Botswana in brief |
Area: |
581 730 km² - Botswana borders South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. |
Population: |
2 359 609 (2022 Population Census) |
Capital City: |
Gaborone |
Other major towns: |
Francistown, Lobatse, Selibe Phikwe, Jwaneng, Orapa |
Form of Government: |
Parliamentary Republic |
Independence: |
30 September 1966 (from UK). |
Head of State: |
President Duma Gideon Boko |
Adult Literacy Rate: |
82% as per World Bank Report |
National Language: |
Setswana |
Official Language: |
English |
Nationality: |
Motswana (singular.), Batswana (plural.) |
Geography: |
Southern Africa |
Time: |
GMT plus 2 hours |
Borders: |
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia |
GDP: |
(4.3% 2016) USD 15.6 billion (2016) |
Real GDP per Capita: |
USD 7,019 (2016) |
Inflation: |
(2.9% Av 2023), 1.7 % November 2024 |
Interest Rates: |
Monetary Policy Rate 1.9% December 2024 |
Terrain: |
Desert and savanna, predominantly flat to gently rolling table |
Climate: |
Mostly subtropical, with warm winters and hot summers. Summer months – December to March and winter months – May to August. |
Dialling code: |
+267 - followed by a local number |
Currency: |
Botswana currency is the Pula. One (1) Pula is made up of 100 Thebes. Notes are: P200.00, P100.00, P50.00, P20.00, P10.00 and coins are P5.00, P2.00, P1.00, 50thebe, 25thebe, 10thebe and 5thebe. |