15-64 years: 70.7% (male 1,645,274/female 1,617,136)
65 years and over: 14.8% (male 279,781/female 403,160) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.8 years
male: 38.7 years
female: 41 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.339% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Birth rate:
8.85 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
Death rate:
8.63 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Net migration rate:
3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.1 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 155 male: 10.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.5 years country comparison to the world: 43 male: 74.92 years
female: 82.34 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 212
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Nationality:
noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian
Ethnic groups:
Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)
note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam
Religions:
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%
Languages:
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 99%
female: 94.4% (2000 est.)
Education expenditures:
Government ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Government type:
emerging federal democratic republic
Capital:
name: Sarajevo
geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district remains under international supervision
Independence:
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence completed 1 March 1992; independence declared 3 March 1992)
National holiday:
National Day, 25 November (1943)
Constitution:
the Dayton Peace Accords, signed 14 December 1995 in Paris, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC (chairman since 6 July 2009; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Haris SILAJDZIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak); and Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 11 January 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives
elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it left off following each national election; election last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC with 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC with 62.8% of the votes for the Bosniak seat
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Borjana KRISTO (since 21 February 2007); Vice Presidents Spomenka MICIC (since NA 2007) and Mirsad KEBO (since NA 2007); President of the Republika Srpska: Rajko KUSMANOVIC (since 28 December 2007)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats, 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); and the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats, 28 seats allocated for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats for the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation, to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures
elections: House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007); national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ1990 2, other 5
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; and a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ1990 7, other 14; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBiH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities
Judicial branch:
BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human Rights); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities); a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005
note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five municipal courts
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK];Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Bosnian Patriotic Party ofBPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [IbrahimSPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovinaor HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [ZvonkoJURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC]; CroatianDemocratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH [Dragan COVIC];Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ1990 [Bozo LJUBIC]; CroatianPeoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ[Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Party of DP [Dragan CAVIC]; DemocraticPeoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party orLDS [Rasim KADIC]; Nasa Stranka or NS [Bojan BAJIC]; New CroatInitiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovinaor SBiH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA[Sulejman TIHIC]; Party for Work and Progress or RzB [MladenIVANKOVIC-LIJANOVIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [MladenIVANIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC]; Serb RadicalParty of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; SerbRadical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC];Social Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; SocialDemocratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party ofRepublika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: displaced persons associations; student councils; war veterans
International organization participation:
BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer),OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mitar KUJUNDZIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles L. ENGLISH
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar
Flag description:
a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle
Economy ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Economy - overview:
The interethnic warfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in output was made up in 2003-08 when GDP growth exceeded 5% per year. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control most of the banking sector. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector has increased. Bosnia's private sector is growing and foreign investment is slowly increasing, but government spending, at nearly 40% of adjusted GDP, remains high because of redundant government offices at the state, entity and municipal level. Implementing privatization, however, has been slow, particularly in the Federation where political division between ethnically-based political parties makes agreement on economic policy more difficult. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious macroeconomic problems. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a predictable source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray market activity. National-level statistics have also improved over time but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. Bosnia's economy has been largely sheltered from the global financial downtown although key economic indicators have worsened. Key exporters in the metal, automobile and wood processing industries have reported a worsening performance and have announced layoffs and output reductions.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.77 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $28.22 billion (2007 est.)
$26.62 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
Bosnia has a large informal sector that may be as much as 50% of official GDP
GDP (official exchange rate):
$18.47 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 6% (2007 est.)
6.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 $6,200 (2007 est.)
$5,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 23.9%
services: 66% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
1.863 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 122
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 19.8%
industry: 32.6%
services: 47.6% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
29% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 45.5% (31 December 2004 est.)
note: official rate; gray economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30%
Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 27.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.2 (2007) country comparison to the world: 11
Budget:
revenues: $8.516 billion
expenditures: $8.867 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 34% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 1.6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.98% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 120 7.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.49 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 $5.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.614 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 62 $5.597 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$10.26 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 70 $8.895 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:
11.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Electricity - production:
11.32 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - consumption:
8.488 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - exports:
4.344 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.743 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Oil - consumption:
29,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Oil - exports:
191.8 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Oil - imports:
25,990 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Natural gas - consumption:
310 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - imports:
310 million cu m country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Current account balance:
-$2.764 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 -$1.931 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$5.194 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $4.243 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
metals, clothing, wood products
Exports - partners:
Croatia 20.7%, Slovenia 16.7%, Italy 16.7%, Germany 13%, Austria 10.3%, Hungary 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$12.29 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $9.947 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.6%, Slovenia 12.7%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 10.5%, Hungary 6.6%, Turkey 6.5%, Austria 6.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.516 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.388 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.3083 (2008 est.), 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004)
note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro
Communications ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.031 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 80
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.179 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 106
Telephone system:
general assessment: post-war reconstruction of the telecommunications network, aided by a internationally sponsored program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the number of main telephone lines available; mobile cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly
domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 22 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density has reached 70 per 100 persons
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)
Internet country code:
.ba
Internet hosts:
69,370 (2009) country comparison to the world: 79
Internet users:
1.308 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 81
Transportation ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Airports:
25 (2009) country comparison to the world: 132
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2009)
Heliports:
5 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,000 km country comparison to the world: 88 standard gauge: 1,000 km 1.435-m gauge (590 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 21,846 km country comparison to the world: 107 paved: 11,425 km (4,714 km of interurban roads)
unpaved: 10,421 km (2006)
Waterways:
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava River), Orasje
Military ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Military branches:
Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces (OSBiH): Army of Bosnia andHerzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina(Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzracna Obrana, ZPO) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,212,007
females age 16-49: 1,170,645 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 991,953
females age 16-49: 959,226 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,368
female: 25,644 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Transnational Issues ::Bosnia and Herzegovina
Disputes - international:
sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 7,269 (Croatia)
IDPs: 131,600 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced in 1992-95 war) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Botswana (Africa)
Introduction ::Botswana
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.
Geography ::Botswana
Location:
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 581,730 sq km country comparison to the world: 47 land: 566,730 sq km
water: 15,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain:
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Land use:
arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
14.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%)
per capita: 107 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environment - current issues:
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
Geography - note:
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
People ::Botswana
Population:
1,990,876 country comparison to the world: 146 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 352,399/female 340,058)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 613,714/female 608,003)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 31,155/female 45,547) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.7 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 21.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.937% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Birth rate:
22.89 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Death rate:
8.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Net migration rate:
5 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 21 note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 141 male: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.85 years country comparison to the world: 178 male: 61.72 years
female: 61.99 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.6 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
23.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
300,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
11,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic groups:
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, includingKgalagadi and white 7%
Religions:
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)
Languages:
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.2%
male: 80.4%
female: 81.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
8.7% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 10
Government ::Botswana
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
local long form: Republic of Botswana
local short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Gaborone
geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern
Independence:
30 September 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)
Constitution:
March 1965; effective 30 September 1966
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008)
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 on 9 October 2009); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%: note - MOGAE stepped down on 1 April 2008 and designated KHAMA to serve out the remainder of his term
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 ex-officio 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 16 October 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%, BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 4.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4, BAM 1, other 1
Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)
Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO];Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Gilson SALESHANDO]; BotswanaDemocratic Party or BDP [Daniel KWELAGOBE]; Botswana National Frontor BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [BernardBALIKANI]; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS [Themba JOINA]; NewDemocratic Front or NDF [Dick BAYFORD]
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form theBAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes theUnited Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the IndependenceFreedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union[D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites)
other: diamond mining companies
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
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
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen J. NOLAN
embassy: Embassy Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone
mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 395-3982
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 economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth fell below 5% in 2007-08. 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 $13,300 in 2008. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$27.11 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 $26.35 billion (2007 est.)
$25.23 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.46 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 4.4% (2007 est.)
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 $13,800 (2007 est.)
$13,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 52.6% (including 36% mining)
services: 45.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
685,300 formal sector employees (2007) country comparison to the world: 146
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
7.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Population below poverty line:
30.3% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
63 (1993) country comparison to the world: 4
Investment (gross fixed):
23.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Budget:
revenues: $4.326 billion
expenditures: $4.808 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
5.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 8.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175 7.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
15% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 17 14.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.54% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 34 16.22% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.008 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 87 $1.026 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.183 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 $4.336 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$3.556 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 82 $5.887 billion (31 December 2007)
$3.947 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industries:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Electricity - production:
1.052 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - consumption:
2.648 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.181 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Oil - consumption:
15,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - imports:
15,180 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Current account balance:
$750.3 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $2.434 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$4.707 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 $5.158 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Imports:
$4.486 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 $3.447 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.119 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $9.79 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$409 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 $408 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7907 (2008 est.), 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004)
Communications ::Botswana
Telephones - main lines in use:
142,300 (2008) country comparison to the world: 135
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.486 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 133
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 roughly 8 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 80 per 100 persons