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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

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Population: 1,815,508 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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.8% (male 330,377/female 319,376) 15-64 years: 60.3% (male 549,879/female 545,148) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 28,725/female 42,003) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 20.9 years male: 20.7 years female: 21.1 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 1.503% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 23.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 13.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.009 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.684 male(s)/female total population: 1.003 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 43.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 45.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.58 years male: 51.55 years female: 49.58 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 37.3% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 350,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 33,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

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Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%

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Religions: Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)

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Languages: Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.2% male: 80.4% female: 81.8% (2003 est.)

Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, though growth slowed to 4.7% in 2006. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of more than $11,000 in 2006. 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 and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $17.93 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $9.761 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 5.4% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,900 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining) services: 50.7% (2003 est.)

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Labor force: 288,400 formal sector employees (2004)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

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Unemployment rate: 23.8% (2004)

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Population below poverty line: 30.3% (2003)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 63 (1993)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.4% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 21.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $4.256 billion expenditures: $3.968 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 7.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

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Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles

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Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 823 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 2.464 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 1.699 billion kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - consumption: 11,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: 13,490 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: $1.698 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $4.836 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles

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Exports - partners: European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006)

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Imports: $3.034 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products

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Imports - partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.445 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $520 million (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $73 million (1995)

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Currency (code): pula (BWP)

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Exchange rates: pulas per US dollar - 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002)

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Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March