ns: National Assembly - elections last held 15 October 1994
(next to be held October 1999)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BDP
27, BNF 13

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Sir
Ketumile MASIRE]; Botswana Freedom Party or BFP [leader NA]; Botswana
National Front or BNF [Kenneth KOMA]; Botswana People's Party or BPP
[Knight MARIPE]; Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Archibald Mooketsa MOGWE
chancery: Suite 7M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990, 4991
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER (14 June 1996)
embassy: address NA, Gaborone
mailing address: P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
telephone: [267] 353982
FAX: [267] 356947

Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black
stripe in the center

Economy

Economy - overview: Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more
than 80% of the population but supplies only about 50% of food needs
and accounts for only 4% of GDP. Subsistence farming and cattle
raising predominate. The sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and
poor soils. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s and
the mining sector grew from 25% of GDP in 1980 to 33% in 1995. The
unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. On the plus side is the
substantial positive trade balance.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,100 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 43%
services : 53% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 9.8% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total : 428,000 (1992)
by occupation: 220,000 formal sector employees, including 14,300 who
are employed in various mines in South Africa; most others are engaged
in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues : $1.8 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion, inclu