Botswana (2005) | Svalbard (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northwest, Northeast, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 38.8% (male 322,916/female 312,735)
15-64 years: 57.5% (male 455,183/female 487,236) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,914/female 38,131) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts | - |
Airports | 85 (2004 est.) | 4 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 54 under 914 m: 18 (2004 est.) |
total:
3 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 600,370 sq km
land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km |
total:
62,049 sq km land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
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. | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. |
Birth rate | 23.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues: $3.735 billion
expenditures: $3.743 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues:
$11.5 million expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | Gaborone | Longyearbyen |
Climate | semiarid; warm winters and hot summers | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 3,587 km |
Constitution | March 1965, effective 30 September 1966 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
Currency | - | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
Death rate | 29.36 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | $531 million (2004 est.) | - |
Dependency status | - | territory of Norway; administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph HUGGINS
embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782 |
- |
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 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164 |
- |
Disputes - international | commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); 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 their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary | focus of a maritime boundary dispute between Norway and Russia |
Economic aid - recipient | $73 million (1995) | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) |
Economy - overview | Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. 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 $9,200 in 2004. 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 is 23.8%, 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 overshadow long-term prospects. | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.89 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 1.025 billion kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | 930 million kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m |
lowest point:
Arctic Ocean 0 m highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
Environment - current issues | overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources | NA |
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 | Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
Exchange rates | pulas per US dollar - 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001), 5.1018 (2000) | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 8.7784 (January 2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998), 7.0734 (1997), 6.4498 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse 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) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term; election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2009); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52% |
chief of state:
King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991) head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
Exports | NA | $NA |
Exports - commodities | diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles | - |
Exports - partners | European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000) | - |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | - |
Flag description | light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center | the flag of Norway is used |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4%
industry: 44% (including 36% mining) services: 52% (2003 est.) |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $9,200 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 22 00 S, 24 00 E | 78 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area |
Highways | total: 10,217 km
paved: 5,619 km unpaved: 4,598 km (1999) |
total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $NA |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products | - |
Imports - partners | Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000) | - |
Independence | 30 September 1966 (from UK) | none (territory of Norway) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.4% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Industries | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 54.58 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 53.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2004 est.) | NA% |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) | - |
Labor force | 264,000 formal sector employees (2000) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | NA | - |
Land boundaries | total: 4,013 km
border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2001) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) |
Languages | Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census) | Russian, Norwegian |
Legal system | based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | NA |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body consisting of the chiefs of the eight principal tribes, four elected subchiefs, and three members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (61 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote and four are appointed by the majority party; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 52%, BNF 26%, BCP 17%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1 |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 33.87 years
male: 33.89 years female: 33.84 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.8% male: 76.9% female: 82.4% (2003 est.) |
- |
Location | Southern Africa, north of South Africa | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
Map references | Africa | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia territorial sea: 4 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) |
Military branches | Botswana Defense Force (includes an Air Wing) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $338.5 million (2004) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.9% (2004) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) | NA |
Nationality | noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
- |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility | ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic |
Natural resources | diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver | coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish |
Net migration rate | 6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]
note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; and the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE] |
- |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 1,640,115
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 2005 est.) |
2,332 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 47% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0% (2005 est.) | -3.55% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001) | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2004) |
0 km |
Religions | Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census) | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
- |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development
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; two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
general assessment:
probably adequate domestic: local telephone service international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 142,400 (2002) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 435,000 (2002) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2001) | NA |
Terrain | predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts |
Total fertility rate | 2.85 children born/woman (2005 est.) | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | 23.8% (2004 est.) | - |
Waterways | - | none |