Table of Contents
Overview
Botswana is one of Africa’s most stable democracies. Located in Southern Africa, landlocked, it borders Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Botswana is divided into 10 districts and 6 town councils: Central, Chobe, Francistown, Gaborone, Ghanzi, Jwaneng, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe, South East, Southern, and Sowa Town.
Agriculture
The main agricultural products include root vegetables, beef, sorghum, maize, game meat, milk, watermelons, goat milk, and sunflower seeds. Beef is a significant export. The sector contributes approximately 1.7% to GDP, supported by the food-processing industry. Land use is distributed as follows: about 0.5% to arable farming, none to permanent crops, and 45.2% to pasture.
Crime
Botswana has moderate crime levels, with Gaborone (particularly around Kgale Hill and Gaborone Dam) noted for petty theft and occasional violence. Numbeo reports an average crime index of 51.7, with property crime at 60.90 and drugs at 49.09. The homicide rate stands at 10.5 per 100,000 (2021 UNODC data accessed via Wikipedia).
Demographics
Botswana’s population is 2.5 million (2025 est.), with a slight female majority (males: 1.23 million; females: 1.28 million). Overall density is low, higher in the east around Gaborone. Languages include Setswana (77.3%) and English, an official language (2.8%).
With a fertility rate of 2.73 children per woman, a growth rate of 1.32%, a birth rate of 21.16 per 1,000, and a death rate of 6.8 per 1,000, the population is growing. Urbanization stood at 72.9% in 2023, increasing by 2.47% annually (2020-2025).
Economy
Botswana’s currency is the pula (BWP). The economy is upper-middle-income, relying on diamonds, with a GDP PPP of $45.553 billion, a -3% growth rate, and a labor force of 1.17 million as of the 2024 estimate. The Per Capita income is $18,100, and inflation is 2.8%.
Exports totaled $6.398 billion in 2023, primarily from diamonds and copper ore, with the UAE and India accounting for 27% and 17%, respectively, as the main partners. Also, imports totaled $7.691 billion in 2023, primarily in food and machinery, with South Africa and Namibia accounting for 58% and 9%, respectively, as the top partners.
Education
As of 2024, Botswana allocates 8.1% of its GDP and 21.5% of its government budget to education, with 28.7% of its population under 14. The Global Economy reports a high illiteracy rate of 86.82% as of 2014, up 81% from 2003. School life expectancy was 12 years in 2021, unchanged for males and slightly higher for females at 13. Rural areas face challenges due to low population density and poverty.
Geography
At 581,730 km2 (224,607 sq mi), Botswana is the world’s 48th-largest country. It also has a mean altitude of roughly 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level. Botswana is predominantly flat, tending towards a gently rolling tableland.
Health
Botswana’s health indicators show a life expectancy of 66.4 years as of 2024, with males at 64.4 and females at 68.6. Infant mortality stands at 27.8 per 1,000 live births in 2025, while maternal mortality is 155 per 100,000 in 2023.
Healthcare expenditures recorded 6.3% of GDP in 2021 and 14.6% of the national budget in 2022. Access to water improved to 92.6% in 2022, and sanitation coverage is impressive at 86%. Alcohol consumption reached 5.98 liters per capita in 2019, while tobacco use was at 17.1% in 2025.
Botswana’s physician-to-population ratio was 0.38 in 2023, with 2.2 beds per 1,000 in 2021. With a history of HIV/AIDs, programs to effectively target the outbreak are in place.
Military
The Botswana Defense Force (BDF) comprises the Ground Forces Command, the Air Arm Command, and the Defense Logistics Command. Its active personnel are approximately 9,000 as of 2025. Service is voluntary, open to individuals aged 18-45.
The military budget accounts for 2.9% of GDP in 2024. BDF’s equipment mainly comes from Western and South African sources. The roles of the BDF encompass defense, anti-poaching, disaster relief, and peacekeeping missions, such as those undertaken by SADC in Mozambique. The focus is on border security and wildlife protection.
Miscellaneous
Botswana is a parliamentary republic with Gaborone as its capital. It is divided into 10 districts and 6 town councils. The legal system combines Roman-Dutch, customary, and common law.
Botswana gained independence on September 30, 1966, the same year its national anthem, “Fatshe leno la rona,” was adopted. The legislature comprises the 69-seat National Assembly, while the judiciary comprises the Court of Appeal and the High Court. Botswana is a member of the African Union, SADC, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization.
Religion
According to Census 2022, 86.5% of the population is Christian (79.3% in 2011), 7.1% have no religion (15.3% in 2011), 4.6% follow African traditional religions (4.1% in 2011), 0.6% are Muslim (0.6% in 2011) and 0.2% are Hindu (0.3% in 2011).
Weather
In Botswana, the summers are long, hot, and partly cloudy, and the winters are short, cool, dry, and clear. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically ranges from 41°F to 89°F, rarely falling below 34°F or rising above 97°F.