, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone

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

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%.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$5.25 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,600 (1998 est.)

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

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 235,000 formal sector employees (1995)

Labor force--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--production: 990 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 1.675 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 685 million kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products