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.

Geographic coordinates: 26 30 S, 31 30 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 17,360 km²
Land: 17,200 km²
Water: 160 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 535 km
Border countries: (2) 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: asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Land use
Arable land: 11%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 62%
Forests and woodland: 7%
Other: 20% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 670 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Population: 1,031,600 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 3.24% (1997 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (male 234,628; female 236,056)
15-64 years: 52% (male 255,775; female 280,416)
65 years and over: 2% (male 10,291; female 14,434) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.24% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 42.71 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.31 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion

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
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 86.1 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.7 years
Male: 53.67 years
Female: 61.84 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.01 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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

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

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 and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas DLAMINI (since 9 August 1996)
Cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the king
Elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch; prime minister appointed by the king

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (20 seats, 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 10 appointed by the king; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats, 10 appointed by the king and 55 elected by secret, popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: House of Assembly - last held 26 September and 11 October 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
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, judges are appointed by the king; Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the king

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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA
In the us chancery: Suite 3M, 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 Allen McKEE
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

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 have cut world demand for asbestos. Exports of soft drink concentrate, sugar and wood pulp 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 nearly 90% of its imports and to which it sends more than half of its exports. Remittances from Swazi workers in South African mines supplement domestically earned income by as much as 20%. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, and drought persist as problems for the future.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.9% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,800 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12%
Industry: 43%
Services: 45% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, corn, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

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

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

Labor force
Total: 160,355 (1986 est.)
By occupation private sectorabout: 65%
By occupation publicsector: 35%

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $397 million
Expenditures: $413 million, including capital expenditures of $78 million (1995/96)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Exports
Total value: $700 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn
Partners: South Africa 58%, EU 20%, Mozambique 6% (1994)

Imports
Total value: $831 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals
Partners: South Africa 88%, Japan, UK, US (FY94/95)

Debt external: $175 million (1995 est.)

Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per US$1 - 4.6410 (January 1997), 4.2706 (1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992; note - the Swazi emalangeni are at par with the South African rand

Electricity
Capacity: 50,000 kW (1993)
Production: 84 million kWh (1993)
Production note: imports 90% of its electricity from South Africa
Consumption per capita: 612 kWh (1993)

Telephones: 30,364 (1993 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Airports: 17 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 10 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Railways
Total: 297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use
Narrow gauge: 297 km 1.067-m gauge

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