force behind the rapid economic
growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This
sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating
25% of GDP in 1980 to 39% in 1994. The unemployment rate remains a
problem at 21%. Hampered by a still sluggish diamond market in 1994
and 1995, GDP grew by only 1% in both years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 1% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $3,200 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 428,000 (1992)
by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees; 14,300 are employed
in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged in cattle
raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.7 billion
expenditures: $1.99 billion, including capital expenditures of $652
million (FY93/94)

Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash,
potash; livestock processing

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (FY92/93)

Electricity:
capacity: 220,000 kW
production: 900 million kWh
consumption per capita: 694 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: sorghum, maize, millet, pulses, groundnuts (peanuts),
beans, cowpeas, sunflower seed; livestock

Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b. 1994)
commodities: diamonds 78%, copper and nickel 6%, meat 5%
partners: Switzerland, UK, Southern African Customs Union (SACU),

Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles,
petroleum products
partners: Switzerland, Southern African Customs Union (SACU), UK, US

External debt: $691 million (1994)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $189 million (1993)

Currency: 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe

Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1 - 2.8305 (January 1996), 2.7716
(1995), 2.6831 (1994), 2.4190 (1993), 2.1327 (1992), 2.0173 (1991)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications
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Telephones: 19,109 (1985 est.)

Telephone system: sparse system
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations
international: microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe and
South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7,