Quick Data on Botswana
Short Name | Botswana |
Capital | Gaborone |
Long Name | Republic of Botswana |
Country Code | BC |
Continent | Africa |
Total Area | 581,730 sq km |
Population | 2,317,233 |
Language | English |
Nationality | Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
Geography of Botswana
As a country in Africa, with coordinates at 22 00 S, 24 00 E, Botswana neighbors Namibia 1544 km, South Africa 1969 km, Zambia 0.15 km, Zimbabwe 834 km. The terrain in Botswana is described as predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest, with an average elevation point of 1,013 m. The climate of Botswana: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers.
Surface Total | 581,730 sq km |
Land Surface | 566,730 sq km |
Water Surface | 15,000 sq km |
Land Boundaries | 4,347.15 km |
Neighbor Countries | Namibia 1544 km, South Africa 1969 km, Zambia 0.15 km, Zimbabwe 834 km |
Coastline | 0 km |
Lowest Elevation Point | junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m |
Highest Elevation Point | Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m |
Resources of Botswana
The country enjoys many types of natural resources, with the main ones being diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver. The agricultural land occupies 45.80% of Botswana, while the land covered with forests is estimated at 19.80%.
Percent of Total Land | Surface Sq km | Data | |
Agricultural Land | 45.80% | 259,562 sq km | 2011 est. |
Irrigated Land | 20 sq km | 2012 | |
Forest Land | 19.80% | 112,213 sq km | 2011 est. |
Other Land | 34.40% | 194,955 sq km | 2011 est. |
Population of Botswana
The population of the country is estimated at 2,317,233 people, with the biggest urban area having 269,000 GABORONE (capital) (2018). Known as Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural), the people from Botswana come from diversified ethnic groups such as Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and people of European ancestry 7%. The official language is English. Religions: Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha’i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.).
Population | 2,317,233 |
Nationality | Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
Official Language | English |
Other Languages | Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.) |
Birth Rate | 20.9 births / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
Death Rate | 9.2 deaths / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
Urban Population | 70.90% of total population (2020) |
Physicians Density | 0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2016) |
Hospital Beds Density | 1.8 beds/1,000 population (2010) |
Governing Type of Botswana
Botswana is a parliamentary republic. The legal system makes use of mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law.
Governing Type | parliamentary republic |
Citizenship by Birth | no |
Citizenship by Descent | at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana |
Dual Citizenship | no |
Residency Requirement for Naturalization | 10 years |
Suffrage Vote | 18 years of age; universal |
Economy of Botswana
From a population total of 2,317,233, the labor force is 1.177 million (2017 est.). The main products in agriculture are: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts. Among the main industries considerable for the economy are: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; beef processing; textiles. Its exports cover diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, beef, textiles. The main import products are: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products.
Exports | $5.934 billion (2017 est.) |
Imports | $5.005 billion (2017 est.) |
Export Partners | Belgium 20.3%, India 12.6%, UAE 12.4%, South Africa 11.9%, Singapore 8.7%, Israel 7%, Hong Kong 4.1%, Namibia 4.1% (2017) |
Import Partners | South Africa 66.1%, Canada 8.3%, Israel 5.3% (2017) |
GDP / Capita | $17,000 (2017 est.) |
Electricity Production | 2.527 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electrification Rate | electrification – total population: 60.7% (2016) |
Internet Users | 869,610 |
Internet Penetration Rate | 39.40% (July 2016 est.) |
For latest imports and exports data we recommend checking the website for the National Bank of Botswana, statistics sectio