Population 18.9 million (in 2001)
Land area: 450 000 km2
Climate: Located between 21°and 28° south of the equator, with 500km of coastline and two good natural ports. About 20 percent of the land surface is within the tropics. Main rains are in the summer (November to March), but winter precipitation is important in limited areas (in natural areas 1 & 2 - see land classification below). The area within the tropics is subhumid, and relatively dry. Apart from irrigation schemes in the drier areas, the land of highest agricultural potential is found in the well watered plateau zone in the south. The main river systems drain south from the plateau, and this has facilitated substantial irrigation development in the southern littoral region, which has low rainfall. However, two-thirds of the national territory lies to the north of the plateau, and this is generally dry, with limited scope for irrigation.
GNP per caput in 2001 = $1 082 (current US dollars);
Total GDP = 615 billion suds, at 2001 prices (equivalent to US$20 400 million)
Distribution of GDP (percent)
|
|
in 1965 |
in 1991 |
in 1995 |
in 2001 |
|
Agriculture |
23.5% |
15.5% |
13.2% |
14.2% |
|
Industry |
25.2% |
37.2% |
39.7% |
36.5% |
|
Services |
51.3% |
47.3% |
47.1% |
49.3% |
Estimates of income distribution (latest data - for 1998):
|
lowest 20% |
2nd quintile |
3rd quintile |
4th quintile |
highest 20% |
highest 10% |
|
8% |
10.5% |
13.6% |
21.7% |
46.3% |
30.5% |
|
Population growth rate: |
2.1% (1999) |
|
Percentage of people living on less than US$1 per day: |
6.9% (1997) |
|
(very approximate as subsistence production data is of doubtful accuracy) |
|
|
Percentage of people living on less than US$2 per day: |
18.3% (1997) |
|
(very approximate as subsistence production data is of doubtful accuracy) |
|
Population below national poverty line:
|
Rural: |
23.5% (1999) |
|
|
Urban: |
8.6% (1999) |
|
|
Percentage of population HIV-positive: |
9.5% |
|
Urbanization rate: |
52% in 1995 (38% in 1965) |
|
(percent in urban areas) |
|
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
61 years (females 63 years and males 59 years) these estimates are currently under debate and have recently been adjusted downwards to reflect the AIDS epidemic, but maybe not far enough. |
|
Percentage of children |
76% of males and 63 % of females |
The country is divided into 5 administrative regions (one of which corresponds to the capital) and 35 districts (of which 25 are rural).
Percentage of economically active population:
|
|
Men |
38.3% (1999) |
|
|
Women |
20.2% (1999) |
Unpaid family workers:
|
|
Men |
14% (1999) |
|
|
Women |
28% (1999) |
|
Labour force in agriculture: |
45% in 1999 (60% in 1970) |
|
Female percentage of total labour force: |
52% in 1999 (37% in 1985) |
Percentage of rural population working in rural industry (1999):
|
|
Men |
6% (1.2% in 1985) |
|
|
Women |
8% (0.3% in 1985) |
|
Cereal imports: |
1975 = |
9 180 metric tonnes |
| |
1980 = |
3 325 metric tonnes |
| |
1985 = |
562 metric tonnes |
| |
1991 = |
739 970 metric tonnes |
| |
1995 = |
1 832 955 metric tonnes |
| |
2000 = |
2 116 272 metric tonnes |
|
Fertilizer use (hectograms |
1970/71 |
143 |
|
|
1980/81 |
445 |
|
|
1990/91 |
451 |
|
|
1996/97 |
460 |
|
|
2000/01 |
307 |
Natural Areas (NAs)
NA 1: (2% of total) Annual rainfall is in excess of 1 000mm, with high reliability, allowing double cropping in farming systems which include a wide range of crops, but in which cereals and oils seeds predominate. High value tree crops are common, as is intensive dairying. Almost all of this land is occupied by large farms (>30ha) or medium sized farms (10 - 30ha).
NA 2: (9% of total) Annual rainfall is between 750 and 1 000mm, with adequate reliability (serious failure of the rains one year in seven), allowing rain-fed production of cereals, oil seeds etc. over one season per year. Two-thirds of this land is occupied by large farms (>30ha) or medium sized farms (10 - 30ha). In the areas settled by small-scale farmers (peasants), population density is high (1.15 persons/ha), and the main constraint faced by peasant farmers is shortage of land.
NA 3: (24% of total) Annual rainfall is between 450 and 750m and is erratic, with a risk of drought one year in three. Historically this land was used for livestock grazing and production of drought resistant cereals (millet, sorghum and barley) in extensive systems, but in the last three decades there has been much increased human settlement, due to out-migration from the densely populated zones of NA 1 & 2. For many inhabitants of this zone, food security is precarious, due to the risk involved in food production.
NA 4: (30% of total) Annual rainfall is between 250 and 450mm and is extremely irregular. About a quarter of the area is designated as natural reserves and in the remainder population density is low, the area being mainly occupied by transhumant pastoralists. In years of good rainfall, millet and sorghum is planted to supplement household food sources, which are mainly obtained from trading.
NA 5: (35% of total) Annual rainfall is below 250m and the land is desert, subject to minimal agricultural use.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE AND NATURAL AREA (1998)
|
|
NATURAL AREA 1 |
NATURAL AREA 2 |
NATURAL AREA 3 |
NATURAL AREA 4 |
NATURAL AREA 5 |
POPULATION TOTAL |
|
Inhabitants of small towns |
453 000 |
523 000 |
390 000 |
60 000 |
16 000 |
1 442 000 |
|
Settled on large farms (>30ha) & medium sized farms (10 - 30 ha) |
413 000 |
440 000 |
230 000 |
0 |
0 |
1 083 000 |
|
Peasant farmers |
296 000 |
1 400 000 |
2 500 000 |
570 000 |
0 |
4 766 000 |
|
Landless people |
237 000 |
205 000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
442 000 |
|
Transhumant pastoralists |
0 |
0 |
160 000 |
90 000 |
57 000 |
307 000 |
|
TOTAL |
1 399 000 |
2 568 000 |
3 280 000 |
720 000 |
73 000 |
8 040 000 |
