Botswana Demographics
What is the population of Botswana?
| Population | 2,317,233 |
| Population - note | 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
| Population Growth Rate | 1.35% |
| Urban Population | 61.7% |
| Population in Major Urban Areas | GABORONE (capital) 202,000 |
| Nationality Noun | Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
| Nationality Adjective | Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) |
| Ethnic Groups | Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% |
| Languages Spoken | English (official), Setswana |
| Language Note | English is the official language while Setswana is considered the national language. Tjikalanga is commonly spoken in northeastern Botswana. |
Botswana Health Information
What are the health conditions in Botswana?
| Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 15-49 | 52.8% |
| Contraceptive Prevalence - note | note: percent of women aged 12-49 |
| Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population | 12.91 |
| Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved | 92.8% |
| Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved | 3.2% |
| Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved | 99.3% |
| Food or Waterborne Disease (s) | bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever |
| Health Expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.1% |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 24.8% |
| HIV/Aids Deaths | 5,700 |
| Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population | 1.8 |
| Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births | 9.45 |
| Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births | 10.34 |
| Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births | 9.9 |
| Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk | high |
| Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births | 160 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 11.2% |
| People Living with HIV/AIDS | 320,000 |
| Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population | .34 |
| Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved | 35.7% |
| Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved | 77.9% |
| Sanitation Facitlity Access - percent of rural population improved | 41.8% |
| Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman | 2.41 |
| Underweight - percent of children under five years | 11.2% |
| Vectorborne Disease (s) | malaria |
Botswana Life Expectancy
How long do people live in Botswana?
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 54 Years |
| Life Expectancy at Birth - female | 52 Years |
| Life Expectancy at Birth - male | 55 Years |
| Median Age | 22 Years |
| Median Age - female | 22 Years |
| Median Age - male | 22 Years |
Botswana Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births
Botswana median age, birth rate and death rates
| Birth Rate - births/1,000 population | 22 |
| Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population | 12.91 |
| Median Age | 22 Years |
| Median Age - female | 22 Years |
| Median Age - male | 22 Years |
| Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population | 4.68 |
| Population Growth Rate | 1.35% |
| Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female | 1.04 |
| Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female | .99 |
| Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female | 1.12 |
| Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female | 1.03 |
| Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female | 1.03 |
| Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female | 1.02 |
| Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female | .67 |
Botswana Medical Information
What are the health conditions in Botswana?
Medical Facilities and Health Information
Private medical facilities in Gaborone are adequate for simple medical problems, but facilities outside of Gaborone are severely limited. Adequately equipped emergency rooms and trained physicians are available in the capital but services are rudimentary elsewhere. Professional private emergency rescue services operate air and ground ambulances throughout the country, but care is rendered only after a patient’s ability to pay is established. Response times are often slow in less populated areas. Outside of Gaborone, most airports are either not equipped or may have malfunctioning night lighting capability, so airborne medical evacuations can often only be conducted during daylight hours. Malaria is prevalent only in the north of the country, particularly around the Chobe and Okavango National Parks. Malaria prophylaxis is not required in Gaborone but is suggested for travel to the north. For advanced care, U.S. citizens often choose to travel to South Africa. Many South African manufactured prescription drugs are available in Gaborone.In many areas of Botswana (including Gaborone), tap water can be unsafe and should be avoided or boiled for at least one minute before drinking. Bottled water and beverages are believed to be safe. However, visitors should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water unless bottled water is specifically requested. Ice may also come from tap water and should be avoided.
Approximately one-quarter of the population of Botswana is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Travelers are advised to exercise appropriate precautions if engaging in sexual activity, or if exposed to blood products through injuries or rendering assistance to accident victims. Tuberculosis is also endemic to Botswana. Several hundred cases of extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) have been identified in Botswana since January 2008 when Botswana first obtained the ability to test for this form of TB. Individuals who plan to reside or stay in Botswana for extended periods are advised to obtain a tuberculosis skin test (PPD test) prior to arrival and again upon departure from Botswana. There are occasional diarrhea outbreaks in areas affected by heavy rains. Travelers in those regions are encouraged to take necessary precautions when handling food and drinking water.
Botswana Education
What is school like in Botswana?
| Education Expenditures - percent of GDP | 9.5% |
| Literacy - female | 82.4% |
| Literacy - male | 76.9% |
| Literacy - total population | 81.2% |
| Literacy Definition | age 15 and over can read and write |
| School Life Expectancy - female | 12 Years |
| School Life Expectancy - male | 12 Years |
| Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) | 12 Years |
Botswana Literacy
Can people in Botswana read?
| Literacy - female | 82.4% |
| Literacy - male | 76.9% |
| Literacy - total population | 81.2% |
| Literacy Definition | age 15 and over can read and write |
| Predominant Language | English (official), Setswana |
Botswana Learning
What is school like in Botswana?
Learning
The primary school program takes seven years and most children will begin classes at the age of six. Classes are conducted in two main languages: Setswana and English. Setswana becomes the language of instruction during the first four years of school and this greatly inconveniences those children whose mother tongue is not Setswana. The classes are usually crowded with every class having not less than 50 students. When children begin they are about six to seven years of age. Some schools have a feeding program, and in many schools each child is required to come with a piece of wood daily as their contribution to the preparation of the lunch time meal.The lessons take between the 35 and 40 minutes each and there are two short breaks before the lunch break. It’s during break time when children run to the wash rooms, which is more often than not a few pit latrines. The rest of the time is spent playing a few local games. Due to lack of facilities such as balls and other play things, children will always improvise and have something to play with, like in most of other parts of
Children are keen to learn the English language and in the first years of learning, they learn English predominantly in an oral way with the help of pictures, chants, rhymes songs, and actions. They also learn writing patterns using coloring sheets as they improve they will learn hand writing using stubs of pencils. Since English is a global language, a lot of emphasis is on learning English because the children are told they will never secure employment in future if they cannot speak English. There is an intensive teaching program in primary school known as breakthrough which is in its pilot stages and it’s creating a lot of good results since it encourages a lot of student participation, especially in the first years of schooling. The lower classes end at lunch hour and the children have to go home till the following day.
The classrooms are made in such a way that there is a teacher’s corner which is likely to have a mat, a chalk board and other teaching facilities that may be available in the class. Class typically begins with a warm up session that may include songs, questions and answers just to emphasize on what was learned earlier. Since lunch is a luxury for many, the time is spent by most kids out in the field playing and for those who are not sure there will be kerosene at home to do homework. Homework given in the morning may be done during the lunch break. The use of the library, where there is one, is usually time tabled with every class taking about 30 minutes per session. Computers are unheard of and many children will not experience computers until after high school. The afternoon classes begin at 2:00 p.m. and may go on till 4:00 p.m. when the children and their teachers call it a day. The children will then begin the long trek home, which can take up to 2 hours.
To School
Pre-school is a luxury, only these parents who are rich enough can afford to take there children to private pre-schools. Most children will not have the privilege of attending a preschool. For most of the children, the day begins between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. when they wake up and prepare to go to school. Going to school involves some walking for the majority of the children and it is only those who go to private schools who may have the privilege of having some organized school transport. What time the child will wake up will depend on the distance they live from school as well as the number of chores they have to perform before they depart. Some of the chores may involve milking the family cow, tending the family garden as well as preparing the younger siblings for school and before dawn they will have left.The walk to school is usually a long one and can go to as far as 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) in some villages but the average would be about 5 kilometers (about 3 miles). As the children walk through the village paths they will be in groups as they collect each other on the way, those who live farthest always beginning their walk earliest. School; begins at 7:15 a.m. but before then there will be the compulsory general cleaning up of the school compound followed by assembly before the start of the day. For the lucky few, there is hopefully going to be just a little lunch but for the majority lunch is a luxury. Concentration in school becomes a problem so most children will drink water during the day. The only meal that is guaranteed would be the evening meal that is eaten somewhere between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
Botswana Crime
Is Botswana a safe place to visit?
Crime Information
Crime is a serious concern in Botswana. Visitors must be vigilant and take common-sense security precautions. Petty street crime and crimes of opportunity, primarily the theft of money and personal property, are not uncommon. Home invasions, “smash and grabs” from vehicles, and cell phone thefts, often at knife point, are routinely reported to the police. Hotels and lodges are not immune from criminal activity, and visitors should remain alert and take reasonable precautions in safeguarding personal property (particularly money and electronic equipment). Visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution near the Gaborone Dam and Kgale Hill in Gaborone due to the high number of reported criminal incidents.Travelers arriving in Botswana via South Africa should be aware that there is a serious continuing baggage pilferage problem at OR Tambo (Johannesburg) and Cape Town International Airports. Travelers are encouraged to use an airport plastic wrapping service and to avoid placing electronics, jewelry, cameras, designer athletic gear, or other valuables in checked luggage. Also, make an inventory of items in checked baggage to aid in claims processing if theft does occur.
In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law. In addition, bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.
Botswana Penalties for Crime
Criminal Penalties
While you are traveling in Botswana, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Botswana’s laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Botswana are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States. Motorists should note that it is illegal to use a cell phone while driving; failure to comply could result in fines and/or confiscation of the cell phone. If you break local laws in Botswana, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Botswana, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the U.S. embassy of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the U.S. embassy.