General background: Formerly the British protectorate
of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon
independence in 1966. The economy, one of the most robust
on the continent, is dominated by diamond mining.
Area comparative: Slightly smaller than
Texas
Climate: Semiarid; warm winters
and hot summers
Terrain: Predominantly
flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in
southwest
Population: 1,591,232
Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga
11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and White
7%
Religions: Indigenous beliefs 85%, Christian
15%
Language: English (official), Setswana
Government type: Parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Legal system: Based on Roman-Dutch law and
local customary law; judicial review limited to matters
of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction.
Economic 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 $7,800 in 2001. Two major
investment services rank Botswana as the best credit
risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fuelled much of
expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third
of GDP and for four-fifths 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.
Communication/Telephone system: The system
is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service
and participation in regional development, small system
of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and
a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile
cellular service is growing fast.Two international
exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to
Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean).
Places of interest: Several National Parks
with game roaming wild, most boasting with the "Big
5" namely: Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and
Buffalo.
Travel Tips: Botswana is a largely roadless
wilderness of savannas, deserts, wetlands and salt
pans. To ensure the country's natural assets are preserved,
Botswana's government has embraced a policy of courting
primarily high-cost, low-impact tourism, although
recent years have seen options for independent, budget-minded
travelers grow.
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