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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
- Map references:
- Africa
- Area:
- total area:
- 17,360 sq km
- land area:
- 17,200 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly smaller than New Jersey
- Land boundaries:
- total 535 km, Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
- Coastline:
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims:
- none; landlocked
- International disputes:
- 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
- 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
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 10.9%
- permanent crops:
- 0.2%
- meadows and pastures:
- 62.2%
- forest and woodland:
- 6.9%
- other:
- 19.8%
- Irrigated land:
- 640 sq km (1993 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- limited access to potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because
- of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
- natural hazards:
- NA
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed,
- but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea
- Note:
- landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 966,977 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- 46% (female 222,544; male 221,003)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (female 261,973; male 238,726)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (female 13,291; male 9,440) (July 1995 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 3.23% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 43.06 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 10.8 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 90.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 56.84 years
- male:
- 52.83 years
- female:
- 60.96 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 6.1 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Swazi(s)
- adjective:
- Swazi
- Ethnic divisions:
- African 97%, European 3%
- Religions:
- Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
- Languages:
- English (official; government business conducted in English), siSwati
- (official)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
- total population:
- 67%
- male:
- 70%
- female:
- 65%
- Labor force:
- NA
- by occupation:
- private sector about 65%, public sector 35%
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Swaziland
- conventional short form:
- Swaziland
- Digraph:
- WZ
- 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, Swazi
- traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted
- compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Suffrage:
- none
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet; designated by the monarch
- Legislative branch:
- bicameral Parliament is advisory
- Senate:
- consists of 30 members (10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20
- appointed by the king)
- House of Assembly:
- elections last held NA October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - NA;
- seats - (65 total, 55 directly elected, 10 appointed by the king) -
- balloting held on a non-party basis
- Judicial branch:
- High Court, Court of Appeal
- Political parties and leaders:
- note:
- political parties are banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October
- 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings
- illegal parties:
- Peoples' United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Kilson SHONOWE; Swaziland
- Youth Congress (SWAYCO), Benedict TSABEDZE; Swaziland Communist Party
- (SWACOPA), Mphandlana SHONGWE
- Member of:
- ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Government
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Madzandza Mary KHANYA
- chancery:
- 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 362-6683, 6685
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 244-8059
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador John T. SPROTT
- embassy:
- Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
- telephone:
- [268] 46441 through 46445
- FAX:
- [268] 45959
- Flag:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Economy
-
-
- Overview:
- The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than
- 60% of the population and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing,
- which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another
- quarter of GDP. Mining has declined in importance in recent years;
- high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted by 1978, and health concerns cut
- world demand for asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products 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 90% of its imports and to which it sends
- about half of its exports. Remittances from Swazi workers in South African
- mines may supplement domestically produced income by as much as 20%.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1994 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 4.5% (1994 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $3,490 (1994 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 11.3% (1993 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 15% (1992 est.)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $342 million
- expenditures:
- $410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (1994 est.)
- Exports:
- $632 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
- commodities:
- sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, cotton yarn, asbestos
- partners:
- South Africa 50% (est.), EC countries, Canada
- Imports:
- $734 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
- commodities:
- motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products,
- foodstuffs, chemicals
- partners:
- South Africa 90% (est.), Switzerland, UK
- External debt:
- $240 million (1992)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 4.2% (1993 est.)
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 120,000 kW
- production:
- 410 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 1,003 kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
- Agriculture:
- accounts for over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence agriculture; cash
- crops - sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus fruit, pineapples;
- other crops and livestock - corn, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, sheep;
- not self-sufficient in grain
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Economy
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- bilateral aid (1991) $35 million of which US disbursements $12 million, UK
- disbursements $6 million, and Denmark $2 million; multilateral aid (1991)
- $24 million of which EC disbursements $8 million
- Currency:
- 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- emalangeni (E) per US$1 -3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636
- (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990); note - the Swazi
- emalangeni is at par with the South African rand
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- total:
- 297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use
- narrow gauge:
- 297 km 1.067-m gauge (single track)
- Highways:
- total:
- 2,853 km
- paved:
- 510 km
- unpaved:
- crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 1,230 km; improved earth 1,113 km
- Ports:
- none
- Airports:
- total:
- 18
- with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
- 1
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 9
- with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 8
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 17,000 telephones; telephone density is only 17.6 telephones/1,000 persons
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity radio
- relay microwave links
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 7, FM 6, shortwave 0
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 10
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Swaziland
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 212,239; males fit for military service 122,782 (1995 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $22 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)
-