Natural Resources and Trade of Botswana

                        [1] nycefm.com

Botswana went from one of the poorest nations in the world to being one of the fastest growing economies. Since the 1970’s its resources has been exploited bringing it to a competitor on the world scene. Botswana has used copper, diamonds, and water and coal as a source of energy to extract these precious minerals to sell.  These resources are the most significant driver of Botswana’s economic growth.[2] 

wikimedia.com/copper

   

[3]wikimedia.com/diamonds

Diamonds is the major economic resource in Botswana. Since the 1970’s the country has been extracted from some of the worlds largest mines at Orapa, and Letlhakane, South of the Makgadikgadi Pans, and at Jwaneng in the Southeastern Sandveld.  Coal is mined in Botswana for use of power at Morupule. Botswana’s other major  natural resources are salt and soda ash, which has been mined in Sua on the Eastern Makgadikgadi Pans from 1991. In 2009 the government of Botswana announced it will begin shifting its economic dependency from these diamonds to other things due to they are predicted to dry out in the next 20 years or less.Botswana’s Orapa mine is one of the worlds largest diamond mine in value and quantity of carats produced yearly. It is said to produce over 10 million carats in 2013, noting and average price of $145.00 per carat. The mine is said to have produced over $1 billion worth of diamonds in 2013 alone.[4]

wikimedia.com/gabrone

Besides coal, water is used too from 3 rivers in the north and three major dam lakes at Gaborone, Shashe, and Mopipi serves Orapa as a power to the national grid. Underground water is tapped in large quantities near Palapye and south of Gaborone is used as water resource for drinking and other things. The national electric power grid serves these mines and many eastern towns. This is based on a large coal powered generating station at Morupule.[5]

[1] nycefm.com

[2] "Natural Resources  and poverty in Botswana" http://www.unpei.org/sites/default/files/e_library_documents/Botswana_Policy_Brief_NR_Poverty_In_Botswana_development_linkages_and_economic_valuation.pdf(accessed: 2-10-16)

[3] wikimedia.com/diamonds

[4] "gemstones and precious metals" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botswana#Gemstones_and_precious_metals(accessed:2-10-16)

[5] ibid