Because of You…
Young people in Botswana are being reached through the following ministries:
- Clubs
- HIV/AIDS Life Skills
- Outreach in schools
- Choose to Wait (Abstinence Programme)
- Follow-Up Bible Study Programme
- Care Programme (Orphan and Vulnerable children Day Care Centre)
- Camps
- Leadership training
- Children’s ministry
Prayer Needs
- The acceptance of the school presentations on HIV/AIDS and abstinence
- Provision of the finances needed to carry out the ministry projects
- Commitment of staff to finish their work
- For young people to change their ways and live committed lives
- For Botswana to join the ministry of YfC Botswana
About Botswana
Botswana
Introduction
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
Geography
Location
Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa
Geographic Coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E
Area
Total Area: 581,730 sq km Rank: 47
Land Area: 566,730 sq km
Water Area: 15,000 sq km
Comparison: slightly smaller than Texas
Land Boundaries: 4,013 km
Bordering Countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Climate
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
Terrain
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
Elevations
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: 0.65%
Permanent Crops: 0.01%
Other: 99.34% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 10 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources: 14.7 cu km (2001)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 0.19 cu km/yr (41%/18%/41%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 107 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment
Natural Hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
Environmental Issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
Geography Notes
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
People
Population: 1,990,876 Rank: 146
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 34.8% (male 352,399/female 340,058)
15-64 years: 61.4% (male 613,714/female 608,003)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 31,155/female 45,547) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 21.8 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: 1.937% (2010 est.) Rank: 64
Birth Rate: 22.89 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 83
Death Rate: 8.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 92
Net Migration Rate: 5 migrant(s)/1,000 population Rank: 21
Note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2010 est.)
Urbanization
Urban Population: 60% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 141
Life Expectancy at Birth: 61.85 years Rank: 178
Fertility Rate: 2.54 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 90
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 23.9% (2007 est.) Rank: 2
People living with HIV/AIDS: 300,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 23
HIV/AIDS Deaths: 11,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 28
Degree of Risk for Major Infectious Diseases: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic Groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%
Religion: Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)
Languages: Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 81.2% Male: 80.4% Female: 81.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 12 years Male: 12 years Female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures: 8.7% of GDP (2007) Rank: 10
Government
Country Name
Conventional Long Form: Republic of Botswana
Conventional Short Form: Botswana
Local Long Form: Republic of Botswana
Local Short Form: Botswana
Formerly: Bechuanaland
Government Type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone Geographic Coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
Administrative divisions
9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)
Constitution: March 1965; effective 30 September 1966
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of Government: President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); vice president appointed by the president
Election Results: Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative Branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 ex-officio members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats; 57 members directly elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: National Assembly elections last held on 16 October 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - BDP 53.3%, BNF 21.9%, BCP 19.2%, 2.3%, other 4.3%; seats by party - BDP 45, BNF 6, BCP 4, BAM 1, other 1
Judicial branch
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)
Politics
Political parties and leaders: Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Gilson SALESHANDO]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Daniel KWELAGOBE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Bernard BALIKANI]; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS [Themba JOINA]; New Democratic Front or NDF [Dick BAYFORD]
Note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites)
Other: diamond mining companies
International Organization Participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag Description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center; the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony
Economy
Economy Overview: Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth fell below 5% in 2007-08, and turned sharply negative in 2009, with industry falling nearly 30%. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $14,100 in 2008. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP, 70-80% of export earnings, and about half of the government's revenues. Botswana's heavy reliance on a single luxury export was a critical factor in the sharp economic contraction of 2009. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. Although unemployment was 7.5% in 2007 according to official reports, unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production within the next two decades overshadows long-term prospects.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $25.41 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 112
GDP - real growth rate: -5.4% (2009 est.) Rank: 190
GDP - per capita (PPP): $12,800 (2009 est.) Rank: 86
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 2.3% Industry: 45.8% Services: 51.9% (2008 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 685,300 formal sector employees (2007) Rank: 150
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: NA Industry: NA Services: NA
Unemployment Rate: 7.5% (2007 est.) Rank: 69
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 30.3% (2003)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary
