Botswana

Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Botswana is a landlocked state with limited water resources. Around 70 percent of the territory of Botswana is covered by the Kalahari Desert. To its east and northeast, it is bordered by Namibia, to its north it has a small bridge crossing to Zambia, to its north east it borders Zimbabwe and to eastern and southern border it borders South Africa.

Known for having a large share of its territory allocated to wildlife preservation and being the largest diamond producer in the world, Botswana has much to offer. The name is derived from Tswana people that represent around 50 percent of the population of Botswana. After decolonization by Great Britain, it became a protectorate at the end of the 1900s and after 1965 it became an independent state.

It has a total surface area of 584,000 square kilometers or 226.000 square miles which ranks it as the 47th largest state in the world making it slightly larger than Kenya and slightly smaller than Madagascar.

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Its total water surface is around 15,000 square kilometer or 5800 square miles which makes it the 36th state with the largest water surface.

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

The main sources of water in Botswana come from the rivers and underground aquifers which have a limited replenishment. In total, around 2.6 percent of Botswana consists of water which gives it the 59th highest share of water in the world.

Botswana is characterized by a semi-arid climate with limited rainfall. Its summer is characterized by being hot and relatively long while its winters are cool, dry and last a short while. On average, the temperature in Botswana is 21.3 degrees Celsius or 70.3 degrees Fahrenheit which ranks it as the 98th warmest state in the world.

Proximity

Rainfall

Temperature

During the summer period, the average temperature reaches 28.7 degrees Celsius or 83.7 degrees Fahrenheit which ranks it as the 76th warmest state in the world.

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

During the winter period, the average temperature is around 13.6 degrees Celsius or 56.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Rainfall in Botswana is characterized by being local, but fairly evenly spread out throughout Botswana. It receives around two times the amount of rainfall in the northern parts, but on average, rainfall is around 44.2 centimeters or 17.4 inches per year which makes Botswana the 164th state with the most precipitation.

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

The capital of Botswana, Gaborone, is home to around 225.000 people. The capital that is closest located is Pretoria South Africa with a distance of 254 kilometers or 158 miles. The capital that is furthest located is Majuro of the Marshall Islands with a distance of 15869 kilometers or 9860 miles.

Since its independence in 1966, Botswana has attained one of the highest economic growths in Africa. One of the main drivers of the economy is the diamond and mineral industry with Belgium and the United Arab Emirates as its largest export partners and South Africa being its largest import partner. As a consequence of the economic crisis of 2008, the Botswanan economy shrank with around 20 percent due to lower demands of diamonds. At present, the economy of Botswana has shown a decline in growth due to the corona crisis.

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Botswana is a member of 10 international economic organizations which ranks it as the 150th most economically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

African development Bank
International Monetary Fund
World Bank Group
World Customs Organization
World Trade Organization
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States
Southern African Development Community
International Renewable Energy Agency
International Solar Alliance
Group of 77

Botswana has the 121st highest GDP in the world which is estimated to be around US$17 billion which corresponds to roughly 0.02 percent of total global GDP.

The average income of the Botswanan citizen is around US$7500 which ranks it as the 82nd highest in the world.

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) has shown that the average Afghani earns $517.54 per year. The figure below displays the average amount that inhabitant of other states earn for every 1$ that an average Afghan citizen makes.

Its GDP per surface area is around US$299 per square kilometer or US$774 per square mile which ranks it as the 179th highest GDP per surface area in the world.

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

The purchasing power of the Botswanan citizen is around 2 ½ times the average income. The purchasing power is of around 17.500 US dollars which ranks purchasing power of the Botswanan citizens as the 75th highest in the world.

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of Afghanistan with the rest of the world.

The graph on the left displays the purchasing power parity of the rest of the world in relation to the purchasing power of 1$ in Afghanistan.

The main ethnic group within Botswana are the Tswana people that comprise around 60 percent of the total population of 2.4 million people. The Tswana language, Setswana is spoken by around 80 percent of the Botswanan population with the remaining 20 percent speaking mainly tribal languages.

Population

Population density

Botswana is ranked as the 187th most densely populated state in the world with around four people per square kilometer or 10 people per square mile.

Emigration

Due to the fact that Botswana is one of the most successful states in Africa, most of its population has remained within Botswana. It is estimated that around 3.7 percent of its total population, which corresponds to around 85,000 people, have emigrated to other states. With this relatively low amount of emigrants, Botswana is ranks as the 157th state with the highest emigration.

Immigration

Immigration to Botswana has also been relatively low. Around four percent of the total population, around 100,000 people, have immigrated to Botswana. This is mainly due to immigration restrictions that require immigrants to reside for five years within its border as well as being an active contributor to the local community.

Literacy

Education in Botswana is compulsory between the ages of five and 18 and is provided freely by the Botswanan government. Secondary and tertiary education are not subsidized by the government and are also not compulsory. It is estimated that around 87.5 percent of the Botswanan population is literate. This ranks Botswana as the 123rd most literate state in the world.

Health

Healthcare in Botswana is of the relatively low standards. The average life expectancy is around 70 years with women reaching around 72.7 years and men averaging around 66.7 years. This is largely due to several communicable diseases such as the high prevalence of HIV AIDS as well as insect borne diseases such as malaria. Aside from this, Botswana also has a fairly high tobacco use which also results in health risks for the population. This ranks Botswana as the 178th state with the highest life expectancy in the world.

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Botswana is characterized by being largely a Christian state. At present, Botswana is ranked as the 46th most multi religious state in the world.

Around 72 percent of the Botswanan population adheres to the Christian faith. This is mainly represented by the Anglican and Southern African church denominations. Aside from these denominations, Botswana has a broad array of other Christian denominations such as Orthodox Christianity, winners Chapel international and the Evangelical Fellowship to name a few. It is ranked as the 82nd most Christian state in the world.

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Islam is represented by a fairly small proportion of the Botswanan population. Around 0.4 percent of the population of Botswana adheres to Islam and mainly originate from South Asia where these people have been relocated to Botswana under British colonial rule. Other Muslims arrived to Botswana starting from the second half of the 20th century. These are mainly unskilled laborers that were looking for job opportunities in the diamond mining sector.

There is also a small share of Buddhists which arrived in Botswana as a result of the British colonial rule. Most of these Buddhist have remigrated to their homeland and a relatively small proportion remains in Botswana. At present, it is estimated that around 0.07 percent of the Botswanan population adheres to Buddhism.

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism arrived in Botswana at the start of the 20th century with a large share of Hindus coming from India. It is estimated that around 0.3 percent of the total Botswanan population adheres to the Hindu faith.

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Less than 100 Jews, around 0.02 percent of the Botswanan population, reside within Botswana. This small Jewish community is largely located in the capital and is only institutionally represented by its membership to the world Jewish Congress.

Other religions (share of the total population)

Other religions that are represented within Botswana are tribal religions as well as religions from emigrants that reside within Botswana on a temporary basis. It is estimated that around 4.4 percent of the Botswanan population falls under the category other religions.

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Aside from Christianity, non-religion represents the second largest share of the Botswanan population with a share of 13.8 percent.

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

The Botswanan military is ranked as the 95th most funded military in the world with an annual budget of US$516 million which represents around 3.2 percent of its GDP.

Botswana did not have a military for 11 years since its independence in 1966. The possible funding for its military in this period was allocated to combating poverty. However, a few years after its independence it had a few border skirmishes with present-day Zimbabwe and South Africa. This has led to the establishment of the Botswana Defense force which consists of a land force and Air Force. The Botswanan military is largely trained by the United States and is largely tasked with anti-poaching duties, maintaining the border integrity and supporting the national police in times of emergency.

Military membership

Botswana is a member of four international military organizations which ranks it as the 102nd most militarily interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
International Atomic Energy Agency
Non-Aligned Movement

Military membership

International wars

Since its existence, Botswana has not participated in any international wars.

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

In total, Botswana is a member of 10 international political organizations. This ranks Botswana as the 131st most politically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Member state of the United Nations
International Labour Organization
Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization
African Union
Commonwealth of Nations
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
International Criminal Court
Interpol
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
World Organization for Animal Health

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

Botswana is ranked as the 48th most democratic state in the world. This is largely due to the fact that Botswana has maintained its democratic status since its existence while most states within its region have fell into the hands of military rulers. Aside from this, Botswana has created several institutions that ensure the integrity of the democratic process.

Democracy/Dictatorship

Even though Botswana has political struggles with its civic participation as well as weak opposition parties, it is still one of the oldest democracies on the African continent.