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Botswana

Africa

Photos of Botswana

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Adult elephants are very protective and caring of their young. This photo was taken in Chobe National Park in Botswana.
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Contents

Introduction

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Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Definitions and Notes
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Geography

Area

comparison ranking: total 50

Area - comparative

Area comparison map:
Area comparison map

People and Society

Age structure

2023 population pyramid:
2023 population pyramid

Median age

comparison ranking: total 161

Population growth rate

comparison ranking: 72

Birth rate

comparison ranking: 72

Death rate

comparison ranking: 62

Net migration rate

comparison ranking: 42

Maternal mortality ratio

comparison ranking: 48

Infant mortality rate

comparison ranking: total 65

Total fertility rate

comparison ranking: 75

Tobacco use

comparison ranking: total 90

Education expenditures

comparison ranking: 10

Environment

Revenue from coal

comparison ranking: 13

Government

National symbol(s)

Botswana’s motto, as shown on its coat of arms and its currency, reflects the scarcity of rain in the country: pula means “let there be rain” in Setswana, the national language. The two zebras on the coat of arms are the country’s national symbol. They support an elephant tusk that represents Botswana’s fauna and a head of sorghum that signifies agriculture. The three wavy blue bands symbolize the country’s reliance on water, the cog wheels stand for industry, and the bull’s head represents the cattle industry. The coat of arms also features the national colors of light blue, white, and black.:
Botswana’s motto, as shown on its coat of arms and its currency, reflects the scarcity of rain in the country: pula means “let there be rain” in Setswana, the national language. The two zebras on the coat of arms are the country’s national symbol. They support an elephant tusk that represents Botswana’s fauna and a head of sorghum that signifies agriculture. The three wavy blue bands symbolize the country’s reliance on water, the cog wheels stand for industry, and the bull’s head represents the cattle industry. The coat of arms also features the national colors of light blue, white, and black.

Economy

Real GDP growth rate

comparison ranking: 115

Real GDP per capita

comparison ranking: 105

Labor force

comparison ranking: 145

Unemployment rate

comparison ranking: 202

Public debt

comparison ranking: 187

Taxes and other revenues

comparison ranking: 88

Current account balance

comparison ranking: 100

Exports

comparison ranking: 130

Imports

comparison ranking: 135

Debt - external

comparison ranking: 98

Energy

Communications

Transportation

Airports

comparison ranking: 43

Railways

comparison ranking: total 94

Roadways

comparison ranking: total 98

Military and Security

Military expenditures

comparison ranking: 42

Contents