2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.6% (male 240,643/female 235,895) 15-64 years: 55.6% (male 327,661/female 325,400) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 19,273/female 25,028) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

18 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) Military Swaziland

Area

land

17,203 sq km

total

17,363 sq km

water

160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Background

Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection Geography Swaziland

Birth rate

27.72 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$552.7 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (2004 est.)

revenues

$494.6 million

Capital

Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

Climate

varies from tropical to near temperate

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

a constitution was due to be adopted in November 2003 but was delayed and scheduled for early 2005

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form

Swaziland

Currency (code)

lilangeni (SZL)

Currency code

SZL

Current account balance

$-82.4 million (2004 est.)

Death rate

25.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$320 million (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Lewis LUCKE

embassy

Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane

FAX

[268] 404-5959

mailing address

P. O. Box 199, Mbabane

telephone

[268] 404-6441 through 404-6445

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA

FAX

[1] (202) 234-8254

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5002

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Economic aid - recipient

$104 million (2001)

Economy - overview

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 about nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends nearly three-quarters 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 2004 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS.

Electricity - consumption

1.173 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

799 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002)

Electricity - production

402 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

58%

hydro

42%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Emlembe 1,862 m

lowest point

Great Usutu River 21 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups

African 97%, European 3%

Exchange rates

emalangeni per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch

chief of state

King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)

Exports

$900.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners

South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications Swaziland

Flag 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 Economy Swaziland

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

16.1%

industry

43.4%

services

40.5% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.018 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa People Swaziland

Government type

monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Highways

paved

NA

total

3,107 km

unpaved

NA (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

38.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

17,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

220,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)

Imports

$1.14 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004)

Independence

6 September 1968 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

3.7% (FY95/96)

Industries

mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel

Infant mortality rate

female

65.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

72.51 deaths/1,000 live births

total

69.27 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.4% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Internet country code

.sz

Internet hosts

1,401 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2002)

Internet users

27,000 (2003) Transportation Swaziland

Investment (gross fixed)

23.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

690 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch

Labor force

383,200 (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

total

535 km

Land use

arable land

10.35%

other

88.95% (2001)

permanent crops

0.7%

Languages

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

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 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)

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

elections

House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held October 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

33.98 years (2005 est.)

male

32.49 years

total population

33.22 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

80.8% (2003 est.) Government Swaziland

male

82.6%

total population

81.6%

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 248,676 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 98,530 (2005 est.)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

18.92 years (2005 est.)

male

18.53 years

total

18.72 years

Military branches

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF)

Ground Force (includes Air Wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$40.5 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2004) Transnational Issues Swaziland

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; both sexes are eligible for military service (2005)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Nationality

adjective

Swazi

noun

Swazi(s)

Natural hazards

drought

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

political parties are banned by the government - 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

1,173,900 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 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

40% (1995)

Population growth rate

0.25% (2005 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2004)

Radios

170,000 (1999)

Railways

narrow gauge

301 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

total

301 km

Religions

Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$320.5 million (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age

Telephone system

domestic

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

general assessment

a somewhat modern but not an advanced system

international

country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

46,200 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

88,000 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

5 plus 7 relay stations (2004)

Televisions

23,000 (2000)

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Total fertility rate

3.7 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

34% (2000 est.)