1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 17,360 km2 land area: 17,200 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
varies from tropical to near temperate
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Environment
overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
620 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 535 km, Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Land use
arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 67% forest and woodland: 6% other: 19%
Location
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
none; landlocked
Natural resources
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Note
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Terrain
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
People and Society
Birth rate
43.22 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
African 97%, European 3%
Infant mortality rate
95.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
195,000 (over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture; about 92,000 wage earners - many only intermittently) by occupation: agriculture and forestry 36%, community and social service 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other 21% note: 15,980 employed in South African gold and coal mines (1991)
Languages
English (official; government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 55.94 years male: 51.97 years female: 60.03 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1976) total population: 55% male: 57% female: 54%
Nationality
noun: Swazi(s) adjective: Swazi
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
906,932 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
3.18% (1993 est.)
Religions
Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Total fertility rate
6.16 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Capital
Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
Chief of State
King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
Constitution
none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally presented to the people
Digraph
WZ
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 362-6683
Elections
direct legislative elections rescheduled for June 1993
Executive branch
monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Obed Mfanyana DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)
Independence
6 September 1968 (from UK)
Judicial branch
High Court, Court of Appeal
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
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
Member of
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland
National holiday
Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
Political parties and leaders
none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978
Suffrage
none
Type
monarchy independent member of Commonwealth
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 23% of GDP and 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
Budget
revenues $342 million; expenditures $410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (FY94 est.)
Currency
1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $142 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Electricity
60,000 kW capacity; 155 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
emalangeni (E) per US$1 -3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988); note - the Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South African rand
Exports
$575 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit partners: South Africa 50% (est.), EC countries, Canada
External debt
$290 million (1990)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Imports
$730 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals partners: South Africa 75% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK
Industrial production
growth rate NA%; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)
Industries
mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
13% (1991 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $700 million (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$800 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
2.5% (1991 est.)
Overview
The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies most of the labor force 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 in 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 75% of its imports and to which it sends about half of its exports.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
total: 23 usable: 21 with permanent-surfaced runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Highways
2,853 km total; 510 km paved, 1,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, and 1,113 km improved earth
Railroads
297 km (plus 71 km disused), 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Telecommunications
system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity microwave links; 17,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $22 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 197,214; fit for military service 114,097 (1993 est.)