Military branches: Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command, Special Forces Group
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; official minimum age is unknown
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 557,647 females age 16-49: 531,095
Military expenditures: 3.3% of GDP
Airports: 76
Railways: 888 km
Roadways: 25,798 km
Telephones - main lines in use: 137,400
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.363 million
Telephone system: general assessment: Botswana is participating in regional development efforts; expanding fully digital system with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east as well as a system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relays links, and radiotelephone communication stations
domestic: fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 7 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons
Broadcast media: 2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately-owned; privately-owned satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned national radio stations; 3 privately-owned radio stations broadcast locally
Internet country code: .bw
Internet hosts: 2,674
Internet users: 120,000
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. However, economic growth was negative in 2009, with the industrial sector shrinking by 30%, after the global crisis reduced demand for Botswana's diamonds. The economy has since recovered, with GDP growth in 2010 at 7.2% and estimated GDP growth in 2011 of 6.2%. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $16,300 in 2011. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP, 70-80% of export earnings, and about half of the government's revenues. Botswana's heavy reliance on a single luxury export was a critical factor in the sharp economic contraction of 2009. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. Although unemployment was 7.5% in 2007 according to official reports, unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is second highest in the world and threatens Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production within the next two decades overshadows long-term prospects.
Government type: parliamentary republic
Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Pikwe*, South East, Southern
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%
Languages: Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English (official) 2.1%, other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4%
Religions: Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6%
Population: 2,098,018
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Median age: total: 22.5 years, male: 22.4 years, female: 22.5 years
Population growth rate: 1.477%
Urbanization: urban population: 61% of total population
Major cities - population: GABORONE (capital) 196,000
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.74 years
male: 56.93 years, female: 54.51 years
Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman
Health expenditures: 10.3% of GDP
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, vectorborne disease: malaria
Education expenditures: 8.9% of GDP
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.5%, male: 84%, female: 84.9%
Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Land boundaries: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Land use: arable land: 0.65%, permanent crops: 0.01%, other: 99.34%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km
Total renewable water resources: 14.7 cu km
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. 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 known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
