natural fresh
water resources
natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from
the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can
obscure visibility
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Geographic note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern
part of the country

People
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Population: 1,477,630 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 317,254; female 309,617)
15-64 years: 54% (male 374,572; female 419,991)
65 years and over: 4% (male 22,314; female 33,882) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.63% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 33.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 17.01 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 54.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.01 years
male: 44.94 years
female: 47.11 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic divisions: Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi
4%, white 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Languages: English (official), Setswana

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 69.8%
male: 80.5%
female: 59.9%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland

Data code: BC

Type of government: parliamentary republic

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative divisions: 10 districts and four town councils*;
Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*,Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng,
Kweneng, Lobatse*, Ngamiland, North-East, Selebi-Phikwe*,
South-East, Southern,

Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 September (1966)

Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch