What countries border Botswana?
What is the current weather in Botswana?
What is Botswana famous for?
What is the capital of Botswana?
Capital | Gaborone |
Government Type | parliamentary republic |
Currency | Pula (BWP) |
Total Area |
224,606 Square Miles 581,730 Square Kilometers |
Location | Southern Africa, north of South Africa |
Language | English (official), Setswana |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.1% |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | $16,900.00 (USD) |
What is the population of Botswana?
Ethnic Groups | Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other (including Kgalagadi and white) 7% |
Languages | English is the official language while Setswana is considered the national language. Tjikalanga is commonly spoken in northeastern Botswana. |
Nationality Noun | Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
Population | 2,317,233 |
Population - note | 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 the population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
Population Growth Rate | 1.35% |
Population in Major Urban Areas | GABORONE (capital) 202,000 |
Urban Population | 61.700000 |
What type of government does Botswana have?
Executive Branch |
chief of state: President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI (since 1 April 2018); Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe MASISI (since 1 April 2018); Vice President Slumber TSOGWANE (since 4 April 2018) 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 23 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2024); vice president appointed by the president election results: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA, who had served as president since 1 April 2008, stepped down on 1 April 2018 having completed the constitutionally mandated 10-year term limit; upon his retirement, then Vice President MASISI became president; national elections held in 2019 gave MASISI'S BPD 38 seats in the National Assembly, which then selected MASISI as President |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
Citizenship |
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 |
National Holiday | Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) |
Constitution |
history: previous 1960 (pre-independence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 2021 |
Independence | 30 September 1966 (from the UK) |
What environmental issues does Botswana have?
Climate | Most of its area is an inhospitable semi-desert known as the Kalahari. Even the most arable sections of eastern Botswana are subject to periodic drought and unpredictable rains. Botswana straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and has an average elevation of 3,300 feet. Daily high temperatures during the hottest month, January, average in the upper 90's to over 100°F. Winter daytime temperatures generally reach 70 degrees, but with little cloud cover and no humidity to hold warmth in the air, they plummet to 30 or 40°F at night. |
Border Countries | Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km |
Environment - Current Issues | Overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources |
Environment - International Agreements |
Party To: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Terrain | Predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; the Kalahari Desert in southwest |
How big is the Botswana economy?
Economic Overview |
Until the beginning of the global recession in 2008, Botswana maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since its independence in 1966. Botswana recovered from the global recession in 2010, but only grew modestly until 2017, primarily due to a downturn in the global diamond market, though water and power shortages also played a role. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world five decades ago into a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of approximately $18,100 in 2017. Botswana also ranks as one of the least corrupt and best places to do business in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because of its heavy reliance on diamond exports, Botswana’s economy closely follows global price trends for that one commodity. Diamond mining fueled much of Botswana’s past economic expansion and currently accounts for one-quarter of GDP, approximately 85% of export earnings, and about one-third of the government's revenues. In 2017, Diamond exports increased to the highest levels since 2013 at about 22 million carats of output, driving Botswana’s economic growth to about 4.5% and increasing foreign exchange reserves to about 45% of GDP. De Beers, a major international diamond company, signed a 10-year deal with Botswana in 2012 and moved its rough stone sorting and trading division from London to Gaborone in 2013. The move was geared to support the development of Botswana's nascent downstream diamond industry. Tourism is a secondary earner of foreign exchange and many Batswana engage in tourism-related services, subsistence farming, and cattle rearing. According to official government statistics, unemployment is around 20%, but unofficial estimates run much higher. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is the second highest in the world and threatens the country's impressive economic gains. |
Industries | Diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; livestock processing; textiles |
Currency Name and Code | Pula (BWP) |
What current events are happening in Botswana?
Source: Google News
What makes Botswana a unique country to travel to?