Botswana (original) (raw)

Republic of Botswana

CAPITAL : Gaborone

FLAG: The flag of Botswana consists of five horizontal stripes. The top and bottom stripes are light blue and wider than the middle stripe, which is black. The blue stripes are separated from the black by thin white stripes.

ANTHEM: Fatshe La Rona (Blessed Country).

MONETARY UNIT: On 23 August 1976, the pula ( P ) of 100 thebe replaced the South African rand ( R ) as Botswana's legal currency. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 thebe and 1 pula, and notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pula. P 1 = 0.2028(or0.2028 (or 0.2028(or1 = P 4.93) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; President's Day, 15 July; Botswana Days, 30 September–1 October; Christmas, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Ascension.

TIME: 2 PM = noon GMT.

LANGUAGES

English is the official language. Setswana, however, is spoken by most Botswanans.

ARMED FORCES

The armed forces of Botswana numbered 9,000 in 2002. The army consisted of 8,500 while the remaining 500 were in the Air Wing. There were also about 1,500 paramilitary police. Military spending in 2001–02 was $135 million, or 3.5% of GDP.

FISHING

Botswana is landlocked, but some fishing for local consumption is carried out by the inhabitants of the Limpopo River Valley and the Okavango region. Landings were estimated at 166 tons in 2000.

FORESTRY

About 47% of Botswana's land area is covered with forests and woodlands. The indigenous forests of northeast Ngamiland include the valuable mukwa, mukusi, and mopane woods. Some small-scale exploitation has taken place. Roundwood production was an estimated 740,000 cu m (26 million cu ft) in 2000.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The University of Botswana (founded in 1976), the Botswana Agricultural College (founded in 1967), and Botswana Polytechnic, all located in Gaborone, offer training in science, agriculture, and engineering. In 1987–97, science and engineering students accounted for 37% of college and university enrollments. The Geological Survey of Botswana, founded in 1948, publishes mineral resource reports and bulletins.

FAMOUS BOTSWANANS

Khama III (1837–1923), chief of the Bamangwato and a Christian convert, reigned for 48 years. His grandson, Sir Seretse Khama (1921–80), was Botswana's first president. Quett Ketumile Joni Masire (b.1925) succeeded him in 1980. President Masire resigned in April 1998, and was succeeded by his vice president, Festus Mogae.

DEPENDENCIES

Botswana has no territories or colonies.

Location, size, and extent

Topography

Climate

Flora and fauna

Environment

Population

Migration

Ethnic groups

Religions

Transportation

History

Government

Political parties

Local government

Judicial system

International cooperation

Economy

Income

Labor

Agriculture

Animal husbandry

Mining

Energy and power

Industry

Domestic trade

Foreign trade

Balance of payments

Banking and securities

Insurance

Public finance

Taxation

Customs and duties

Foreign investment

Economic development

Health

Housing

Education

Libraries and museums

Media

Organizations

Tourism, travel, and recreation

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dale, Richard. Botswana's Search for Autonomy in Southern Africa. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995.

Du Toit, P. van der P. (Pierre). State Building and Democracy in Southern Africa: Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South AFrica. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1995.

Good, Kenneth. The Liberal Model and Africa: Elites against Democracy. New York: Palgrave, 2002.

Harvey, Charles. Policy Choice and Development Performance in Botswana. London: Macmillan, 1990.

Holm, John, and Patrick Molutsi (eds.). Democracy in Botswana .Athens: Ohio University Press, 1989.

Hope, Kempe R. AIDS and Development in Africa: A Social Science Perspective. New York: Haworth Press, 1999.

McCrum, Mark. Happy Sad Land: A Journey Through Southern Africa. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1994.

McElrath, Karen (ed.). HIV and AIDS: A Global View. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.

Morton, Fred. Historical Dictionary of Botswana. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1989.

Perrings, Charles. Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of Botswana. Houndmills, England: Macmillan Press, 1996.

Peters, Pauline E. Dividing the Commons: Politics, Policy, and Culture in Botswana. Charlottesville, Va.: University Press of Virginia, 1994.

Pickford, Peter, and Pickford, Beverly. The Okavango and Chobe of Botswana. London: New Holland, 1999.

Ramsay, Jeff. Historical Dictionary of Botswana. Lanham, Md.:Scarecrow Press, 1996.

Rotberg, Robert I. Ending Autocracy, Enabling Democracy: The Tribulations of Southern Africa, 1960–2000. Cambridge, Mass.: World Peace Foundation, 2002.

Stedman, Stephen John (ed). Botswana: the Political Economy of Democratic Development. Boulder, Colo.: L. Rienner Publishers, 1993.Steen, Ann-Belinda. Strengthening Civil Society: Human Rights Initiatives in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Copenhagen, Denmark: Danish Centre for Human Rights, 1993.

Thomas, Duncan and Muvandi, Ityai. The Demographic Transition in Southern Africa: Reviewing the Evidence from Botswana and Zimbabwe. Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand, 1995.

Wiseman, John A. Botswana. Oxford, Eng.; Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio Press, 1992.