Botswana
| Country summary | |
|---|---|
|
Capital |
Gaborone |
|
Borders |
Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km |
|
Government type |
parliamentary republic |
|
Population |
1,990,876[1] |
|
Population growth |
1.937% (2010 est.)[1] |
|
Life expectancy |
61.85 years[1] |
|
Unemployment |
7.5% (2007 est.)[1] |
|
28[2] | |
|
37[3] | |
|
45[4] | |
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.[1]
Economical characteristics
- Currency: Pula (ISO code: BWP)
- Central bank discount rate: 15% (31 December 2008)[1]
- Commercial banks lending rate: 16.54% (31 December 2008)[1]
- Stock of money (M1): $1.008 billion (31 December 2008)[1]
- Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $4.183 billion (31 December 2008)[1]
Notable events:
- Banking crisis: 1994-1995[5]
Statistics
| Statistic / Year | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (million USD)[6] | 5 623 | 6 177 | 6 033 | 5 933 | 8 278 | 9 827 | 10 513 | 11 006 | 12 343 | 13 414 |
| Govt. debt (% of GDP)[7] | ||||||||||
| Govt. revenue (% of GDP)[8] | ||||||||||
| Govt. expenses (% of GDP)[9] | ||||||||||
| Debt to revenue (years) |
References
Note: statistical data was rounded. Different sources may use different methodologies for their estimates. Debt to revenue is calculated by dividing the two variables from their original ('unrounded') values. It represents how long it would a government take to repay its entire debt if it used its whole revenue for this purpose.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 CIA - The World Factbook. "Botswana", from The World Factbook. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ Heritage Foundation. "Botswana", Economic Freedom Score. A lower ranking is better; but please be careful when comparing between different countries or years. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ Transparency International. "Botswana", Corruption Perceptions Index 2009. A lower ranking is better; but please note that the numbers cannot be compared between countries or years due to different methodology. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ Doing Business. "Botswana", Doing Business 2010 (part of The World Bank Group). A lower ranking is better; but please be careful when comparing between different countries or years. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. "This Time is Different", Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-14216-6, p. 353. (The list does not claim to be complete.) Referenced 2011-07-19.
- ↑ World Bank. "Botswana: GDP", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ World Bank. "Botswana: government debt", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ World Bank. "Botswana: government revenue", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-01.
- ↑ World Bank. "Botswana: government expenses", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-01.
Links
- Botswana on Wikipedia
- Central bank of Botswana
- Country profile (pdf) from the Enterprise Studies page (part of the The World Bank Group)
- BBC country profile
- The eternal mystery of African poverty by David Veksler, December 2010
- Lessons From Botswana: Africa’s Economic Dynamo by Scott A. Beaulier, December 2005
