| Swaziland |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Swaziland | Introduction | 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.

Swaziland | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Geographic coordinates: | 26 30 S, 31 30 E

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 17,363 sq km land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: | total: 535 km border countries: 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 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 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | NA

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

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: | landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Swaziland | People | Top of Page

Population: | 1,104,343 note: 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.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 45.53% (male 250,327; female 252,479) 15-64 years: 51.88% (male 276,186; female 296,728) 65 years and over: 2.59% (male 11,687; female 16,936) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.83% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 40.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 21.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 109.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 38.62 years male: 37.86 years female: 39.4 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 5.82 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 25.25% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 130,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 7,100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: | noun: Swazi(s) adjective: Swazi

Ethnic groups: | African 97%, European 3%

Religions: | Protestant 55%, Muslim 10%, Roman Catholic 5%, indigenous beliefs 30%

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

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.7% male: 78% female: 75.6% (1995 est.)

Swaziland | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland

Government type: | monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Capital: | Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

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

Independence: | 6 September 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: | 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 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

Suffrage: | 18 years of age

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 monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: 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 leaders: | Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Libertatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]; Swaziland Progressive Party or SPP [J. J. NQUKU, president]; Swaziland United Front or SUF [Matsapa SHONGWE, leader] note: 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

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

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 representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6683 FAX: [1] (202) 244-8059

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory L. JOHNSON embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445 FAX: [268] 404-5959

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

Swaziland | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - 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.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 2.4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 10% industry: 46% services: 44% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 6.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | NA

Labor force - by occupation: | private sector 70%, public sector 30%

Unemployment rate: | 22% (1995 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $400 million expenditures: $450 million, including capital expenditures of $115 million (FY96/97)

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

Industrial production growth rate: | 3.7% (FY95/96)

Electricity - production: | 375 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 53.33% hydro: 46.67% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 198 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 852 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 701 million kWh note: supplied by South Africa (1999)

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

Exports: | $881 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: | soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners: | South Africa 65%, EU 12%, Mozambique 11%, US 5% (1998)

Imports: | $928 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: | motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners: | South Africa 84%, EU 5%, Japan 2%, Singapore 2% (1998)

Debt - external: | $281 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | $55 million (1995)

Currency: | lilangeni (SZL)

Currency code: | SZL

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

Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Swaziland | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 33,500 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 30,000 (2000)

Telephone system: | general assessment: not a modern system domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 7, FM 6 (2000)

Radios: | 155,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 10 (2000)

Televisions: | 21,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .sz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2000)

Internet users: | 4,000 (2000)

Swaziland | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use narrow gauge: 297 km 1.067-m gauge

Highways: | total: 3,000 km paved: 850 km unpaved: 2,150 km (1997)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | none

Airports: | 18 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)

Swaziland | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 248,084 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 143,618 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $19.198 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 4.75% (FY00/01)

Swaziland | Transnational Issues | 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