About Tutorial Glossary Documents Images Maps Google Earth Please provide feedback! Click for details You are here: Home >People and the River >Socioeconomics in the Basin >Distribution of Economic Activities >Botswana Distribution of Economic Activities: Botswana Botswana maintained the highest averageeconomic growth rate in the world, from 1966 to 1999, averaging approximately 9 % per year through this period. Over the last 35 years Botswana has graduated from a low income country to amiddle income country (Government of Botswana 2009). This has been possible largely due to diamond mining, prudent fiscal policies , international financial and technical assistance, and a conservativeforeign policy . Diamond mining accounts for a third of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (35 %) and 70-80 % of its export earnings (World Fact Book 2009). Other key economic sectors in Botswana include tourism,livestock agriculture (cattle), subsistence farming and financial services. However, despite the increase in economic growth , there continues to be unequal income distribution between the rural and the urban areas (World Fact Book 2009). The majority of the area of Botswana in the Limpopo River basin is considered to be rural. There are six administrative districts found within the basin: North East; Central; Kgatleng; South East and parts of Kweneng. The main urban centres within the basin are Serowe, Selebi- Phikwe, Palapye, Mahalapye, Francistown, Mochudi and Gaborone, in addition to a small number of small and medium settlements (LBPTC 2010). Agriculture Agriculture contributes only 4 % to the GDP in Botswana; however, 65% of the total population in theLimpopo basin lives on agricultural holdings and many rely on agriculture as their livelihood (UNEP 2007 and LBPTC 2010). Most agricultural operations in the basin are at the subsistence level with an average farm size of 1 to 3 ha of land (LBPTC 2010). With an increasing population in thebasin there has been a corresponding decrease in the farm holding size. Smaller holdings have forced livestock farmers to switch from the traditional cattle to smaller ruminants. Other trends have seen an increase in peri- urban production systems such as intensive enterprises focused on specialisation and market orientation, and large commercial scale operations.