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

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Background: A Swazi kingdom was founded in the mid-18^th century and ruled by a series of kings including MSWATI II, a 19^th century ruler whose appellation was adopted to become the name of the country and its predominant ethnic group. The kingdom’s modern borders were defined by European countries during the late-19^th century and Swaziland (as it became known) was administered as a UK high commission territory from 1903 until its independence in 1968. A new constitution came into effect in 2005, which included provisions for a more independent parliament and judiciary, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear, and the kingdom is still considered an absolute monarchy. King MSWATI III renamed the country from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018 to reflect the name most commonly used by its citizens. In 2021, MSWATI III used security forces to suppress prodemocracy protests. A national dialogue and reconciliation process agreed to in the wake of violence has not materialized. In November 2023, King MSWATI III appointed a new Prime Minister following peaceful national elections. Despite its classification as a lower-middle income country, Eswatini suffers from severe poverty, corruption, and high unemployment. Eswatini has the world's highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, although recent years have shown marked declines in new infections. Eswatini is the only country in Africa that recognizes Taiwan.


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Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Geographic coordinates: 26 30 S, 31 30 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 17,364 km²
Land: 17,204 km²
Water: 160 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 546 km
Border countries: (2) Mozambique 108 km; South Africa 438 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
Highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
Mean elevation: 305 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 68.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 57.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 31.7% (2018 est.)
Other: 0% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 500 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 1.01 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 4.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: drought

Geography
Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa


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Population
Distribution: because of its mountainous terrain, the population distribution is uneven throughout the country, concentrating primarily in valleys and plains as shown in this [link]: 1,130,043 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.72% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 58.9% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: liSwati (singular), emaSwati (plural); note - former term, Swazi(s), still used among English speakers
Adjective: Swati; note - former term, Swazi, still used among English speakers

Ethnic groups: predominantly Swazi; smaller populations of other African ethnic groups, including the Zulu, as well as people of European ancestry

Languages: English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official)

Religions: Christian 90% (Zionist - a blend of Christianity and traditional African religions - 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, other Christian 30% - includes Anglican, Methodist, Church of Jesus Christ, Jehovah's Witness), Muslim 2%, other 8% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, indigenous, Jewish) (2015 est.)

Demographic profile: Eswatini, a small, predominantly rural, landlocked country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique, suffers from severe poverty and the world’s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. A weak and deteriorating economy, high unemployment, rapid population growth, and an uneven distribution of resources all combine to worsen already persistent poverty and food insecurity, especially in rural areas. Erratic weather (frequent droughts and intermittent heavy rains and flooding), overuse of small plots, the overgrazing of cattle, and outdated agricultural practices reduce crop yields and further degrade the environment, exacerbating Eswatini's poverty and subsistence problems. Eswatini's extremely high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate - nearly 28% of adults have the disease - compounds these issues. Agricultural production has declined due to HIV/AIDS, as the illness causes households to lose manpower and to sell livestock and other assets to pay for medicine and funerals.

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.16% (male 181,886/female 181,491)
15-64 years: 63.88% (male 336,243/female 385,599)
65 years and over: 3.97% (2023 est.) (male 16,654/female 28,170)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 64
Youth dependency ratio: 57.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.5
Potential support ratio: 15.3 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.4 years (2023 est.)
Male: 23.1 years
Female: 25.5 years

Population growth rate: 0.72% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 22.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: because of its mountainous terrain, the population distribution is uneven throughout the country, concentrating primarily in valleys and plains as shown in this [link]

Urbanization
Urban population: 24.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 68,000 MBABANE (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; population growth, deforestation, and overgrazing lead to soil erosion and soil degradation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 15.07 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.16 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 1.9 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 437 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 38.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 42.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 33.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 58.2 years
Female: 62.3 years

Total fertility rate: 2.41 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 66.1% (2014)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 97.5% of population
Improved rural: 74.8% of population
Improved total: 80.3% of population
Unimproved urban: 2.5% of population
Unimproved rural: 25.2% of population
Unimproved total: 19.7% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 16.5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 7.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 2.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 5.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 9.2% (2020 est.)
Male: 16.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 1.8% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.8% (2014)

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.4%
Male: 88.3%
Female: 88.5% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 12 years (2013)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 50.9% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 47.7%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 54.1%


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Eswatini
Conventional short form: Eswatini
Local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
Local short form: eSwatini
Former: Swaziland
Etymology: the country name derives from 19th century King MSWATI II, under whose rule Swati territory was expanded and unified
Note: pronounced ay-swatini or eh-swatini

Government type: absolute monarchy

Capital
Name: Mbabane (administrative capital); Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)
Geographic coordinates: 26 19 S, 31 08 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after a Swati chief, Mbabane KUNENE, who lived in the area at the onset of British settlement

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 September 1968 (from the UK)

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

Constitution
History: previous 1968, 1978; latest signed by the king 26 July 2005, effective 8 February 2006
Amendments: proposed at a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament; passage requires majority vote by both houses and/or majority vote in a referendum, and assent of the king; passage of amendments affecting "specially entrenched" constitutional provisions requires at least three-fourths majority vote by both houses, passage by simple majority vote in a referendum, and assent of the king; passage of "entrenched" provisions requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses, passage in a referendum, and assent of the king

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Eswatini
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age

Executive branch
Chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
Head of government: Prime Minister Russell Mmiso DLAMINI (since 3 November 2023)

Legislative branch
Description: