Map of Swaziland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

top of page


Background: Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s have pressured the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy.


top of page


Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 17,360 km²
Land: 17,200 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total 535 km, 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

Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Land use
Arable land: 10.9%
Permanent crops: 0.2%
Meadows and pastures: 62.2%
Forest and woodland: 6.9%
Other: 19.8%

Irrigated land: 640 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa


top of page


Population: 966,977 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 3.23% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Swazi(s)
Adjective: Swazi

Ethnic groups: African 97%, European 3%

Languages: English (official; government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)

Religions: Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (female 222,544; male 221,003)
15-64 years: 52% (female 261,973; male 238,726)
65 years and over: 2% (female 13,291; male 9,440) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.23% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 43.06 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 10.8 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited access to potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Current issues natural hazards: NA
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 90.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.84 years
Male: 52.83 years
Female: 60.96 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
Total population: 67%
Male: 70%
Female: 65%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
Conventional short form: Swaziland

Government type: monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Capital: Mbabane (administrative; Lobamba (legislative)

Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 September 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)

Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally presented to the people

Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch
Chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
Head of government: Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993)
Cabinet: Cabinet; designated by the monarch

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament is advisory
Senate: consists of 30 members (10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the king)
House of Assembly: elections last held NA October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - NA; seats - (65 total, 55 directly elected, 10 appointed by the king) - balloting held on a non-party basis

Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Madzandza Mary KHANYA
In the us chancery: 3,400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 362-6,683, 6,685
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 244-8,059
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John T. SPROTT
From the us embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
From the us telephone: [268] 46,441 through 46,445
From the us FAX: [268] 45,959

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the population and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another quarter of GDP. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted by 1978, and health concerns cut world demand for asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products are the main earners of hard currency. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa, from which it receives 90% of its imports and to which it sends about half of its exports. Remittances from Swazi workers in South African mines may supplement domestically produced income by as much as 20%.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence agriculture; cash crops - sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus fruit, pineapples; other crops and livestock - corn, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, sheep; not self-sufficient in grain

Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar

Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1993 est.)

Labor force: NA
By occupation private sectorabout: 65%
By occupation publicsector: 35%

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $342 million
Expenditures: $410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (1994 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $632 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, cotton yarn, asbestos
Partners: South Africa 50% (est.), EC countries, Canada

Imports: $734 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals
Partners: South Africa 90% (est.), Switzerland, UK

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $240 million (1992)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per US$1 -3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990; note - the Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South African rand


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production: 410 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,003 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 17,000 telephones; telephone density is only 17.6 telephones/1000 persons
Local: NA
Intercity: system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity radio relay microwave links
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $22 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 18
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8

Airports with paved runways
2438 to 3047 m: 1
Under 914 m: 9

Airports with unpaved runways
914 to 1523 m: 8

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs