Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Botswana: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #125 of 195).
Botswana is a parliamentary republic in Southern Africa, north of South Africa. The country's capital is Gaborone; it covers 581,730 sq km. Independence: 30 September 1966 (from the UK). Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest. Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers. Population: 2.5 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.32% per year. Median age: 25.8 years. Life expectancy: 66.4 years (2024 est.). Languages: Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.) Religions: Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Ba…
| Capital | Gaborone |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,521,534 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $45.553 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $18,100 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.8% |
| Unemployment | 23.2% |
| Public debt | 19.6% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Exports | $6.398 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $7.228 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 66.4 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 25.8 |
| Urbanization | 72.9% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 30 September 1966 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Setswana 77.3%, Sekalanga 7.4%, Shekgalagadi 3.4%, English (official) 2.8%, Zezuru/Shona 2%, Sesarwa 1.7%, Sembukushu 1.6%, Ndebele 1%, other 2.8% (2011 est.) |
MCC · 44/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Jul–Sep 2026 came and went without leaving a mark on the country's trajectory. Continuity, not change, is the story.
For a small or mid-sized state, that is often the good outcome: no shock to absorb, no crisis to manage.
Diamonds, Copper, Nickel, Salt, Potash, Coal, Iron ore, Silver.
Duma Boko — President. President Duma BOKO (since 1 November 2024)
Botswana maintains 21 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 22 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa, UN Geneva. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 21 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 22 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa, UN Geneva |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 122 (registration prefix A2) |
| Railways | 888 km |
Kasane International Airport (BBK) — Kasane; Maun International Airport (MUB) — Maun; Phillip Gaonwe Matante International Airport (FRW) — Francistown; Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) — Gaborone.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 44 Ranked #125 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Botswana.
