Botswana - BW - BWA - BOT - Africa

chief of mission: Ambassador Howard A. VAN VRANKEN (since 24 May 2023)

embassy: Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone

mailing address: 2170 Gaborone Place, Washington DC  20521-2170

telephone: [267] 395-3982

FAX: [267] 318-0232

email address and website:
ConsularGaborone@state.gov

https://bw.usembassy.gov/

0-14 years: 28.7% (male 355,583/female 348,863)

15-64 years: 65.2% (male 759,210/female 837,752)

65 years and over: 6.1% (2024 est.) (male 59,513/female 89,747)

22 00 S, 24 00 E

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female

total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility

slightly smaller than Texas; almost four times the size of Illinois

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2024)

In the early 1800s, multiple political entities in what is now Botswana were destabilized or destroyed by a series of conflicts and population movements in southern Africa. By the end of this period, the Tswana ethnic group, who also live across the border in South Africa, had become the most prominent group in the area. In 1852, Tswana forces halted the expansion of white Afrikaner settlers who were seeking to expand their territory northwards into what is now Botswana. In 1885, Great Britain claimed territory that roughly corresponds with modern day Botswana as a protectorate called Bechuanaland. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana, which means "land of the Tswana."

More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created an enduring democracy and upper-middle-income economy. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has won every national election since independence; President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI assumed the presidency in 2018 after the retirement of former President Ian KHAMA due to constitutional term limits. MASISI won his first election as president in 2019, and he is Botswana’s fifth president since independence. 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 rates of HIV/AIDS infection but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

 

 

overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources; air pollution

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

2.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
3% of GDP (2021 est.)
3% of GDP (2020 est.)
2.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

16.1% (2015 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

lowest 10%: 1.5% (2015 est.)

highest 10%: 41.5% (2015 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

diamonds, copper ore, insulated wire, carbonates, cattle (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 27%, India 17%, Belgium 16%, South Africa 8%, USA 7% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

10 districts and 6 town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South East, Southern, Sowa Town*

root vegetables, beef, vegetables, sorghum, maize, game meat, milk, watermelons, goat milk, sunflower seeds (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2024)

note 1: both the BDF and the Botswana Police Service (BPS) report to the Ministry of Defense, Justice and Security; the BPS has primary responsibility for internal security

note 2: the Ground Force Command includes a marine unit with boats and river craft for patrolling Botswana's internal waterways and supporting anti-poaching operations

revenues: $5.989 billion (2022 est.)

expenditures: $5.099 billion (2022 est.)

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

name: Gaborone

geographic coordinates: 24 38 S, 25 54 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after GABORONE (ca. 1825-1931), a chief of the Tlokwa tribe, whose name means "it is not unbecoming"

refined petroleum, diamonds, cars, flavored water, electricity (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

0 km (landlocked)

history: previous 1960 (pre-independence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval in two successive Assembly votes with at least two-thirds majority in the final vote; proposals to amend constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and branches of government, and public services also requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and assent by the president of the republic

pulas (BWP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
13.596 (2023 est.)
12.369 (2022 est.)
11.087 (2021 est.)
11.456 (2020 est.)
10.756 (2019 est.)

chief of state: President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)

head of government: President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 2024 (next to be held in October 2029); vice president appointed by the president

election results: National elections held in 2024 gave BOKO's UDC 35 seats in the National Assembly, which then selected BOKO as President

light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center; the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony

30 September 1966 (from the UK)

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; beef processing; textiles

highest court(s): Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament)

judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president and other judges appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; all judges appointed to serve until age 70

subordinate courts: Industrial Court (with circuits scheduled monthly in the capital city and in 3 districts); Magistrates Courts (1 in each district); Customary Court of Appeal; Paramount Chief's Court/Urban Customary Court; Senior Chief's Representative Court; Chief's Representative’s Court; Headman's Court

total: 4,347.15 km

border countries (4): Namibia 1,544 km; South Africa 1,969 km; Zambia 0.15 km; Zimbabwe 834 km

agricultural land: 45.6% (2022 est.)

arable land: 0.5% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 45.2% (2022 est.)

forest: 26.5% (2022 est.)

other: 27.9% (2022 est.)

mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law

legislature name: Parliament

legislative structure: unicameral

chamber name: National Assembly

number of seats: 69 (61 directly elected; 6 indirectly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 5 years

most recent election date: 10/30/2024

parties elected and seats per party: Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) (36); Botswana Congress Party (BCP) (15); Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) (5); Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) (4); Other (1)

percentage of women in chamber: 8.7%

expected date of next election: October 2029

note: the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members -- 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswana's principal tribes, 22 indirectly elected by the chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president; the House of Chiefs consults on issues including powers of chiefs, customary courts, customary law, tribal property, and constitutional amendments

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 88.5%

male: 88%

female: 88.9% (2015)

none (landlocked)

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)

noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver

landlocked; sparsely populated with most settlement concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the country; geography dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers about 70% of the country, although the Okavango Delta brings considerable biodiversity as one of the largest inland deltas in the World 

good economic governance and financial management; diamond-driven growth model declining; rapid poverty reductions; high unemployment, particularly among youth; COVID-19 sharply contracted the economy and recovery is slow; public sector wages have posed fiscal challenges

Alliance of Progressives or AP 
Botswana Congress Party or BCP 
Botswana Democratic Party or BDP 
Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO]Botswana Patriotic Front or BPF 
Botswana Peoples Party or BPP 
Botswana Republic Party or BRP 
Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC (various times the coalition has included the BPP, BCP, BNF and other parties)

total: 888 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 888 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: effective regulatory reform has made Botswana’s telecom market one of the most liberalized in the region; there is a service-neutral licensing regime adapted to the convergence of technologies and services, and several operators now compete in all telecom sectors; Botswana has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa; in a bid to generate new revenue streams and secure market share, the three mobile network operators have entered the underdeveloped broadband sector by adopting of 3G, LTE, and WiMAX technologies; in the fixed-line broadband market they compete with a large number of ISPs, some of which have rolled out their own wireless access infrastructure; the landlocked country depends on satellites for international bandwidth, and on other countries for transit capacity to the landing points of international submarine cables; the landing of additional cables in the region in recent years has improved the competitive situation in this sector, while prices for connectivity have fallen dramatically (2022)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 5 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 161 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

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)

predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

parliamentary republic

conventional long form: Republic of Botswana

conventional short form: Botswana

local long form: Republic of Botswana

local short form: Botswana

former: Bechuanaland

etymology: the name Botswana means "Land of the Tswana," referring to the country's largest ethnic group

Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Africa

25 sq km (2014)

chief of mission: Ambassador Mpho Churchill MOPHUTING (since 18 September 2024)

chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990

FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

email address and website:
info@botswanaembassy.org

http://www.botswanaembassy.org/

percent of population: 77% (2022 est.)

.bw

$19.396 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Moody's rating: A2 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB+ (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

12.24 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 12 years (2021)

urban population: 72.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned national radio stations; 4 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2019)

improved:

urban: 98.1% of population

rural: 96.9% of population

total: 99.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 3.1% of population

total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

name: "Fatshe leno la rona" (Our Land)

lyrics/music: Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE

note: adopted 1966

269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

1.8 beds/1,000 population

zebra; national colors: light blue, white, black

household consumption: 42.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 28.9% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 25.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 4.7% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 32.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -36.6% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

total dependency ratio: 53.5 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 44.1 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 9.3 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 10.7 (2024 est.)

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

the population is primarily concentrated in the east with a focus in and around the captial of Gaborone, and the far central-eastern city of Francistown; population density remains low in other areas in the country, especially in the Kalahari to the west as shown in this population distribution map

electrification - total population: 75.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 95.5%

electrification - rural areas: 25%

A2

improved:

urban: 94.9% of population

rural: 63% of population

total: 85.6% of population

unimproved:

urban: 5.1% of population

rural: 37% of population

total: 14.4% of population (2020 est.)

Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%

Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.)

South Africa 65%, Namibia 8%, Canada 5%, China 3%, India 3% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

highest point: Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m

lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m

mean elevation: 1,013 m

67.4% (2017)

6.3% of GDP (2021)

the BDF’s key functions include defending the country's territorial integrity on land and in the air, ensuring national security and stability, and aiding civil authorities in support of domestic missions such as disaster relief and anti-poaching; it participates in regional and international security operations

Bechuanaland/Botswana did not have a permanent military during colonial times, with the British colonial administrators relying instead on small, lightly armed constabularies such as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, the Bechuanaland Border Police, and by the early 1960s, the Police Mobile Unit (PMU); after independence in 1966, Botswana militarized the PMU and gave it responsibility for the country’s defense rather than create a conventional military force; however, turmoil in neighboring countries and numerous cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the 1960s and 1970s demonstrated that the PMU was inadequate for defending the country and led to the establishment of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) in 1977 (2024)

estimated 10,000 active BDF personnel (2025)

the BDF has a mix of mostly older weapons and equipment, largely of Western/European origin; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of material from several European countries and the US (2024)

municipal: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 210,854 tons (2010 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,109 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 1% (2005 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 12.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 6.34 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 5.73 megatons (2020 est.)

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Tsodilo Hills (c); Okavango Delta (n)

Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s]), Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Limpopo (shared with South Africa [s], Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Okavango river mouth (shared with Angola [s], and Namibia) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

production: 2.242 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption: 1.351 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports: 891,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports: 300 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 1.66 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

fossil fuels: 99.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 22,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

1.15 (2024 est.)

45% (2023 est.)

0.36% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.31% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.32% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

The two zebras on Botswana's coat of arms are the country’s national symbol. They support an elephant tusk that represents the country's fauna and a head of sorghum that signifies agriculture. The three wavy blue bands symbolize the country’s reliance on water, the cog wheels stand for industry, and the bull’s head represents the cattle industry. The coat of arms also features the national colors of light blue, white, and black. The motto reflects the scarcity of rain in the country: pula means “let there be rain” in Setswana, the national language.

1.084 million (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total: 45.4% (2023 est.)

male: 40.5% (2023 est.)

female: 51.5% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 27.1 years (2024 est.)

male: 26 years

female: 28.3 years

$1.772 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

186 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$4.756 billion (2023 est.)
$4.279 billion (2022 est.)
$4.802 billion (2021 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

19.62% of GDP (2020 est.)

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

2.34 children born/woman (2024 est.)

23.38% (2023 est.)
23.62% (2022 est.)
23.11% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 2,450,668 (2024 est.)

male: 1,174,306

female: 1,276,362

5.897 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.818 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 3.079 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 581,730 sq km

land: 566,730 sq km

water: 15,000 sq km

19.65% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$46.743 billion (2023 est.)
$45.499 billion (2022 est.)
$43.133 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

122 (2025)

total: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 25.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 21.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 4.44 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 165 (2022 est.)

53.3 (2015 est.)

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

5.07% (2023 est.)
11.67% (2022 est.)
7.24% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

-$116.727 million (2023 est.)
-$232.122 million (2022 est.)
-$314.583 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$18,800 (2023 est.)
$18,600 (2022 est.)
$18,000 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 85,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

total: 19.4% (2020 est.)

male: 30.4% (2020 est.)

female: 8.3% (2020 est.)

18.9% (2016)

32.443 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

19.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 758,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 3.879 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports: 2 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 1.923 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 625.694 million kWh (2023 est.)

NA

$7.228 billion (2023 est.)
$8.826 billion (2022 est.)
$9.25 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$6.398 billion (2023 est.)
$8.914 billion (2022 est.)
$7.861 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

total subscriptions: 90,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2023 est.)

total: 5.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 2.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total population: 66.4 years (2024 est.)

male: 64.4 years

female: 68.6 years

2.73% (2023 est.)
5.49% (2022 est.)
11.92% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.26% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 1.6% (2023 est.)

industry: 34.3% (2023 est.)

services: 59.4% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

0.23% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.45% of GDP (2018 est.)

8.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.34% (2024 est.)