2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.7% (male 233,169/female 229,103) 15-64 years: 55.8% (male 303,260/female 330,460) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 16,071/female 24,271) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Airports

18 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

17 914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m

10 (2006)

Area

land

17,203 sq km

total

17,363 sq km

water

160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Background

Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King Mswati III, the world's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection. Geography Swaziland

Birth rate

27.41 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.019 billion; including capital expenditures of $147 million (2006 est.)

revenues

$921.8 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

26 18 S, 31 06 E

name

Mbabane

note

Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

varies from tropical to near temperate

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

the first constitution was signed into law in July 2005 and is scheduled to be implemented in January 2006

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form

Swaziland

local long form

Umbuso weSwatini

local short form

eSwatini

Currency (code)

lilangeni (SZL)

Currency code

SZL

Current account balance

$-23.13 million (2006 est.)

Death rate

29.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$357 million (2003 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Lewis LUCKE

embassy

Central Bank Building, Mahlokahla Street, Mbabane

mailing address

P. O. Box 199, Mbabane

telephone

[268] 404-6441 through 404-6445

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Ephraim Mandla HLOPHE

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5002

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$104 million (2001)

Economy - overview

In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives more than nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends 60% of its exports. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from South Africa 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. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2004-05 because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.

Electricity - consumption

1.123 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

697 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2004)

Electricity - production

458 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

58%

hydro

42%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Emlembe 1,862 m

lowest point

Great Usutu River 21 m

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups

African 97%, European 3%

Exchange rates

emalangeni per US dollar - 6.6 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch

chief of state

King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)

elections

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

head of government

Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)

Exports

$2.201 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners

South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004)

FAX

[1] (202) 234-8254

[268] 404-5959

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications Swaziland

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 Swaziland

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11.8%

industry

51.4%

services

36.8% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,200 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.212 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.91 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa People Swaziland

Government type

monarchy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

38.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

17,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

220,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

50.2% (1995)

lowest 10%

1%

Imports

$2.274 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004)

Independence

6 September 1968 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

3.7% (FY95/96)

Industries

mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel

Infant mortality rate

female

68.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

75.25 deaths/1,000 live births

total

71.85 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.1% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.sz

Internet hosts

2,472 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2002)

Internet users

36,000 (2005) Transportation Swaziland

Investment (gross fixed)

15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

500 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch

Labor force

155,700 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Land boundaries

border countries

Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

total

535 km

Land use

arable land

10.25%

other

88.94% (2005)

permanent crops

0.81%

Languages

English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)

Legal system

based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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)

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

elections

House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held October 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

33.17 years (2006 est.)

male

32.1 years

total population

32.62 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

80.8% (2003 est.) Government Swaziland

male

82.6%

total population

81.6%

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49

227,617 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49

89,609 (2005 est.)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

19.2 years (2006 est.)

male

17.8 years

total

18.5 years

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$41.6 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Swaziland

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; both sexes are eligible for military service (2005)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Nationality

adjective

Swazi

noun

Swazi(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural hazards

drought

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2004)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political parties and leaders

The status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the new (2006)Constitution and currently being debated - the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

1,136,334

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 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

69% (2005)

Population growth rate

-0.23% (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2004)

Radios

170,000 (1999)

Railways

narrow gauge

301 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total

301 km

Religions

Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$228.5 million (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

1,078 km

total

3,594 km

unpaved

2,516 km (2002) Military Swaziland

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age

Telephone system

domestic

system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay

general assessment

a somewhat modern but not an advanced system

international

country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

35,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

200,000 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)

Televisions

23,000 (2000)

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Total fertility rate

3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF)

Ground Force (includes air wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005)

Unemployment rate

40% (2005 est.)