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#CARD:Swaziland:Background Notes
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES:  SWAZILAND

May 1990
OFFICIAL NAME:  Kingdom of Swaziland

PROFILE
PEOPLE
Nationality:  Noun and Adjective-Swazi(s). Population (1988 Est.):
750,000 (47% under age 16). Annual Growth Rate:  (1986) 3.3%. Ethnic
Groups:  The great majority is Swazi, with some Zulu and non-African
inhabitants. Religions:  Christian and indigenous beliefs. Languages:
English, SiSwati (both official). Education:  Years compulsory-none.
Attendance-82% in primary school.  Some secondary schooling-48%.
Literacy-64%.  Health:  Infant mortality rate-115/1,000.  Life
expectancy-56 years. Work force-(12% of population):  Agriculture and
forestry-30%; Financial and social services-26%; Mining and
manufacturing-18%; Transportation and communications-7.8%;
Construction-6.8%.

GEOGRAPHY
Area:  17,363 sq. km. (6,704 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than New Jersey.
Cities:  Capital-Mbabane (pop. 44,000, est.).  Other city-Manzini, with
industrial area (53,00 est.). Terrain:  Mountainous and plateau.
Climate:  Varies from near-temperate to subtropical and semi-arid.

GOVERNMENT
Type:  Monarchy. Independence:  September 6, 1968.  Constitution:  No
written constitution in effect. Branches:  Executive-monarch (chief of
state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet.
Legislative-parliament consisting of house of assembly (50 members) and
senate (20 members).  Judicial-court of appeals, high court, subordinate
and traditional courts. Administrative subdivisions:  Four regions, two
municipal governments, and 40 Tinkhundla (traditional subregions).
Political Parties:  None; not permitted by law. Suffrage:  Universal.
Central Government Budget (1989-90):  Revenue-$201 million (E527
million), Expenditure-$181 million (E475 million).  Defense (1988):
1.4% of GDP. Flag:  Five horizontal stripes-blue, yellow, crimson,
yellow, blue, with shield, two spears, and staff centered on wide
crimson band.

ECONOMY
GDP (1988 est.):  $583 million. Real Annual Growth Rate (1982-88):
3.4%.  Per Capita Income (1986):  $804. Avg. Inflation Rate (1989):
13.3%. Natural Resources:  Asbestos, coal, clay, gold, diamonds, timber,
hydroelectric power. Agriculture (24% of GDP):  Products-sugar cane,
corn, citrus fruit, livestock, wood, pineapple, cotton, tobacco.
Cultivated land-16% (crops plus commercial forests).  Manufacturing (26%
of GNP):  Types- sugar refining, light manufactured goods, wood pulp,
textiles, ginned cotton, processed foods, beverages, consumer goods.
Trade (1988, est.):  Exports-$436 million:  sugar, wood products,
manufactures, canned fruit, asbestos, citrus, meat and meat products.
Major markets-South Africa, other African countries, European Community,
United States.  Imports (1988) -$424 million:  motor vehicles, heavy
machinery, fuel and lubricants, foodstuffs, clothing.  Major
suppliers-South Africa, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia. Official
Exchange Rate:  1 lilangeni (pl. emalangeni) = 1 South African rand;
2.65 emalangeni = $1. Fiscal Year:  April 1-March 31.

MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
 UN and most of its specialized agencies, Organization of African Unity
(OAU), Commonwealth of Nations, International Sugar Association, South
African Customs Union, Common Monetary Area, Preferential Trade Area,
Southern African Development Coordination Conference, Nonaligned
Movement.

GEOGRAPHY
 Swaziland is bordered on three sides by the Republic of South Africa
(the provinces of the Transvaal and Natal).  It also shares a
112-kilometer (70-mile) border with Mozambique.
 Swaziland is divided geographically into four well-defined regions
running from north to south.
 The mountainous highveld in the west has a humid, near-temperate
climate with 100-230 centimeters (40-90 in.) mean annual rainfall.
 The middleveld and the Lubombo plateau (the central and extreme eastern
sections, respectively) are subtropical and somewhat drier with 65-120
centimeters (25-47 in.) mean annual rainfall.
 The lowveld, a broad area running north to south, is subtropical and
drier still with 50-90 centimeters (20-35 in.) mean annual rainfall
concentrated mainly in a few heavy storms.
 Mean annual temperatures vary between 10.8oC (51oF) in the highveld and
29.7C (85F) in the lowveld.

PEOPLE AND HISTORY
 Most Swazis are subsistence farmers.  About 17,000 are employed outside
the country in South African gold and platinum mines.  The whites
consist of English, Afrikaans, and Portuguese groups and are engaged
mainly in agriculture, commerce, construction and mining.  Most white
Swazis are managers or skilled laborers.
 Christianity in Swaziland is sometimes mixed with traditional beliefs
and practices.  Most Swazis ascribe a special spiritual role to the
monarch.
 The country's official languages are SiSwati (a Nguni language related
to Zulu) and English.  Government and commercial business is conducted
mainly in English.
 According to tradition, the people of the present Swazi nation migrated
south before the 16th century to what is now Mozambique.  After a series
of conflicts with people living in the area of modern Maputo, the Swazis
settled in northern Zululand in about 1750.
 Unable to match the growing Zulu strength there, the Swazis moved
gradually northward in the early 1800s and established themselves in the
area of modern Swaziland.  They consol-idated their hold in this area
under several able leaders.  The most important of these was Mswati,
from whom the Swazis derive their name.  Under his leadership in the
1840s, the Swazis expanded their territory to the northwest and
stabilized the southern frontier with the Zulus.
 The first Swazi contact with the British came early in Mswati's reign
when he asked the British agent general in South Africa for assistance
against Zulu raids into Swaziland.  During Mswati's reign, the first
whites settled in the country.
 In the years following Mswati's death, the Swazis struggled to
guar-antee their independence.  Agreements between the British and the
Transvaal (South Africa) governments in 1881 and 1884 provided that
Swaziland should be independent.  During this period, however, many
concessions for farming, mining, and commerce were granted to whites by
the Swazi ruler, Mbandzeni.  A number of confusing claims stemming from
these con-cessions were pressed on the Swazi government.  To bring order
to the chaotic situation, a provisional administration for the territory
was established in 1890 representing Swazi, British, and South African
(Transvaal) government interests.
 In 1894, under a convention between the British and the South African
governments, the latter assumed the powers of protection and
administration.  Swaziland continued under this form of government until
the conquest of the Transvaal during the Boer War, when the rights and
powers assumed by the South African Republic in the country passed to
the British.  In 1903, Britain formally took over the administration of
Swaziland.
 In 1907, the British made an effort to settle the land concession
question by defining farm concession boundaries and returning about
one-third of all contested land to the Swazis in return for freehold
titles granted to the concessionaires.  The boundaries of mineral
concessions were also defined, and all monopoly concessions were
canceled.
 In 1921, Swaziland's first legislative body, an advisory council of
elected white representatives, was established.  Its purpose was to
advise the high commissioner on purely non-Swazi affairs.  In 1944, the
high commissioner recognized the council as having official status.  At
the same time, the high commissioner recognized the paramount chief as
the native authority for the territory, empowering him to issue legally
enforceable orders to the Swazis.
 After 20 years of rule by a regent, the Queen Mother Labotsibeni,
Sobhuza II became Ngwenyama (the lion) or head of the Swazi Nation in
1921.  Before coming to the throne, the king studied for several years
at Lovedale in South Africa and received  special education by royal
tutors.  Shortly after becoming Ngwenyama, he traveled to London with
his advisors to argue unsuccessfully the Swazi side of the land
concession question before the privy council.
 In the early years of colonial rule, the British expected that
Swaziland would eventually be incorporated into South Africa.  After
World War II, however, South Africa's intensification of apartheid
prompted the United Kingdom to prepare Swaziland for independence.
Educational and medical development and investment in agricultural
projects were increased markedly.
 Political activity intensified in the early 1960s.  Partly in response
to events elsewhere in Africa, several political parties were formed
that agitated for independence and economic development.  These parties
were largely urban-based, however, and had few ties to the rural areas
where 80% of the Swazis live.  The traditional Swazi leaders, including
King Sobhuza and his council, formed the Imbokodvo National Movement, a
political group that capitalized on its identification with the
traditional Swazi way of life.
 Responding to pressures for political reform, the colonial govern-ment
scheduled an election in mid-1964 for the first legislative council in
which the Swazis would participate.  In the election, the Imbokodvo won
all 24 elective seats.  Four other parties, most of them having more
radical platforms, also competed in the election.  The largest of these,
the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC), received 9% of the vote
but won no seats.  Having solidified its political base, the Imbokodvo
incorporated many demands of the more radical parties, especially that
of immediate independence.  In 1966, the British agreed to hold talks on
a new constitution.  Some conservative whites living in the territory
made an unsuccessful attempt to establish the principle of separate
elections for white-reserved seats in the new national assembly.  The
constitutional committee, consisting of representatives of the king and
of the Swazi National Council, other political parties, and the British
Government, rejected this suggestion.  The committee agreed on a
constitutional monarchy for Swaziland, with self-government to follow
parliamentary elections in 1967.  Although the NNLC received 20% of the
vote in the April elections, the party was weakened before then by
extensive defections of its younger and more dynamic leaders to the
Imbokodvo movement.  Swaziland became independent on September 6, 1968.
 Swaziland's first post-independence elections were held in May 1972.
The Imbokodvo gained about 75% of the vote.  The NNLC received slightly
more than 20% of the vote, winning three seats in Parliament.
 On April 12, 1973, King Sobhuza repealed the 1968 constitution,
suspended meetings of parliament, and assumed all governmental powers.
He dissolved and prohibited all political parties.  These steps were
justified as removing alien and divisive political practices
incompatible with the Swazi way of life.  In January 1979, a new
parliament was convened, chosen partly through indirect elections and
partly through direct appointment by the king.
 King Sobhuza II died in August 1982, and Queen Regent Dzeliwe assumed
the duties of head of state.  In 1983, an internal dispute resulted in
the replacement of the prime minister and the eventual replacement of
Queen Regent Dzeliwe by Queen Regent Ntombi.  During the same period,
Ntombi's son, Prince Makhosetive, was named heir to the Swazi throne.
Parliamentary elections under the indirect system were held again in
October 1983, but real power was concentrated in the Liqoqo, a
traditional advisory body that claimed to give binding advice to the
queen regent.  In October 1985, the queen regent reasserted her power by
dismissing the chief of police and the leading figures of the Liqoqo.
Prince Makhosetive returned early from school in England to ascend the
throne and put an end to the continuing internal disputes.
 The crown prince was enthroned as Mswati III in April 1986.  Shortly
afterward, he abolished the Liqoqo.  In November 1987, a new parliament
was elected and a new cabinet appointed.  The current prime minister,
who replaced the prime minister selected at the time of the king's
coronation, was appointed in July 1989.
 In 1988, the king pardoned 12 senior figures convicted in 1987 of
treason stemming from the overthrow of Queen Regent Dzeliwe.  Only one,
a senior prince, remains in prison, having been convicted on an
additional charge of framing political opponents.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
 Under Swazi law and custom, the king holds supreme executive,
legislative, and judicial power.  In general practice, the monarch's
power is delegated through a statutory and traditional governmental
structure.  The parliament consists of a 50-member house of assembly (40
chosen through indirect election and 10 appointed by the king) and a
20-member senate (10 elected by the house of assembly and 10 appointed
by the king).  Legislation passed by the parliament must receive royal
assent.  A prime minister (head of government) and a cabinet exercise
executive authority.  The king appoints these from among the members of
parliament.
 The judiciary consists of a court of appeals, a high court, and various
subordinate and traditional courts.
 For local administration, Swaziland is divided into four regions, the
administrators of which are appointed by the central government.
Manzini and Mbabane have municipal governments.  Parallel to this
statutory government structure is a traditional system consisting of the
king and his traditional advisors, traditional courts, and 40 Tinkhundla
(subregional districts in which the traditional chiefs are grouped).

Principal Government Officials
Head of State-King Mswati III
Prime Minister- Obed M. Dlamini
Ministers Agriculture and Cooperative-H. Sipho Mamba
Commerce, Industry, and Tourism-Douglas Nkomeni Ntiwane
Education-Chief Sipho Shongwe Finance- Barnabas Dlamini
Foreign Affairs-George Mamba Health-Fannie Friedman
Interior and Immigration-Senzenjani Tshabalala
Justice-Reginald Dhladhla
Labor and Public Service- Benjamin Nsibandze
Natural Resources, Land Utilization and Energy-Prince Nqaba Dlamini
Works and Communications-Wilson Mkhonta

 Swaziland maintains an embassy in the United States at 3400
International Drive, NW, Suite 3M, Washington, DC,  20008
(202-362-6683).
 Swaziland's Mission to the United Nations is at 866 UN Plaza, New York,
NY,  10017  (212-371-8910).

ECONOMY
 Swaziland ranks among the more prosperous countries in Africa.  Most of
the high-level economic activity is in the hands of non-Africans, but
ethnic Swazis are becoming more active small entrepreneurs and are
moving into mid-management positions.  Although 80% of Swazis live in
rural areas or on farms, almost every homestead has someone employed for
wage income who provides financial support.  In recent years, new
entrants into the labor pool have exceeded the number of new jobs
created.

 About 56% of the land is held by the crown trust for the Swazi nation.
The remaining 44% is privately owned, much of it by non-residents.
Questions of land use and ownership remain sensitive.
 Cattle are the main evidence of Swazi wealth. Although always valued
for their own sake, cattle are being used increasingly for milk, meat,
and profit.  Beef, hides, and skin are important export items.  Dairy
farming is increasingly important.
 In connection with the development of an iron ore mine at Ngwenya,
which has since ceased operation, the Swaziland railway was constructed
from east to west across the country.  The railway made it possible to
export bulk goods from Swaziland through the port of Maputo, Mozambique.
 Until recently, most of Swaziland's exports were shipped through this
port.  Conflict in Mozambique over the last few years has diverted many
Swazi exports to ports in South Africa.  A northern rail link was
completed in 1986, providing a connection between the eastern Transvaal
rail network and the South African ports of Richard's Bay and Durban.
 The sugar industry, based solely on irrigated cane, is centered on
three mills and is Swaziland's leading export earner.  Soft-drink
concentrate (a US investment) is the kingdom's second largest export
earner, followed by wood pulp and lumber from cultivated pine forests.
Pineapple, citrus fruit, and cotton are other important agricultural
exports.
 Coal deposits in the east have been developed and are increasingly
exploited.  Diamonds, industrial and gem, are growing in importance.
Asbestos, formerly a leading mineral export, now constitutes less than
5% of total exports.
 In recent years, many small indus-tries have been established, some of
them in the two new industrial estates at Matsapha, near Manzini and at
Nhlangano, in the south.  In addition to processed agricultural and
forestry products, the fast growing industrial sector also manufactures
machinery and transport equipment, iron-pipe fittings, structural-steel
parts, plastic containers, cardboard packaging, furniture, beer, liquor,
soft drinks and soft-drink concentrates, candles, paint, resins,
fertilizers, insecticides and other chemicals, and knitted and woven
clothing.  The Swaziland Industrial Development Corporation (SIDC) has
assisted in bringing many of these industries to the country.  The
government also encourages industries and businesses.  The Small
Enterprises Development Company and SIDC aid in the creation of small
Swazi firms.
 Tourism also is important.  The country's beautiful scenery and
well-developed tourist facilities attract more than 250,000 visitors
annually.
 During the early and mid-1970s, Swaziland consistently experienced
trade balance surpluses.  In the early 1980s, dramatic declines in
market prices for sugar and wood pulp led to increasingly large
deficits.  Recovery in those sectors as well as rapidly growing foreign
investment in the manufacturing center have boosted growth rates
dramatically in the last two years.  Since mid-1985, the depressed value
of the lilangeni has increased the competitiveness of Swazi exports and
moderated the growth of imports, generating trade surpluses.
  The United States is not a major market for Swazi exports, lagging far
behind the European Community and South Africa, the kingdom's most
important customers.  The United States is a significant market for
Swazi sugar, however, and purchased 30,000 metric tons in 1989.
 Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, and South Africa form a custom union in
which import duties apply uniformly to the member countries.  Swaziland,
Lesotho, and South Africa are joined in a common monetary area (CMA).  A
formal agreement governing currency controls and monetary affairs among
the three countries was signed by member countries in December 1974 and
renegotiated and extended in 1986.  The CMA allows free transfer and
unrestricted use of money with the CMA and provides for uniform foreign
exchange controls in connection with non-members.  Swaziland issued its
own currency, the lilangeni (emalan-geni in the plural), in September
1974.  Although not tied to the Rand, the lilangeni at present trades at
par with it.  Monetary transfers within the common monetary area do not
require government approval.  Transfers outside the CMA do require
central bank approval, which is generally granted.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
 Swaziland is a member of the United Nations and the Organization of
African Unity.  More than 40 countries have accredited ambassadors to
the kingdom, although only a few have resident representatives.
Swaziland maintains diplomatic missions in Brussels (European
Community), London, Maputo, Nairobi, New York (UN), and Washington, D.C.
 Because of its location, Swaziland has close economic ties with South
Africa.  Abouty 15% of the Swazis with paid employment work in South
African mines, industries, and farms, and roughly 90% of Swaziland's
imports either originate in or transit through South Africa.  The
governments cooperate as appropriate.  Although diplomatic
representatives have not been exchanged, a South African trade
commissioner lives in Mbabane.

DEFENSE
 National defense is the responsibility of the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense
Force, consisting of about 3,000 troops and commanded by Brig. Gen.
Fonono Dube.  A small British military team assists the defense force in
military training.  Several officers each year are also trained in the
United States under the International Military Education Training
Program.

US-SWAZI RELATIONS
 The United States seeks to maintain and strengthen the good bilateral
relations that have existed since  Swaziland became independent in 1968.
 The United States respects Swaziland's non-racial policy and encourages
its continued economic and political development.
 The United States has assisted in developing Swazi agriculture, in
expanding the rural health and rural water systems, in developing a more
job-relevant primary school curriculum, and in developing the private
sector.  Swaziland sends about 20 students to the United States each
year, primarily for master's and doctorate degrees.  Some 80 Peace Corps
volunteers work in Swaziland in a wide range of activities.

Principal US Officials
Ambassador-Vacant
Charge d' Affaires, a.i.- Arma Jane Karaer
Director, AID Mission-Roger Carlson
Public Affairs Officer (USIS)-Helen Picard
Director, Peace Corps-John Stabler

 The US Embassy in Swaziland is in the Central Bank Building, Warner
Street, P.O. Box 199, Mbabane.

TRAVEL NOTES
 Customs: S citizens do not need visas to enter Swaziland.
 Climate:  Swaziland's climate is moderate, similar to that of the
middle Atlantic states but with the seasons reversed.
 Health:  Adequate medical care is available in Swaziland for routine
illnesses.  Serious illnesses and accidents must be treated in South
Africa or elsewhere.  Tap water should be boiled or filtered.  The
climate is basically healthful.
 Telecommunications:  International and local telephone and telegraph
services are available.  Mbabane is seven time zones ahead of eastern
standard time.
 Transportation:  Regular air service to and from Matsapa airport, near
Mbabane and Manzini, links Swaziland with major international routes.
Taxis and rental cars are available at the airport and in Mbabane.
 National Holidays:  Businesses and the US Embassy may be closed on the
following Swazi holidays:
Good Friday  Varies
Easter Monday  Varies
King's Birthday  April 19
National Flag Day April 25
Ascension Day  May 12
Public Holiday  July 22
Reed Dance  Varies-August or September
Independence Day September 6
Christmas Day  December 25
Boxing Day   December 26
Incwala   Varies- December or January

FURTHER INFORMATION
 These  titles are provided as a general indication of the material
published on this country.  The Department of State does not endorse
unofficial publications.
 Bonner, Philip.  Kings, Commoners and Concessionaires. Johannesburg:
Ravan Press, 1983.
 Booth, Alan R.  Swaziland:  Tradition and Change in a Southern African
Kingdom.  Boulder:  Westview Press, 1983.
 Grotpeter, John J.  Historical Dictionary of Swaziland.  Metuchen,
N.J.:  Scarecrow Press, 1975.
 Jones, David.  Aid and Development in Southern Africa:  British Aid to
Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland.  London:  Croom Helm, 1977.
 Kuper, Hilda.  Sobhuza II, Ngwenyama and King of Swaziland:  The Story
of an Hereditary Ruler and His Country.  London:  Duckworth, 1978.
 Kuper, Hilda.  An African Aristocracy:  Rank Among the Swazi. Reprinted
with new preface.  London:  Oxford University Press, 1961 (C. 1947).
Matsebula, J.A.  History of Swaziland.  Cape Town:  Longman 1988.
Matsebula, J.A.  The Eye of the King.  Cape Town:  Maskew Miller, 1983.
 Potholm, Christian P.  Swaziland:  The Dynamics of Political
Modernization.  Berkeley:  University of California Press, 1982.
 Selwyn, Percy.  Industries in the Southern African Perifery:  A  Study
of Industrial Development in Botswana, Lesotho, and  Swaziland.  London:
 Croom Helm, 1975. The Sixth National Development Plan
(1990/91-1992/93). Swaziland:  Government Printing Office, 1990.
 For information on economic trends, commercial development, production,
trade regulations, and tariff rates, contact the International Trade
Administration, US Department of Commerce, Washington, DC.  20230 or any
Commerce Department District Office.

 Published by the United States Department of State --  Bureau of Public
Affairs  -- Office of  Public Communication  --  Washington, DC  --  May
1990  --  Editor:  Jim Pinkelman
 Department of State Publication 8174 Background Notes Series  --  This
material is in the public domain and may  be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC  20402.  (###)


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