Map of Swaziland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

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
Extremes lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
Extremes highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 10.9%
Permanent crops: 0.2%
Permanent pastures: 62.2%
Forests 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


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Swazi(s)
Adjective: Swazi

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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
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
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.26 years (1996 est.), 56.84 years (1995 est.)
Male: 53.25 years 91,996 est.), 52.83 years (1995 est.)
Female: 61.4 years (1996 est.), 60.96 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 76.7%
Male: 78%
Female: 75.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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 U.K.)

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: NA; note_no suffrage before September 1993; 55 of the 65 seats in the House of Assembly were filled by popular vote in the elections of September and October 1993; of a population of less than 1 million, the electorate numbered 283,693

Executive branch
Chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) is a hereditary monarch
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 26 September and 11 October 1993 (next to be held NA; results_balloting is done on a nonparty basis; of the total of 65 seats, 10 are appointed by the king and 55 are elected by secret, popular vote; 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, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, 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, WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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


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Economy overview: This small landlocked economy is based largely on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of agroprocessing factories. 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 supplement domestically produced income by as much as 20%. Overgrazing, soil depletion, and drougth persist as problems for the future.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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:

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

Labor force: 160,355 (1986 est.)
By occupation Private sector about: 65%
By occupation Public sector: 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.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

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:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners:

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 -3.6417 (January 1996), 3.6266 (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


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Electricity
Capacity: 120,000 kW
Production: 410 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,003 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 30,364 telephones (1993 est.); 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

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 17
2438 to 3047 m: 1
Under 914 m: 10
914 to 1523 m: 6 (1995 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs