1996 Edition

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

Location

26 30 S, 31 30 E -- Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than New Jersey

land area

17,200 sq km

total area

17,360 sq km

Climate

varies from tropical to near temperate

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues

limited access to potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geographic note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

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

Irrigated land

640 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

total

535 km

Land use

arable land

11%

forest and woodland

7%

meadows and pastures

62%

other

20%

permanent crops

NEGL

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

highest point

Emlembe 1,862 m

lowest point

Great Usutu River 21 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 46% (male 227,634; female 229,129) 15-64 years: 52% (male 247,156; female 271,096) 65 years and over: 2% (male 9,864; female 13,851) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

42.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

10.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

African 97%, European 3%

Infant mortality rate

88.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

61.4 years (1996 est.)

male

53.25 years

total population

57.26 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

75.6%

male

78%

total population

76.7%

Nationality

adjective

Swazi

noun

Swazi(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

998,730 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.24% (1996 est.)

Religions

Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

6.05 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Capital

Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)

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

Data code

WZ

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mary Madzandza KHANYA

telephone

[1] (202) 362-6683, 6685

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet; designated by the king

chief of state

King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) is a hereditary monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993); appointed by the king

FAX

[1] (202) 244-8059

[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

House of Assembly

elections last held 26 September and 11 October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; of the total of 65 seats, 10 are appointed by the king and 55 are elected by secret, popular vote; 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

Independence

6 September 1968 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, 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, WTrO

Judicial branch

High Court, judges are appointed by the king; Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the king

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament is advisory

Name of country

conventional long form

Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form

Swaziland

National holiday

Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)

Political parties and leaders

illegal parties

Peoples' United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Mario MASUKU; Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Benedict TSABEDZE; Swaziland Communist Party (SWACOPA), Mphandlana SHONGWE; Swaziland Liberation Front (FROLISA); Convention for Full Democracy in Swaziland (COFUDESWA), Sabelo DLAMINI; Swaziland National Front (SWANAFRO); Ngwane Socialist Revolutionary Party (NGWASOREP)

note

political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings

Senate

consists of 30 members (10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the king)

Suffrage

NA; note - no suffrage before September 1993; 55 of the 65 seats in the House of Assembly were filled by popular vote in the elections of September and October 1993; of a population of less than 1 million, the electorate numbered 283,693

Type of government

monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

$410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (1994 est.)

revenues

$342 million

Currency

1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

This small landlocked economy is based largely on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of agroprocessing factories. 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 supplement domestically produced income by as much as 20%. Overgrazing, soil depletion, and drougth persist as problems for the future.

Electricity

capacity

120,000 kW

consumption per capita

1,003 kWh (1993)

production

410 million kWh

Exchange rates

emalangeni (E) per US$1 - 3.6417 (January 1996), 3.6266 (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

Exports

$798 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, cotton yarn, asbestos

partners

South Africa 50%, EU countries, Canada

External debt

$240 million (1992)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

25%

industry

40%

services

35% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita

$3,700 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.6% (1995 est.)

Imports

$827 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

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

partners

South Africa 90%, Switzerland, UK 2.6%

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (1993 est.)

Industries

mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

14.7% (1995 est.)

Labor force

160,355 (1986 est.)

by occupation

private sector about 65%, public sector 35%

Unemployment rate

15% (1992 est.)

Branches

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $22 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

220,097

males fit for military service

127,285 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

129,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic

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

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

30,364 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

10

Televisions

12,500 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

17

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

10

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

6 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

804 km

total

2,960 km

unpaved

2,156 km (1993 est.)

Ports

none

Railways

narrow gauge

297 km 1.067-m gauge (single track)

total

297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use