The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Seretse Ian KHAMA]; Botswana
National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Congress Party or
BCP [Mokgweetsi KGOSIPULA]; Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM
[Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties
are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the
Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana
Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
chancery: 1531–1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
FAX: [1] (202) 244–4164
telephone: [1] (202) 244–4990
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph HUGGINS embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782
Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Economy Botswana
Economy - overview:
Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates
since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound
management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest
countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita
GDP of $8,800 in 2003. 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
and for nine-tenths of export earnings. Tourism, subsistence
farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside,
the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and
poverty. Unemployment officially is 21%, but unofficial estimates
place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in
the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains.
Long-term prospects are overshadowed by the expected leveling off in
diamond mining production.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $14.2 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 48.7% (including 36% mining) services: 52% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.9% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
47% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.2% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
264,000 formal sector employees (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
NA
Unemployment rate:
40% (official rate is 21%) (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3.263 billion
expenditures: $3.283 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003)
Public debt:
7% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industries:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
processing; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
7.3% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
409.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
1.564 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
1.183 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Current account balance:
$539 million (2003)
Exports:
$2.544 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Exports - partners:
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African
Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000)
Imports:
$1.753 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment,
textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products,
metal and metal products
Imports - partners:
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4%
(2000)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$5.25 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
$392 million (2003)
Economic aid - recipient:
$73 million (1995)
Currency:
pula (BWP)
Currency code:
BWP
Exchange rates:
pulas per US dollar - 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001),
5.1018 (2000), 4.6244 (1999)
Fiscal