Economy Of Botswana - Botswana Information

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Economy Of Botswana
Botswana Information - Country Guides

Economy overview	Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966. 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 $8,800 in 2003. 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 nine-tenths of export earnings. Tourism, 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 is 21%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. Long-term prospects are overshadowed by the expected leveling off in diamond mining production.
GDP	purchasing power parity - $14.2 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 4% industry: 48.7% (including 36% mining) services: 52% (2003 est.)
Investment gross fixed	23.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	47% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: na highest 10%: na
Distribution of family income - Gini index
Inflation rate consumer prices	9.2% (2004 est.)
Labor force	264,000 formal sector employees (2000)
Labor force by occupation	NA
Unemployment rate	40% (official rate is 21%) (2001 est.)
Budget	revenues: $3.263 billion expenditures: $3.283 billion, including capital expenditures of na (2004 est.)
Public debt	7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture products	livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts
Industries	diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles
Industrial production growth rate	7.3% (2004 est.)
Electricity production	409.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity consumption	1.564 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity exports	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity imports	1.183 billion kWh (2001)
Oil production	0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil consumption	16,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil exports	NA (2001)
Oil imports	NA (2001)
Oil proved reserves
Natural gas production
Natural gas consumption
Natural gas exports
Natural gas imports
Natural gas proved reserves
Current account balance	$539 million (2004 est.)
Exports	$2.544 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports commodities	diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
Exports partners	European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000)
Imports	$1.753 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports commodities	foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products
Imports partners	Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000)
Reserves of foreign exchange gold	$5.25 billion (2004 est.)
Debt external	$392 million (2004 est.)
Economic aid recipient	$73 million (1995)
Currency	pula (BWP)
Currency code	BWP
Exchange rates	pulas per US dollar - 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001), 5.1018 (2000), 4.6244 (1999)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March

Motswana Flag Map Of Botswana Ikalanga language Tswana language

Economy Of BotswanaBotswana Information - Country Guides

Economy Of Botswana
Botswana Information - Country Guides