|
Country
|
Belgium | 
Botswana |
|
Leader
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
President: Seretse Khama Ian Khama
|
|
Population
|
10,438,353
| 2,098,018
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.650 years
| 55.740 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Brussels
| Gaborone
|
|
Largest city
|
| Brussels (population: 1,019,020) | Gaborone (population: 208,411) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.948
| 0.664
|
| GDP per capita |
$38,200 US
| $16,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 81.2%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
7.3
| 5.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.2%
| 11.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.700%
| 7.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| parliamentary republic
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
| 30 September 1966 (from UK)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
| Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census)
|
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
| Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
| diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles
|
| External Debt |
$1,399,000,000,000 $
| $1,973,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
| pulas (BWP) per US dollar - 6.7907 (2008 est.), 6.2035 (2007), 5.8447 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 3.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
2
| 0
|
| Location |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
| Southern Africa, north of South Africa
|
| Area |
30,528 km sq
| 581,730 km sq
|
| Coastline |
67 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
| semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
|
|
|
|
