Contents

- General Information
- Geography and Environment
- Population and HIV/AIDS
- Economy
- Communications, Information, Science and Technology
- Chronology of History

General Information [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

General country name:
Conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
Conventional short form: Botswana (BW)
Former: Bechuanaland

Nationality (noun & adjective): Motswana (sing.) and Batswana (pl.)

Government type: Parliamentary republic, democracy

Capital: Gaborone

Administrative division: 9 districts and town councils* in alphabetical order: Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North-East, North-West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South, South-East

Census districts 1991: Because of their size, some districts were divided into census districts (total 24):

- Central: was already divided into the sub-districts of Central Mahalapye, Serowe/Palalye, Central Bobonong, Central Boteti and Central Tutume
- Ghanzi, including Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve: no subdivision
- Kgalagadi: into Kgalagadi-South and Kgalagadi-North
- Kgatleng: no subdivision
- Kweneng: no subdivision
- North-East: no subdivision
- North-West: into Ngamiland South (including Okavango Delta), Ngamiland North and Chobe
- Southern District: into Ngwaketse (assigned to 4 DCOs, namely Ngwaketse East, Ngwaketse West, Ngwaketse South, and Ngwaketse North) and Barolong - South-East: no subdivision
- Each of the towns Francistown, Lobatse, Selebi-Phikwe, Orapa, Jwaneng, Sowa Town, and City of Gaborone formed a census district
- Gaborone was further subdivided into sub-districts such as Gaborone Central, Gaborone West, Gaborone North, and Gaborone South/East

Independence: September 30, 1966 (from British Protectorate, Botswana Day)

Constitution: March 1965

Suffrage: Universal at 21

Executive branch: President (His Excellency Mr. Festus Mogae, chief of state and head of government, since 1999) and Cabinet
Elections: The President is elected by the National Assembly for a concurrent term of office; the Vice-President is appointed by the President.

Legislative branch: The National Assembly is elected by popular vote and consists of 44 members, of which 40 are elected every five years on the basis of universal adult suffrage, and the other 4 are appointed by the elected members of the assembly. In addition there is an advisory House of Chiefs. The presidential candidate, whose declared supporters form the majority of Parliament members, takes office as President and selects his Ministers from among the members of the National Assembly. The next parliamentary elections in Botswana should be in October 2004.

Judicial branch: The judiciary is independent. A Chief Justice presides over the High Court. Some cases are heard by local chiefs and headmen, or their representatives, and are decided in accordance with customary law. The Magistrates Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeals, or the Industrial or Labor Court deal with other cases according to statute law.

Major political parties: The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) - 33 seats (1999 elections); Botswana National Front (BNF); Botswana People's Party (BPP); Botswana Freedom Party (BFP); and the United Action Party.

Latest population census: 1991

Latest household or demographic survey: DHS 1988

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Sources
[1] CIA, The World Factbook, Botswana, http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bc.html

[2] University of Botswana - History Department, http://humanities.ub.bw/

[3] U.S. Department of State, Background Notes. Botswana, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/index.cfm?docid=611

[4] Government of Botswana, Ministry of State President, http://www.gov.bw/government/ministry_of_state_president.html

[5] Republic of Botswana. 1991. 1991 Population and Housing Census. Administrative/Technical Report and National Statistical Tables. Gaborone, Botswana: Central Statistics Office.

- General Information
- Geography and Environment
- Population and HIV/AIDS
- Economy
- Communications, Information, and Science and Technology
- Chronology of History