te, Selebi-Pikwe

_#_Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK; formerly Bechuanaland)

_#_Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law;
judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

_#_National holiday: Botswana Day, 30 September (1966)

_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an
upper house or House of Chiefs and a lower house or National Assembly

_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--President Quett K. J. MASIRE
(since 13 July 1980); Vice President Peter S. MMUSI (since 3 January
1983)

_#_Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Quett MASIRE;
Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth KOMA;
Botswana People's Party (BPP), Knight MARIPE;
Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai MPHO

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21

_#_Elections:

President--last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October
1994);
results--President Quett K. J. MASIRE was reelected by the National
Assembly;

National Assembly--last held 7 October 1989 (next to be
held October 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(38 total, 34 elected) BDP 35, BNF 3

_#_Communists: no known Communist organization; Kenneth Koma of BNF
has long history of Communist contacts

_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WMO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley
SEBELE; Chancery at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-4990 or 4991;

US--Ambassador David PASSAGE; Embassy at Botswana Road, Gaborone
(mailing address is P. O. Box 90, Gaborone); telephone [267] 353-982
through 353-984

_#_Flag: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe
in the center

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising
and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for over 80% of the
population, but produces only about 50% of food needs and contributes
a small 3% to GDP. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of
the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining ind