top of pageBackground: 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.
Climate: varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Natural resources: asbestos coal clay cassiterite hydropower forests small gold and diamond deposits quarry stone and talc
GeographyNote: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
top of pagePopulationNote: 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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.83% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%
Languages: English (official government business conducted in English) siSwati (official)
Religions: Protestant 55% Muslim 10% Roman Catholic 5% indigenous beliefs 30%
Birth rate: 40.12 births/1000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 21.84 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)
top of pageCapital: Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978 but was not formally presented to the people; since then a few more outlines for a constitution have been compiled under the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) but so far none have been accepted
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
Legislative branchElections: House of Assembly - last held 16 and 24 October 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)
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; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leadersNote: political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings; the organizations listed are political associations
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 OPCW SACU SADC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA
In the us chancery: 3,400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 362-6,683
In the us fax: [1] (202) 244-8,059
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory L. JOHNSON
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] 404-6,441 through 404-6,445
From the us fax: [268] 404-5,959
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
top of pageEconomy overview: In this small landlocked economy subsistence agriculture occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of agroprocessing factories. Mining has declined in importance in recent years: diamond mines have shut down because of the depletion of easily accessible reserves; 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 four-fifths of its imports and to which it sends two-thirds of its exports. Remittances from the Southern African Customs Union and Swazi workers in South African mines substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Overgrazing soil depletion drought and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. Prospects for 2001 are strengthened by government millennium projects for a new convention center additional hotels an amusement park a new airport and stepped-up roadbuilding and factory construction plans.
Agriculture products: sugarcane cotton corn tobacco rice citrus pineapples sorghum peanuts; cattle goats sheep
Industries: mining (coal and asbestos) wood pulp sugar soft drink concentrates
Exports: $881 million (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: soft drink concentrates sugar wood pulp cotton yarn refrigerators citrus and canned fruit
Partners: South Africa 65% EU 12% Mozambique 11% US 5% (1998)
Imports: $928 million (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: motor vehicles machinery transport equipment foodstuffs petroleum products chemicals
Partners: South Africa 84% EU 5% Japan 2% Singapore 2% (1998)
Exchange rates: emalangeni per US dollar - 7.7803 (January 2001) 6.9056 (2000) 6.1087 (1999) 5.4807 (1998) 4.6032 (1997) 4.2706 (1996); note - the Swazi lilangeni is at par with the South African rand; emalangeni is the plural form of lilangeni
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