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Compare Botswana (2003) - British Virgin Islands (2003)

Compare Botswana (2003) z British Virgin Islands (2003)

 Botswana (2003)British Virgin Islands (2003)
 BotswanaBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions 9 districts and four town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northwest, Northeast, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 39.5% (male 314,764; female 307,024)


15-64 years: 56% (male 424,726; female 455,967)


65 years and over: 4.5% (male 30,599; female 40,187) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358)


15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709)


65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 86 (2002) 3 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 76


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 55


under 914 m: 18 (2002)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 600,370 sq km


land: 585,370 sq km


water: 15,000 sq km
total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background 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 the world's highest known rate of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease. First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate 25.5 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.3 billion


expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 01/02)
revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Capital Gaborone Road Town
Climate semiarid; warm winters and hot summers subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 80 km
Constitution March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 1 June 1977
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Botswana


conventional short form: Botswana


former: Bechuanaland
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Currency pula (BWP) US dollar (USD)
Death rate 31 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $360 million (2002) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA


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


telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990


FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international established a commission with Namibia to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls; dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundaries converge none
Economic aid - recipient $73 million (1995) NA%
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 $9,500 in 2002. 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 prospects of a leveling off in diamond mining production. The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption 1.564 billion kWh (2001) 35.43 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 1.183 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 409.8 million kWh (2001) 38.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m


highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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
-
Ethnic groups Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates pulas per US dollar - 6.33 (2002), 5.84 (2001), 5.1 (2000), 4.62 (1999), 4.23 (1998) the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Festus MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004); vice president appointed by the president


election results: Festus MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54.3%
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Orlando SMITH (since 17 June 2003)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities diamonds 90%, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP purchasing power parity - $13.48 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 44% (including 36% mining)


services: 52% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.2% (2002 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 00 S, 24 00 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Highways total: 10,217 km


paved: 5,619 km


unpaved: 4,598 km (1999)
total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Independence 30 September 1966 (from UK) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 2.4% (2001 est.) NA
Industries diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 67.34 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 68.36 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 66.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 8.1% (2002 est.) 2.5% (2002)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 11 (2001) 16 (2000)
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force 264,000 formal sector employees (2000) 4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation NA agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 4,013 km


border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0.61%


permanent crops: 0.01%


other: 99.38% (1998 est.)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (1998 est.)
Languages English (official), Setswana English (official)
Legal system based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English law
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (44 seats, 40 members are directly elected by popular vote and 4 are appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)


elections: National Assembly elections last held 16 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 54.3%, BNF 24.7%, other 21%; seats by party - BDP 33, BNF 6, other 1
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 32.26 years


male: 32.2 years


female: 32.32 years (2003 est.)
total population: 76.06 years


male: 75.07 years


female: 77.1 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 79.8%


male: 76.9%


female: 82.4% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Southern Africa, north of South Africa Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Africa Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine - total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT


ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Botswana Defense Force (including Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $207.3 million (FY02) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.5% (FY02) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 381,056 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 201,402 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 20,476 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)


adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver NEGL
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus MOGAE]; 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]
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 1,573,267


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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
21,730 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 47% NA%
Population growth rate -0.55% (2003 est.) 2.1% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors none Road Town
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001) AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 888 km


narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)
0 km
Religions indigenous beliefs 85%, Christian 15% Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development


domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile cellular service is growing fast


international: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use 131,000 (September 2001) 10,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 270,000 (September 2001) NA
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 3.27 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 40% (official rate is 21%) (2001 est.) 3% (1995)
Waterways none none
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