f GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues Barbados

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics
bound for Europe and the US

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Botswana

Introduction

Botswana

Background: Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana
adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. The economy, one of the
most robust on the continent, is dominated by diamond mining.

Geography Botswana

Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 600,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km land: 585,370 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km,
South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert
in southwest

Elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe
Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash,
coal, iron ore, silver

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from
the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
visibility

Environment - current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited
fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed,
but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

People Botswana

Population: 1,591,232 note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result
in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Age