Botswana is a large, land-locked country situated in southern
Africa with a small population of 1.7 million people. It is one
of the least densely populated countries in the world, with a
population that is concentrated in the eastern part of the
country, along the major roads that link South Africa with the
rest of the African continent. Botswana has held free democratic
elections since its independence in 1966. It has a stable,
growing economy resulting in a GDP per capita of US$ 8196
(Purchasing Power Parity or PPP) in 2001, and is regarded as
a transparent and well-governed country in independent,
comparative worldwide surveys (1).
Since independence, the country has allocated significant
resources for building infrastructure and government services.
The public health-care system is free of charge for all citizens,
and more than 75% of the population has access to basic
health care. Nearly 100% of the children are enrolled in primary
schools and 76% of adults are literate (2). However, the
unemployment rate remains high at 19.6%, and an estimated
60% of the population earns less than US$ 2 per day