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Overview - Country Narrative
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Sunset in the Okavango
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Botswana
is a beautiful, land locked country land, with a large portion of the
Kalahari thirstland to the west. The majority of the population lives in
3 major centers in the eastern part of the country. Botswana boasts of a
number of different ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Batswana
(79%), Kalanga(11%), Basarwa(3%) and Kgalagadi & White(7%). Botswana is one of a few countries, and probably the only African country to have
strong consistent growth over time, with wealth generated being reinvested in the development of core infrastructure. |
Key Statistics
(28)
| Largest City Populations |
Gaborone 195,000 (2003)
Francistown 87,000 (2003)
Molepolole 57,200 (2003 ) |
| Key Data |
Region: Africa
Population: 1,762,100 January 2003
Area Total: 600,370 km2
Area Land: 585,370 km2
Coast Line: 0 km (Landlocked) km
Capital: Gaborone
Climate: Semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Languages: English (official)
Setswana
Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
Holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)
Average Daily Temperature
Capital: Gaborone
January: 26.1°C / 79°F
July: 12.8°C / 55°F
Annual Rainfall: 526.6mm / 20.7'' |
| Boundaries |
South Africa: 1,840km
Namibia: 1,360km
Zimbabwe: 813km |
| Ethnic Divisions |
Tswana 79.0%
Kalanga 11.0%
European 6.0%
Basarwa 3.0%
other, including Kgalagadi 1.0% |
| Religious Beleifs |
Indigenous 50%, Christian 50% |
Some great achievements in the country include:
- Increased literacy rates among the population from 68.1% (1990) to 78.9(2002)
- Decrease in External debt from 15.3% (of GNI) in 1990 to 7.5% in 2001
- Trade has increased from 104.8% (of GDP) in 1990 to 125.6% in 2002
- Gross National Income was at $5.1Bn in 2002
- Investment as a part of GDP was at a good 37.4% in 2002
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