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| Botswana
PROFILE Geography
Area: 582,000 sq. km. (224,710 sq. mi.), about the size of Texas. People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Motswana (sing.), Batswana (pl.). Government
Type: Republic, parliamentary democracy. Economy
GDP (1999): $5.2 billion. The Batswana, a term also used to denote all citizens of Botswana, refers to
the country's major ethnic group (the "Tswana" in South Africa), which
came into the area from South Africa during the Zulu wars of the early 1880s.
Prior to European contact, the Batswana lived as herders and farmers under
tribal rule.
In the late 19th century, hostilities broke out between the Batswana and Boer
settlers from the Transvaal. After appeals by the Batswana for assistance, the
British Government in 1885 put "Bechuanaland" under its protection.
The northern territory remained under direct administration and is today's
Botswana, while the southern territory became part of the Cape Colony and is now
part of the northwest province of South Africa; the majority of
Setswana-speaking people today live in South Africa.
Despite South African pressure, inhabitants of the Bechuanaland Protectorate,
Basuotoland (now Lesotho), and Swaziland in 1909 asked for and received British
assurances that they would not be included in the proposed Union of South
Africa. An expansion of British central authority and the evolution of tribal
government resulted in the 1920 establishment of two advisory councils
representing Africans and Europeans. Proclamations in 1934 regularized tribal
rule and powers. A European-African advisory council was formed in 1951, and the
1961 constitution established a consultative legislative council.
In June 1964, Britain accepted proposals for democratic self-government in
Botswana. The seat of government was moved from Mafikeng, in South Africa, to
newly established Gaborone in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first
general elections and to independence in September 1966. Seretse Khama, a leader
in the independence movement and the legitimate claimant to traditional rule of
the Batswana, was elected as the first president, re-elected twice, and died in
office in 1980. The presidency passed to the sitting vice president, Ketumile
Masire, who was elected in his own right in 1984 and re-elected in 1989 and
1994. Masire retired from office in 1998. The presidency passed to the sitting
vice president, Festus Mogae, who was elected in his own right in 1999.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Botswana has a flourishing multiparty constitutional democracy. Each of the
elections since independence has been freely and fairly contested and has been
held on schedule. The country's small white minority and other minorities
participate freely in the political process. There are two main rival parties
and a number of smaller parties. In national elections in 1999, the Botswana
Democratic Party (BDP) won 33 of 40 contested National Assembly seats, the
Botswana National Front (BNF) won 6, and the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) won 1
seat. An additional 4 seats are held by individuals appointed by the President;
all 4 are currently held by the ruling BDP. The opposition out-polled the ruling
BDP in most urban areas. The openness of the country's political system has been
a significant factor in Botswana's stability and economic growth. General
elections are held at least every 5 years.
The president has executive power and is chosen by the National Assembly
following countrywide legislative elections. The cabinet is selected by the
president from the National Assembly; it consists of a vice president and a
flexible number of ministers and assistant ministers, currently 12 and 3,
respectively. The National Assembly has 40 elected and 4 appointed members; it
is expanded following each census (every 10 years).
The advisory House of Chiefs represents the eight principal subgroups of the
Batswana tribe, and four other members are elected by the subchiefs of four of
the districts. A draft of any National Assembly bill of tribal concern must be
referred to the House of Chiefs for advisory opinion. Chiefs and other leaders
preside over customary, traditional courts, though all persons have the right to
request that their case be considered under the formal British-based legal
system.
The roots of Botswana's democracy lie in Setswana traditions, exemplified by
the Kgotla, or village council, in which the powers of traditional leaders are
limited by custom and law. Botswana's High Court has general civil and criminal
jurisdiction. Judges are appointed by the president and may be removed only for
cause and after a hearing. The constitution has a code of fundamental human
rights enforced by the courts, and Botswana has a good human rights record.
Local government is administered by nine district councils and five town
councils. District commissioners have executive authority and are appointed by
the central government and assisted by elected and nominated district councilors
and district development committees. There has been ongoing debate about the
political, social, and economic marginalization of the San (indigenous tribal
population). The government's policies for remote area dwellers continue to
spark controversy and to be revised in response to domestic and donor concerns.
Principal Government Officials
President--Festus G. Mogae Botswana maintains an embassy at 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20036 (tel. 202-244-4990; fax 202-244-4164). Its mission to the
United Nations is at 103 E. 37th Street, New York NY 10017 (tel. 212-889-2277;
fax 212-725-5061).
Since independence, Botswana has had the highest average economic growth rate
in the world at about 9% per year from 1966 through 1999. Growth in formal
sector employment has averaged about 10% per annum over Botswana's first 30
years of independence. The government has consistently maintained budget
surpluses and has substantial foreign exchange reserves totaling about $6.2
billion in 1999.
Botswana's impressive economic record has been built on a foundation of
diamond mining, prudent fiscal policies, international financial and technical
assistance, and a cautious foreign policy.
Mining
Two large mining companies, Debswana (formed by the government and South
Africa's DeBeers in equal partnership) and Bamangwato Concessions, Ltd. (BCL,
also with substantial government equity participation) operate in the country.
Since the early 1980s, the country has been the world's largest producer of
gem diamonds. Three large diamond mines have opened since independence. DeBeers
prospectors discovered diamonds in northern Botswana in the early 1970s. The
first mine began production at Orapa in 1972, followed by the smaller mine at
Lethlakane. What has become the single-richest diamond mine in the world opened
in Jwaneng in 1982. Botswana produced a total of 21.3 million carats of diamonds
from the three Debswana mines in 1999. The Orapa 2000 Expansion of the existing
Orapa mine was opened in 2000.
BCL, which operates a copper-nickel mine at Selebi-Phikwe, has had a troubled
financial history but remains an important employer. The soda ash operation at
Sua Pan, opened in 1991 and supported by substantial government investment, has
begun making a profit following significant restructuring.
Tourism
Tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for
almost 12% of GDP. One of the world's unique ecosystems, the Okavango Delta, is
located in Botswana. The country offers excellent game viewing and birding both
in the Delta and in the Chobe Game Reserve--home to one of the largest herds of
free-ranging elephants in the world. Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve
also offers good game viewing and some of the most remote and unspoiled
wilderness in southern Africa.
Agriculture
More than one-half of the population lives in rural areas and is largely
dependent on subsistence crop and livestock farming. Agriculture meets only a
small portion of food needs and contributes just 2.8% to GDP--primarily through
beef exports--but it remains a social and cultural touchstone. Cattleraising in
particular dominated Botswana's social and economic life before independence.
The national herd was about 2.5 million in the mid-1990s, though the
government-ordered slaughter of the entire herd in Botswana's northwest
Kgamiland District in 1995 has reduced the number by at least 200,000. The
slaughter was ordered to prevent the spread of "cattle lung disease"
to other parts of the country.
Private Sector Development and Foreign Investment
Botswana seeks to diversify its economy away from minerals, the earnings from
which have leveled off. In 1998-99, nonmineral sectors of the economy grew at
8.9%, partially offsetting a slight 4.4% decline in the minerals sector. Foreign
investment and management have been welcomed in Botswana.
U.S. investment in Botswana is growing. In the early 1990s, two American
companies, Owens Corning and H.J. Heinz, made major investments in production
facilities in Botswana. In 1997, the St. Paul Group purchased Botswana
Insurance, one of the country's leading short-term insurance providers. An
American Business Council (ABC), with over 30 member companies, was inaugurated
in 1995.
Because of history and geography, Botswana has long had deep ties to the
economy of South Africa. The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), comprised of
Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa, dates from 1910. Under
this arrangement, South Africa has collected levies from customs, sales, and
excise duties for all five members, sharing out proceeds based on each country's
portion of imports. The exact formula for sharing revenues and the
decisionmaking authority over duties--held, until at least 1996, exclusively by
the Government of South Africa--have been increasingly controversial, and the
members began renegotiating the arrangement in 1995. Following South Africa's
accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO--Botswana also is a member), many
of the SACU duties are declining, making American products more competitive.
Botswana's currency--the pula--is fully convertible and is valued against a
basket of currencies heavily weighted toward the South African rand. Profits and
direct investment can be repatriated without restriction from Botswana. The
Botswana Government has eliminated all exchange controls.
Gaborone is host to the headquarters of the 14-nation Southern African
Development Community (SADC). A successor to the Southern Africa Development
Coordination Conference (SADCC), which focused its efforts on freeing regional
economic development from dependence on apartheid in South Africa, SADC embraced
the newly democratic South Africa as a member in 1994 and has a broad mandate to
encourage growth, development, and economic integration in Southern Africa.
SADC's Trade Protocol, which was launched on September 1, 2000, calls for the
elimination of all tariff and nontariff barriers to trade by 2012 among the 11
signatory countries. If successful, it will give Botswana companies free access
to the far larger regional market. The Regional Center for Southern Africa
(RCSA), which implements the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID)
Initiative for Southern Africa (ISA), is headquartered in Gaborone as well.
Transportation and Communications
A sparsely populated, arid country about the size of Texas, Botswana has
nonetheless managed to incorporate much of its interior into the national
economy. An "inner circle" highway connecting all major towns and
district capitals is completely paved, and the all-weather Trans-Kalahari
Highway connects the country (and, through it, South Africa's commercially
dominant Gauteng Province) to Walvis Bay in Namibia. A fiber-optic
telecommunications network has been completed in Botswana connecting all major
population centers.
In addition to the government-owned newspaper and national radio network,
there is an active, independent press (six weekly newspapers). Two privately
owned radio stations began operations in 1999. At the end of July 2000, the
government-owned Botswana Television (BTV) was launched, which is Botswana's
first national television station. It began broadcasting with 3 hours of
programming on weekdays and 5 on weekends, and offers news (Setswana and
English), entertainment, and sports, with plans eventually to produce 60% of its
programming locally. Foreign publications are sold without restriction in
Botswana, and there are three commercial Internet service providers. Two
cellular phone providers cover most of the country.
The president is commander in chief of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF). A
defense council is presidentially appointed. The BDF was formed in 1977 and has
approximately 8,000 members.
The BDF is a capable and well-disciplined military force. Following positive
political changes in South Africa and the region, the BDF's missions have
increasingly focused on anti-poaching activities, disaster-preparedness, and
foreign peacekeeping. The United States has been the largest single contributor
to the development of the BDF, and a large segment of its officer corps has
received U.S. training. It is considered an apolitical and professional
institution.
Botswana has put a premium on economic and political integration in southern
Africa. It has sought to make SADC a working vehicle for economic development,
and it has promoted efforts to make the region self-policing in terms of
preventative diplomacy, conflict resolution, and good governance. It has
welcomed post-apartheid South Africa as a partner in these efforts. Botswana
joins the African consensus on most major international matters and is a member
of international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization
of African Unity (OAU).
The United States considers Botswana an advocate of and a model for stability
in Africa and has been a major partner in Botswana's development since its
independence. The U.S. Peace Corps closed out its presence in Botswana on
December 1997, bringing to an end 30 years of well-regarded assistance in
education, business, health, agriculture, and the environment. Similarly, the
USAID phased out a longstanding partnership with Botswana in 1996, after
successful programs emphasizing education, training, entrepreneurship,
environmental management, and reproductive health. Botswana, however, continues
to benefit along with its neighbors in the region from USAID's Initiative for
Southern Africa and the USAID Regional Center for Southern Africa is
headquartered in Gaborone. The United States International Board of Broadcasters
(IBB) operates a major Voice of America (VOA) relay station in Botswana serving
most of the African Continent.
In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) started the BOTUSA Project in
collaboration with the Botswana Ministry of Health in order to generate
information to improve TB control efforts in Botswana and elsewhere in the face
of the TB and HIV/AIDS co-epidemics. Under the 1999 U.S. Government's Leadership
and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic (LIFE) Initiative, CDC through the BOTUSA
Project has undertaken many projects and has assisted many organizations in the
fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana.
The Governments of Botswana and the United States entered into an agreement
in July 2000 to establish an International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in
Gaborone. The academy, jointly financed, managed and staffed by the two nations,
will initially provide training to police and government officials from Southern
Africa and eventually from across the continent. The academy is scheduled to
begin operation in 2001.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--John E. Lange The U.S. Embassy is on Embassy Drive off Khama Crescent--P. O. Box 90,
Gaborone (tel. 267-353-982; fax 267-356-947). USAID is located on Lebatlane
Road. DAO and ODC are located at the embassy. CDC is located on Ditlhakore Way
in Gaborone. ILEA is located in Otse, about 30 minutes outside of Gaborone. The
IBB station is located in Selebi-Phikwe, about 400 kilometers northeast of
Gaborone.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular
Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular
Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry
requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability,
crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts
in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department
recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public
Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas which pose
significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this
information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at
202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information
Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet
home page: http://travel.state.gov.
Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain
information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad are on the
internet and hard copies can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained
from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours
emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.
Passport information can be obtained by calling the National Passport
Information Center's automated system ($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 per minute). The number is 1-900-225-5674
(TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat rate of $4.95) may
call 1-888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648). It also is available on the internet.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
(877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or
requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and
countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS
publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs
regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may
be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in
the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials"
listing in this publication).
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are
encouraged to register at the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see
"Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" listing in this publication). This
may help family members contact you in case of an emergency.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Foreign Affairs Network. Available on the
Internet, DOSFAN provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy
information. Updated daily, DOSFAN includes Background
Notes; daily
press briefings; Country
Commercial Guides; directories of key officers of Foreign Service
posts; etc. DOSFAN's World Wide Web site is at http://www.state.gov.
National Trade Data Bank (NTDB). Operated by the U.S. Department of
Commerce, the NTDB contains a wealth of trade-related information. It is
available on the Internet (www.stat-usa.gov)
and on CD-ROM. Call the NTDB Help-Line at (202) 482-1986 for more information.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000. Passport information can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center's automated system ($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 per minute). The number is 1-900-225-5674 (TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat rate of $4.95) may call 1-888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648). It also is available on the internet. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800. Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication). U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register at the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see "Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" listing in this publication). This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency. |
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