Botswana. Republic of Botswana
A country in southern Africa. Area - 600.4 thousand km², 80% - Kalahari Desert. Capital - Gaborone (220 thousand), largest cities: Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe, Lobatse. Administratively, the country is divided into 14 districts. Population - 1.8 million (2004); mainly Africans of Tswana (79%) and Kalanga (11%) ethnicities, with also Europeans and Asians (5%). Official languages - Tswana and English. Main religion - Christianity (60%), 40% of the population adheres to traditional cults. Currency - Pula.
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on January 6, 1970).
National holiday - September 30 - Independence Day (1966).
Botswana is a presidential republic. The constitution of 1966 is in effect, with subsequent amendments. The head of state and government is the president (since 1998 - F. Mogae; he took office following the resignation of his predecessor K. Masire; re-elected for a second term in October 2004). According to the constitution, the president is elected by the members of the National Assembly for a term of 5 years.
Legislative power belongs to the president and parliament - the National Assembly (57 members are elected in general elections, 4 are appointed by the president, and the president, speaker, and attorney general are ex officio members). The term of office is 5 years. The last elections were held in October 2004. The speaker is P. Balopi. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. The president heads the government, appoints the vice president and ministers from among the members of the National Assembly. The advisory body is the House of Chiefs (comprising 15 members).
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) - founded in 1962, has been the ruling party since 1966, holding 44 seats in the assembly. Leader - F. Mogae. Chairman - P. Kedikilwe. Opposition parties: the leading one is the Botswana National Front (founded in 1965, 12 seats), the Botswana Congress Party (1 seat), the Botswana People's Party, and the Botswana Alliance Movement.
Established in 1976, the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions unites sectoral trade unions. More than 30% of wage earners are union members.
Botswana was formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland (since 1885); in March 1965, internal self-government was introduced, and independence was proclaimed on September 30, 1966. It is a member of the Commonwealth, led by the United Kingdom. Since 1966, it has been a member of the UN and the African Union.
The foundation of the economy is the mining industry (33% of GDP), represented by diamond mining, coal extraction, copper-nickel concentrate production, soda, and salt. In diamond production, the country ranks third in the world (31.4 million carats in 2004), with diamond exports accounting for up to 75% of foreign exchange earnings. The manufacturing industry is developing, mainly due to export-oriented enterprises. Its share in GDP is about 10%. GDP reached $3.2 billion in 2004 (annual growth of about 5%).
About 30% of the working population is engaged in agriculture, which accounts for 3% of GDP. The main sector is pastoral livestock farming (3.1 million head of cattle, 2.5 million small livestock). Agriculture is subject to periodic droughts, providing from 1/3 to 1/2 of the country's annual grain needs. The main crops are sorghum (up to 70% of total harvest), maize (about 20%), millet, legumes, peanuts, and sunflowers.
Railways - 900 km, roads - about 20,000 km, of which 5,000 km are paved. There are international airports in Gaborone, Kasane, and Maun.
The foreign trade turnover amounts to $4.3 billion annually. Imports include machinery, equipment, food, industrial and chemical goods, fuel; exports include diamonds (74.9%), non-ferrous metals (5.2%), livestock products (3.7%), textiles (3.6%). Main trading partners: South Africa, the United Kingdom, Germany, the USA, China, Zimbabwe, Namibia.
The market for tourist services is developing. Tourism contributes up to 25% of GDP. 17% of the territory is occupied by reserves and national parks. The most famous are the Okavango Delta, Chobe, and Gemsbok. The country is visited by up to 500,000 tourists annually.
The balance of payments has a positive balance, and the financial and economic situation of the country is stable. Foreign exchange reserves amount to over $6.7 billion (2003).
Unemployment reaches 20% of the working population. GDP per capita is $3,200 (2004).
According to WHO estimates, up to 20% of the population in Botswana is HIV-infected and suffering from AIDS.
The only higher education institution is the state university (established in 1982), with about 12,000 students enrolled. A second university is planned to open in 2007. There are also agricultural and technical colleges.
Botswana publishes a daily government newspaper "Daily News" (65,000 copies) and several independent newspapers ("Botswana Gazette," "Mmegi," "Midweek Sun," etc.). Since 1981, the Botswana Government Information Agency (BOPA) has been in operation. The national broadcasting company "Radio Botswana" broadcasts in Setswana and English. A national television service was established in 1998.
