Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/32.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 8.7 KB | 334 lines

@node Geography (Botswana)
@section Geography (Botswana)

@display

Location:
  Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  600,370 km2
 land area:
  585,370 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
  total 4,013 km, Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  short section of boundary with Namibia is indefinite; disputed island with
  Namibia in the Chobe River; quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
  is in disagreement; recent dispute with Namibia over uninhabited Sidudu
  Island in Linyanti River
Climate:
  semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain:
  predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Natural resources:
  diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
Land use:  arable land:
  2%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  75%
 forest and woodland:
  2%
 other:
  21%
Irrigated land:
  20 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  overgrazing, desertification
Note:
  landlocked



@end display

@node People (Botswana)
@section People (Botswana)

@display

Population:
  1,325,920 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.53% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  33.39 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  8.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  62.54 years
 male:
  59.52 years
 female:
  65.65 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.25 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
 adjective:
  Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic divisions:
  Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi 4%, white 1%
Religions:
  indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%
Languages:
  English (official), Setswana
Literacy:
  age 15 and over able to read and write simple sentences (1990)
 total population:   72%
 male:
  67%
 female:
  74%
Labor force:
  400,000
 by occupation:
  198,500 formal sector employees, most others are engaged in cattle raising
  and subsistence agriculture (1990 est.); 14,600 are employed in various
  mines in South Africa (1990)



@end display

@node Government (Botswana)
@section Government (Botswana)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Botswana
 conventional short form:
  Botswana
 former:
  Bechuanaland
Digraph:
  BC
Type:
  parliamentary republic
Capital:
  Gaborone
Administrative divisions:
  10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng,
  Ngamiland, North-East, South-East, Southern; in addition, there are 4 town
  councils - Francistown, Gaborone, Lobaste, Selebi-Phikwe
Independence:
  30 September 1966 (from UK)
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 30 September (1966)
Political parties and leaders:
  Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Sir Ketumile MASIRE; Botswana National
  Front (BNF), Kenneth KOMA; Boswana People's Party (BPP), Knight MARIPE;
  Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai MPHO
Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal
Elections:
 National Assembly:
  last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results - percent
  of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total, 34 elected) BDP 35, BNF 3
 President:
  last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results - President
  Sir Ketumile MASIRE was reelected by the National Assembly
Executive branch:   president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or House of Chiefs
  and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch:
  High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  President Sir Ketunile MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Festus
  MOGAE (since 9 March 1992 )
Member of:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE
 chancery:
  Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008



@end display

@node Government (Botswana 2. usage)
@section Government (Botswana 2. usage)

@display

 telephone:
  [phone] or 4991
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador David PASSAGE
 embassy:
  address NA, Gaborone
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
 telephone:
  [267] 353-982
 FAX:
  [267] 356-947
Flag:
  light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center



@end display

@node Economy (Botswana)
@section Economy (Botswana)

@display

Overview:
  The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and crops.
  Agriculture today provides a livelihood for more than 80% of the population,
  but produces only about 50% of food needs. The driving force behind the
  rapid economic growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry.
  This sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating
  25% of GDP in 1980 to 50% in 1991. No other sector has experienced such
  growth, especially not agriculture, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and
  poor soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%. Although diamond
  production was down slightly in 1992, substantial gains in coal output and
  manufacturing helped boost the economy
National product:   GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.6 billion (FY92 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  5.8% (FY92 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,450 (FY92 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  16.5% (December 1992)
Unemployment rate:
  25% (1989)
Budget:
  revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.99 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $652 million (FY94)
Exports:
  $1.6 billion (f.o.b. 1991)
 commodities:
  diamonds 78%, copper and nickel 8%, meat 4%
 partners:
  Switzerland, UK, SACU (Southern African Customs Union)
Imports:
  $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products
 partners:
  Switzerland, SACU (Southern African Customs Union), UK, US
External debt:
  $344 million (December 1991)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 6.9% (1991); accounts for about 53% of GDP, including mining
Electricity:
  220,000 kW capacity; 1,123 million kWh produced, 846 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
  mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
  processing
Agriculture:
  accounts for only 5% of GDP; subsistence farming predominates; cattle
  raising supports 50% of the population; must import up to of 80% of food
  needs
Economic aid:
  US aid, $13 million (1992); US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $257
  million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
  (1970-89), $1,875 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $43 million;
  Communist countries (1970-89), $29 million; in 1992: Norway (largest donor)
  $16 million, Sweden $15.5 million, Germany $3.6 million, EC/Lome-IV $3-6
  million in grants, $28.7 million in long-term projects
Currency:
  1 pula (P) = 100 thebe



@end display

@node Economy (Botswana 2. usage)
@section Economy (Botswana 2. usage)

@display

Exchange rates:
  pula (P) per US$1 - 2.31 (February 1993), 2.1327 (1992), 2.0173 (1991),
  1.8601 (1990), 2.0125 (1989), 1.8159 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Botswana)
@section Communications (Botswana)

@display

Railroads:
  712 km 1.067-meter gauge
Highways:
  11,514 km total; 1,600 km paved; 1,700 km crushed stone or gravel, 5,177 km
  improved earth, 3,037 km unimproved earth
Airports:
 total:
  100
 usable:
  87
 with permanent-surface runways:
  8
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  29
Telecommunications:
  the small system is a combination of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
  links, and a few radio-communications stations; 26,000 telephones; broadcast
  stations - 7 AM, 13 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Botswana)
@section Defense Forces (Botswana)

@display

Branches:
  Botswana Defense Force (including Army and Air Wing), Botswana National
  Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 282,885; fit for military service 148,895; reach military
  age (18) annually 14,868 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $196 million, 4.9% of GDP (FY93/94)



@end display