Botswana (2008) | Wallis and Futuna (2007) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 35.8% (male 330,377/female 319,376)
15-64 years: 60.3% (male 549,879/female 545,148) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 28,725/female 42,003) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts | breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish |
Airports | 85 (2007) | 2 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 74
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 54 under 914 m: 17 (2007) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km |
total: 274 sq km
land: 274 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | 1.5 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 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. | The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 23.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA |
Budget | revenues: $4.886 billion
expenditures: $3.756 billion (2007 est.) |
revenues: $29,730
expenditures: $31,330 (2004) |
Capital | name: Gaborone
geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers | tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 129 km |
Constitution | March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana local long form: Republic of Botswana local short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland |
conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna local short form: Wallis et Futuna |
Death rate | 13.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA |
Debt - external | $513 million (31 December 2007 est.) | $3.67 million (2004) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN
embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 395-3982 FAX: [267] 395-6947 |
none (overseas territory of France) |
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 France) |
Disputes - international | the alignment of the boundary with Namibia in the Kwando/Linyanti/Chobe River, including the Situngu marshlands, was resolved amicably in 2003; concerns from international experts and local populations over the ecology of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls) along the Angola-Namibia border; Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $70.89 million (2005) | assistance from France, $NA |
Economy - overview | Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth slowed to 4.7% annually in 2006-07. 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 more than $11,000 in 2006. 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 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, 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 was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects. | The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.602 billion kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 1.754 billion kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 912 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
Environment - current issues | overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources | deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water 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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% | Polynesian |
Exchange rates | pulas per US dollar - 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003) | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998); Vice President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998); Vice President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52% |
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Administrator Richard DIDIER (since 19 July 2006)
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since January 2001) cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $47,450 f.o.b. (2004) |
Exports - commodities | diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles | copra, chemicals, construction materials |
Exports - partners | European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006) | Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center | unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 51.5% (including 36% mining) services: 46.9% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.7% (2007 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 22 00 S, 24 00 E | 13 18 S, 176 12 W |
Geography - note | landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country | both island groups have fringing reefs |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | 13,490 bbl/day (2004) | $61.17 million f.o.b. (2004) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products | chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods |
Imports - partners | Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006) | France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2006) |
Independence | 30 September 1966 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.5% (2007 est.) | NA% |
Industries | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles | copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber |
Infant mortality rate | total: 43.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 45.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.2% (2007 est.) | 2.8% (2005) |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | SPC, UPU |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | NA |
Judicial branch | High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) | justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu; a court of appeal is located in Noumea, New Caledonia |
Labor force | 288,400 formal sector employees (2004) | 3,104 (2003) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 80%
industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.) |
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: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005) |
arable land: 7.14%
permanent crops: 35.71% other: 57.15% (2005) |
Languages | Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census) | Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census) |
Legal system | based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1 |
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held 22 April 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7 note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held by in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 50.58 years
male: 51.55 years female: 49.58 years (2007 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.2% male: 80.4% female: 81.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.) |
Location | Southern Africa, north of South Africa | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 92,346 GRT/98,307 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 6 foreign-owned: 8 (France 6, French Polynesia 2) (2007) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.3% (2006) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility | NA |
Natural resources | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2007 est.) |
NA
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE] |
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 1,815,508
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 2007 est.) |
16,309 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 30.3% (2003) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.503% (2007 est.) | NA |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Railways | total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2006) |
- |
Religions | Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census) | Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.009 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.684 male(s)/female total population: 1.003 male(s)/female (2007 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; system is fully digital with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east; fixed-line connections declined in recent years and now stand at 8 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 60 per 100 persons
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile-cellular service is growing fast international: country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 681 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 136,900 (2006) | 1,900 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 979,800 (2006) | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1 state-owned, 1 private) | 2 (2000) |
Terrain | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest | volcanic origin; low hills |
Total fertility rate | 2.73 children born/woman (2007 est.) | NA |
Unemployment rate | 23.8% (2004) | 15.2% (2003) |