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  Swaziland  
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  Geography
  People
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  Economy
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In general, information available as of 1 January 2003
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003.


This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003


Map of Swaziland

Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Swaziland
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Swaziland
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 17,363 sq km
water: 160 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 9.77%
permanent crops: 0.7%
other: 89.53% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
690 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
drought
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
   People    Swaziland
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,161,219
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 2003 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 41.4% (male 242,762; female 238,141)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 317,526; female 321,709)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 18,040; female 23,041) (2003 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.5 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 18.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.83% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
29.37 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
21.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 67.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 70.79 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 39.47 years
male: 41.02 years
female: 37.87 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.92 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
33.4% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
170,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6%
male: 82.6%
female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
   Government    Swaziland
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
6 September 1968 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)
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:
Definition Field Listing
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 18 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008)
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:
Definition Field Listing
High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
political parties are banned by the constitution - the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA
FAX: [1] (202) 244-8059
telephone: [1] (202) 362-6683
chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador James D. McGEE
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:
Definition Field Listing
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
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends more than two-thirds 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 2002 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $5.542 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.6% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 17%
industry: 44%
services: 39% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
40% (1995)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11.8% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
383,200 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
34% (2000 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $448 million
expenditures: $506.9 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (FY 01/02)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.7% (FY 95/96)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
348.3 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
962.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
639 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$820 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5%, UK (1999)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$938 million f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% (1999)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$320 million (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$104 million (2001)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
lilangeni (SZL)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
SZL
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
emalangeni per US dollar - 10.54 (2002), 8.61 (2001), 6.94 (2000), 6.11 (1999), 5.53 (1998)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Swaziland
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
38,500 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
45,000 (2001)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced 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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
5 plus 7 relay stations (2001)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sz
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
5 (2002)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,000 (2002)
   Transportation    Swaziland
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 3,247 km
paved: NA
unpaved: NA (1998)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
none
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
18 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2002)
   Military    Swaziland
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 284,530 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 165,005 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$20 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.75% (FY00)
   Transnational Issues    Swaziland
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003


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