Yearbook 1998

Botswana. According to Countryaah, the capital of Botswana is Gaborone. Vice President and Minister of Finance Festus Mogae took office in April as new president. Then his representative Ketumile Masire had decided to resign. In July, former Vice President Ian Khama, the son of the country’s first President Seretse Khama, was appointed new Vice President. In recent years, Ian Khama has led a major military armament.

In September, South African and Botswana troops jointly intervened in Lesotho, whose government requested assistance in fighting a revolt. Resistance became tougher than expected and many victims were called in before the troops began to withdraw after a few months.

Economy

Inflation rate	3.30%
Unemployment rate	20%
Gross domestic product (GDP)	$ 39,010,000,000
GDP growth rate	2.40%
GDP per capita	$ 17,000
GDP by sector
Agriculture	1.80%
Industry	27.50%
Service	70.60%
State budget
Revenue	4.651 billion
Expenditure	3.353 billion
Proportion of the population below the national poverty line	30.3%
Distribution of household income
Top 10%	k. A.
Lower 10%	k. A.
Industrial production growth rate	2.50%
Investment volume	26% of GDP
National debt	14.00% of GDP
Foreign exchange reserves	$ 7,476,000,000
Tourism	2013
Visitors	1,544,000
Revenue	$ 113,000,000

During the year, Botswana was in political conflict with Namibia over the right to some islands in a border river. But basically, the battle was about control of the important water resources. At the end of the year, Botswana received hundreds of flying Namibian rebels who demanded independence for the Caprivi Strip.

• Abbreviationfinder: What does BWA stand for in geography? Here, this 3 letter acronym refers to the country of Botswana.

The economically important diamond industry was hit by adversity due to sharply falling prices on the world market. Botswana was thus threatened by the first government deficit since the beginning of the 1980s.

In October, Botswana was identified in a UN report as the second worst AIDS-afflicted country in Africa. Between four and fifth adults are estimated to be HIV-infected, and the average life expectancy of the population drops dramatically.

BOTSWANA. – Official name, taken on the achievement of independence (30 September 1966), by the former British protectorate from Bechuanaland (see beciuania ; VI, p. 466; App. I, p. 213; III, 1, p . 213). Covering an area of ​​600,372 km ², the Botswana counted 608,656 inhab. at the 1971 census (average density: 1 inhab. per km ² ). Capital of the new state is Gaborone (18,436 inhab. In 1971). In the population, mainly Bantu (only 3900 whites and the same number of colored and Asian), the Bamangwato (over 200,000) prevail, followed by the Bangwaketse (more than 71,000), the Bakwena (over 73,000), the Batawana (more than 42,000), by the Bakgatla (31.200). etc.

The state is divided into 16 districts, of which the most populous is the central one, which is home to over 37% of the population and the city with the largest number of inhabitants, Serowe (43,186).

The primary economy is always based on livestock farming (more than 40% of the territory is in permanent meadows and pastures; in 1973 there were 2.1 million cattle and 1.5 million sheep and goats) and on scarce agriculture, conditioned by rainfall (in 1973 560,000 q of sorghum and millet and 100,000 q of maize were harvested). Inland fishing in 1971 yielded 15,000 tons.

The mining activity yields limited quantities of gold, manganese (35,600 t in 1971), asbestos, nickel, copper and coal. It also gives semi-precious stones and diamonds (2.5 million carats in 1972).

Foreign trade recorded, in the four-year period 1967-71, an increase in imports and exports (the former consisting of oil, iron, sugar, steel above all; the latter, livestock, meat, hides and minerals).

There are about 8000 km of state rolling stock and 630 km of railways, which is the section of the line from Cape Town to Rhodesia that covers the eastern part of the state.