Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 356947

Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black
stripe in the center

@Botswana:Economy

Economy-overview: Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more
than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs
and accounts for only 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle
raising predominate. Diamond mining and tourism also are important to
the economy. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils.
Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and the mining
sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 35% in 1997. Unemployment
officially is 21% but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. On
the plus side is the substantial positive trade balance.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$5 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$3,300 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 45% (including 35% mining)
services: 51% (1997 est.)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 10% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)
by occupation: 100,000 public sector; 135,000 private sector,
including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa;
most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture
(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20-40% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $560
million (FY96/97)

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

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

Electricity-capacity: 217,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-production: 1 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 962 kWh (1995)

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

Exports:
total value: $2.31 billion (f.o.b. 1996 est.)
commodities: diamonds 71%, copper and nickel 5%, meat 3%
partners: Europe 74%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 22%,
Zimbabwe 3%

Imports:
total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles,
petroleum products
partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74