French Polynesia (2008) | Botswana (2008) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent | 9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 25.4% (male 36,223/female 34,677)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 98,784/female 91,585) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 8,933/female 8,761) (2007 est.) |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | fish; coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products | livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts |
Airports | 54 (2007) | 85 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2007) |
total: 74
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 54 under 914 m: 17 (2007) |
Area | total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut | slightly smaller than Texas |
Background | The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded. | 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. |
Birth rate | 16.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 23.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million (1999) |
revenues: $4.886 billion
expenditures: $3.756 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Gaborone
geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical, but moderate | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers |
Coastline | 2,525 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 |
Country name | conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana local long form: Republic of Botswana local short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland |
Death rate | 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 13.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $513 million (31 December 2007 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas lands of France) | 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas lands of France) | 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 |
Disputes - international | none | 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 |
Economic aid - recipient | $579.8 million (2004) | $70.89 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 429.7 million kWh (2005) | 2.602 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 1.754 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 462 million kWh (2005) | 912 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | overgrazing; desertification; limited 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 | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% | Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% |
Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
pulas per US dollar - 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 13 September 2007); note - President TEMARU resigned on 27 January 2008; President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits) |
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% |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat | diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles |
Exports - partners | France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2006) | European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue, and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions | light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2005) |
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 51.5% (including 36% mining) services: 46.9% (2006 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.1% (2002) | 4.7% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 140 00 W | 22 00 S, 24 00 E |
Geography - note | includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru | landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country |
Government - note | under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister | - |
Heliports | 1 (2007) | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | 5,678 bbl/day (2004) | 13,490 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment | foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products |
Imports - partners | France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2006) | Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006) |
Independence | none (overseas lands of France) | 30 September 1966 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4.5% (2007 est.) |
Industries | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles |
Infant mortality rate | total: 7.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.1% (2006 est.) | 7.2% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | FZ, ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO | 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 |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | 10 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif | High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) |
Labor force | 65,930 (December 2005) | 288,400 formal sector employees (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 13%
industry: 19% services: 68% (2002) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005) |
arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005) |
Languages | French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census) | Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census) |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2008 (first round) and 10 February 2008 (second round) (next to be held NA 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - Our Home alliance 45.2%, Union for Democracy alliance 37.2%, Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) 17.2% other 0.5%; seats by party - Our Home alliance 27, Union for Democracy alliance 20, Popular Rally 10 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held in September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.31 years
male: 73.88 years female: 78.86 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 50.58 years
male: 51.55 years female: 49.58 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.2% male: 80.4% female: 81.8% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia | Southern Africa, north of South Africa |
Map references | Oceania | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2007) |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force | Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 3.3% (2006) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) |
Nationality | noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
Natural hazards | occasional cyclonic storms in January | periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility |
Natural resources | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver |
Net migration rate | 2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 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.) |
Political parties and leaders | Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Our Home alliance; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU] | 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 278,963 (July 2007 est.) | 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.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 30.3% (2003) |
Population growth rate | 1.461% (2007 est.) | 1.503% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% | Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.045 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.079 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.066 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 53,600 (2006) | 136,900 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 152,000 (2006) | 979,800 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 7 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997) | 2 (1 state-owned, 1 private) |
Terrain | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest |
Total fertility rate | 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.73 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 11.7% (2005) | 23.8% (2004) |