Botswana

Index

More Facts & Figures

Languages: English 2% (official), Setswana 78%, Kalanga 8%, Sekgalagadi 3%, other (2001)

Ethnicity/race: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other (including Kgalagadi and white) 7%

National Holiday: Independence Day (Botswana Day), September 30

Religions: Christian 72%, Badimo 6%, none 21% (2001)

Literacy rate: 81.2% (2011 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $30.09 billion; per capita $16,300. Real growth rate: –6.2%. Inflation: 7.8%. Unemployment: 7.5%. Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts. Labor force: 1.269 , million (2011); agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles. Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver. Exports: $5.509 billion f.o.b. (2011 est.): diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles. Imports: $5,426 billion f.o.b. (2011 est.): foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products. Major trading partners: European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Zimbabwe (2004).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 137,400 (2011); mobile cellular: 2,363,000 (2011). Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001). Internet hosts: 2,674 (2011). Internet users: 120,000 (2011).

Transportation: Railways: total: 888 km (2011). Highways: total: 29,798 km; (2011). Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 78 (2011 est.).

International disputes: commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary.

Major sources and definitions