Autonomy for the Swazis of
southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century;
independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the
1990s pressured King MSWATI III, the world's last absolute monarch, to
grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has
backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into
effect in 2006, but political parties remain banned. The African United
Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political
party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the
government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed
Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence
rate.
Geography
Swaziland
Location:
Southern Africa, between
Mozambique and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 17,363 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New
Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies from tropical to near
temperate
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills;
some moderately sloping plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Great
Usutu River 21 m highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Natural resources:
asbestos, coal, clay,
cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry
stone, and talc
total: 1.04 cu km/yr
(2%/1%/97%) per capita: 1,010 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
drought
Environment - current issues:
limited supplies of potable
water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting;
overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; almost completely
surrounded by South Africa
People
Swaziland
Population:
1,128,814 note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy,
higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than
would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
total: 18.7 years
male: 18 years female: 19.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.41% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
26.6 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
30.7 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61
male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 69.59
deaths/1,000 live births male: 72.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 31.99
years male: 31.69 years female: 32.3 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.34 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
38.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
220,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
17,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk:
intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi
Ethnic groups:
African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
Zionist 40% (a blend of
Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim
10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%
Languages:
English (official, government
business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 81.6%
male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
Government
Swaziland
Country name:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland
local long form: Umbuso weSwatini local short form:
eSwatini
Government type:
monarchy
Capital:
name: Mbabane
geographic coordinates: 26 18 S, 31 06 E time
difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) note: Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo,
Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
6 September 1968 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 September
(1968)
Constitution:
signed by the King in July 2005
went into effect on 8 February 2006
Legal system:
based on South African
Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom
in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age
Executive branch:
chief of state: King
MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) head of government: Prime
Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and
confirmed by the monarch elections: the monarch is hereditary;
prime minister appointed by the monarch from among the elected members of
the House of Assembly
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or
Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 10 members appointed by the
House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; to serve five-year
terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 10 members appointed by the
monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next
to be held in October 2008) election results: House of Assembly
- balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are
nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each
constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round
of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round
Judicial branch:
High Court; Supreme Court;
judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leaders:
the status of political
parties, previously banned, is unclear under the new (2006) Constitution
and currently being debated - the following are considered political
associations; African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley MAUNDZISA,
president]; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory
Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic
Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ephraim Mandla HLOPHE chancery: 1712 New Hampshire
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Maurice S. PARKER embassy: Central Bank Building,
Mahlokahla Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199,
Mbabane telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445
FAX: [268] 404-5959
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue
(top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow;
centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two
spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
Economy
Swaziland
Economy - overview:
In this small, landlocked
economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the
population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s.
Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. In 2007,
the sugar industry increased efficiency and diversification efforts, in
response to a 17% decline in EU sugar prices. Mining has declined in
importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining
active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with
Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it
receives more than nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends 60% of
its exports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand,
subsuming Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. Customs duties from
the Southern African Customs Union, which may equal as much as 70% of
government revenue this year, and worker remittances from South Africa
substantially supplement domestically earned income. Swaziland is not poor
enough to merit an IMF program; however, the country is struggling to
reduce the size of the civil service and control costs at public
enterprises. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for
foreign investment. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland's
need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and
attract foreign direct investment is acute. Overgrazing, soil depletion,
drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More
than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2006-07
because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been
infected by HIV/AIDS.
872 million kWh; note -
electricity supplied by South Africa (2007)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
3,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
3,530 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$26.71 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.169 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.)
Exports - commodities:
soft drink concentrates, sugar,
wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Exports - partners:
South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US
8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2006)
Imports:
$2.31 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.)
Imports - commodities:
motor vehicles, machinery,
transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%,
Japan 0.9% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$46.03 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$394.9 million (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$538.6 million (31 December
2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$196.8 million (2005)
Currency (code):
lilangeni (SZL)
Currency code:
SZL
Exchange rates:
lilangeni per US dollar - 7.4
(2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications
Swaziland
Telephones - main lines in use:
44,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
250,000 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: a
somewhat modern but not an advanced system domestic:
mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular teledensity about 25 telephones per 100 persons; telephone
system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity,
microwave radio relay international: country code - 268;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters),
shortwave 3 (2004)
Radios:
170,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
12 (includes 7 relay stations)
(2004)
Televisions:
23,000 (2000)
Internet country code:
.sz
Internet hosts:
2,672 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2002)
Internet users:
41,600 (2005)
Transportation
Swaziland
Airports:
18 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 2,438 to
3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17 914 to
1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2007)
Railways:
total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 3,594 km
paved: 1,078 km unpaved: 2,516 km (2002)
Military
Swaziland
Military branches:
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force
(USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for male and
female voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 266,311
(2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 122,260
(2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.7% (2006)
Transnational Issues
Swaziland
Disputes - international:
in 2006, Swazi king advocates
resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South
Africa
