1994 (next to be
held October 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44
total of which 40 are elected and 4 are appointed) BDP 27, BNF 13

Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

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

Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory
user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE
chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Howard F. JETER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 356947

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

@Botswana:Economy

Overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising
and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for more than 80%
of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs and
accounts for only 5% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle raising
predominate. The driving 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. No other sector has experienced such growth,
especially not agriculture, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and
poor soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%. Hampered
by a still sluggish diamond market in 1994, GDP grew by only 1%.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (1994
est.)

National product real growth rate: 1% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $3,130 (1994 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: 25% (1994 est.)

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

Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b. 1994)
commodities: diamonds 78%, copper