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1) Government

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MOTSWANA -BATSWANA GOVERNMENT STATS

Administrative divisions 9 districts and 5 town councils; Central, Francistown, Gaborone, Ghanzi, Jwaneng, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe, Southeast, Southern
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Heikki Tuunanen
Capital city	Gaborone
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	24 45 S, 25 55 E
Capital city > Name	Gaborone
Capital city > Time difference UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Head of Government	Festus Mogae
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Title	President
Constitution March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
Copyright > Reference Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, Act No. 8 of 2000
Corruption	5.9	[35th of 160]
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	Berne, TRIPS, WCT
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Stephen J. NOLAN
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Embassy Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[267] 395-6947
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[267] 395-3982
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 244-4164
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 244-4990
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet appointed by the president
Executive branch > Chief of state President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Executive branch > Election results Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52%
Executive branch > Elections president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009); vice president appointed by the president
Executive branch > Head of government President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mompati MERAFHE (since 1 April 2008)
Flag description light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
Flag modification	30	[13th of 197]
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition	May 14, 1980
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	9.46 %	[20th of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	1,680,271,000 constant 2000 US$	[77th of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	948.765 constant 2000 US$ per c	[40th of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	6067296000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	12988380000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	2,541,558,000 $	[72nd of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.246 $ per $1 of GDP	[15th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	1,440.037 $ per capita	[33rd of 184]
Government type	parliamentary republic
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom Frank Martin
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type	High Commission
Independence 30 September 1966 (from UK)
Independence Day > Date	September 30
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district)
Legal origin English
Legal system based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms)
Legislative branch > Election results percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1
Legislative branch > Elections National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009)
Management time dealing with officials > % of management time	4.96 %	[21st of 38]
National holiday Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September
Parliamentary seats > Female	9%	[71st of 143]
Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint	0.7 %	[20th of 38]
political parties > Dominant party	•
Political parties and leaders Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF; note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political parties and leaders > A note a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats; the BAM parties are: the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO], the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO], and the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political parties and leaders > Note a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites)
Political pressure groups and leaders > Other	diamond mining companies
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	24	[20th of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	13.032 per 1 million people	[31st of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	26	[126th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	14.731 per 1 million people	[40th of 171]
Procedures to register property > number	4	[133rd of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita)	2,266.384 per 1 billion people	[40th of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	11.1 %	[112nd of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	11	[47th of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	6.233 per 1 million people	[34th of 171]
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	169 days	[98th of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	501 days	[78th of 171]
Time required to register property > days	30 days	[120th of 167]
Time required to start a business > days	108 days	[12th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	140 hours	[126th of 169]
Time to resolve insolvency > years	1.3 years	[132nd of 151]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International Botswana still struggles to seal its border from thousands of Zimbabweans who flee economic collapse and political persecution; Namibia has long supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River at Kazungula crossing, thereby de facto recognizing the short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary
UN membership date	17 Oct. 1966
United Nations mission http://www.gov.bw/government/department_of_foreign_affairs.html
Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood	Dupont Circle

SOURCES
All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: List of Ambassadors from Finland ; CIA World Factbook, 14 June, 2007 ; Wikipedia: Commonwealth Heads of Government ; Wikipedia: List of countries' copyright length ; Transparency International; Flagspot; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Western Sahara ; World Development Indicators database; Wikipedia: Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom ; Wikipedia: Independence Day ; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia: List of political parties ; CIA World Factbook, December 2003; electionworld.org; Wisconsin High School Model United Nations; Wikipedia: List of Washington, D.C. embassies

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Botswana, Republic of Botswana

Democracy

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MOTSWANA -BATSWANA DEMOCRACY STATS

Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Management Index 2006	7.44	[3rd of 118]
Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006	7.98	[16th of 119]
Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation	8.45	[17th of 119]
Civil and political liberties	5	[38th of 140]
Electoral system	first-past-the-post
Electoral system type	plurality
Female candidacy	1,965	[20th of 161]
Female parliamentarians	17%	[47th of 157]
Female suffrage	1965
First female parliamentarian	1979 (elected)
Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment	0.982517075133595	[65th of 183]
Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against homosexuality	Yes
Parliamentary elections > Invalid votes	4.9%	[25th of 110]
Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout	77.1%	[48th of 152]
Parliamentary elections > Total vote	354,463	[123rd of 154]
Parliamentary elections > Turnout	42	[98th of 117]
Parliamentary elections > Voter registration	459,662	[120th of 152]
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population	844,338	[123rd of 163]
Parliamentary elections > Voting age population (per capita)	514.84 per 1,000 people	[98th of 162]
Vote counting technology	manual

SOURCES
Bertelsmann Transformation Index online, 2006; http://www.bertelsmann-transformation ... /BTI_2006_Ranking_GB.pdf; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; No comment is being made on the state of democracy. Categorizations are based on the electoral law, or the last competitive election held; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva; calculated on the basis of data on parliamentary seats from IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2002. Parline Database. March 2002; IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 1995. Women in Parliaments 1945-1995: A World Statistical Survey. Geneva and IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). 2001. Correspondence on year women received the right to vote and to stand for election and year first woman was elected or appointed to parliament. March. Geneva.; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Wikipedia: Homosexuality laws of the world ; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003; Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Botswana, Republic of Botswana

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