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%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 47%
other: 6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

People

Population: 1,464,167 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 310,578; female 303,495)
15-64 years: 54% (male 379,836; female 416,073)
65 years and over: 4% (male 20,224; female 33,961) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.05% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 31.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 59.08 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.89 years
male: 39.42 years
female: 40.37 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.91 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic groups: Batswana 95%, Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi 4%,
white 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50%

Languages: English (official), Setswana

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.8%
male: 80.5%
female: 59.9% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland

Data code: BC

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Gab