 82.8%; 2007 (UNDP 2009) |
| Health expenditure | 17.8% of government expenditure; 2006 (UNDP 2009) |
| Legal system | Roman Dutch, customary law (Booi 2006) |
| Independence | 30 September 1966 (from UK) |
| GDP | US$12.313 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008) |
| GDP per capita | US$7 888, 2007 est (IMF 2008) |
| GDP growth rate | 2.9%, 2008 est (IMF 2009) |
| Main exports | Diamonds, copper nickel, textiles, soda meat; 2006 (Frame 2008, 119) |
| Currency | 100 Thebe = 1 Pula |
| Unemployment rate | 27%, 2007 (Piet 2007) |
| Inflation rate | 12.6%, 2008 est (IMF 2009) |
| External debt ratio | 2.6% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009) |
| 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 3%, other 1% (Wikipedia 2007) |
| Languages | Official: English and Tswana; others include Kalanga, Kgalagadi, Herero, Mbukushu, and 22 smaller groups (Ethnologue.com undated) |
| Religion | Christian 59.9% (Independent 30.6%, Unaffiliated 13.6%, Protestant 11.0%, Roman Catholics 3.7%); Traditional 38.8%; Nonreligious 9.1% (Religious Freedom 2001) |
References
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 Apr 2008).
ETHNOLOGUE.COM UNDATED "Languages of Botswana" [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BW [opens new window] (accessed 22 Apr 2008).
FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.
IMF 2008 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 21 Apr 2008).
IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, 66, 70, 88, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/afr/eng/sreo0409.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 May 2009).
PIET, B 2007 "Divisions over interest rate hike prospects", Mmegi Business Week, 5 February, http://www.mmegi.bw/2007/February/Monday5/127.php [opens new window] (accessed 22 Apr 2008).
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 2001 "Nation profile: Botswana", [www] http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Botswana/rbodies.html [opens new window] (accessed 22 Apr 2008).
SADC 2007 "Botswana" IN Country Profiles, 98, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/botswana2007_08.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Apr 2008).
UNDP 2009 "Botswana HDI Rank - 125", IN Human Development Report 2009, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_BWA.html [opens new window] (accessed 15 October 2009).
WHO 2008 "Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS Core data on epidemiology and response", [www] http://www.who.int/globalatlas/predefinedReports/EFS2008/full/EFS2008_BW.pdf [PDF document, opens in window] (accessed 18 May 2009).
WIKIPEDIA 2007 "Demographics of Botswana", [www] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Botswana [opens new window] (accessed 22 Apr 2008).
