2010 Edition

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 King MSWATI III, the world's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but political parties remain banned. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

Area

land

17,204 sq km

total

17,364 sq km

water

160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

varies from tropical to near temperate

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

1,010 cu m/yr (2000)

total

1.04 cu km/yr (2%/1%/97%)

Geographic coordinates

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Irrigated land

500 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

total

535 km

Land use

arable land

10.25%

other

88.94% (2005)

permanent crops

0.81%

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

drought

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

Total renewable water resources

4.5 cu km (1987)

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.6% (male 260,840/female 254,781) 15-64 years: 57.9% (male 383,236/female 391,478) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 19,857/female 26,994) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

27.12 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

14.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

7.9% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

African 97%, European 3%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

26.1% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

10,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

190,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

62.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

70.76 deaths/1,000 live births

total

66.71 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

47.8 years (2010 est.)

male

48.14 years

total population

47.97 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

80.8% (2003 est.)

male

82.6%

total population

81.6%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

malaria

water contact disease

schistosomiasis (2009)

Median age

female

20.5 years (2010 est.)

male

19.7 years

total

20.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Swazi

noun

Swazi(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Population

1,354,051 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.213% (2010 est.)

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2006)

male

11 years

total

10 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.19 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

25% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Capital

geographic coordinates

26 18 S, 31 06 E

name

Mbabane

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)

Constitution

signed by the King in July 2005; went into effect on 8 February 2006

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form

Swaziland

local long form

Umbuso weSwatini

local short form

eSwatini

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Earl M. IRVING

embassy

2350 Mbabane Place, Mbabane

FAX

[268] 404-2059

mailing address

P. O. Box 199, Mbabane

telephone

[268] 404-2445

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Abednigo Mandla NTSHANGASE

FAX

[1] (202) 234-8254

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5002

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among the elected members of the House of Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 16 October 2008)

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; blue stands for peace and stability, red represents past struggles, and yellow the mineral resources of the country; the shield, spears, and staff symbolize protection from the country's enemies, while the black and white of the shield are meant to portray black and white people living in peaceful coexistence

Government type

monarchy

Independence

6 September 1968 (from the UK)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 10 members appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 10 members appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members to serve five-year terms)

election results

House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election 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 on 19 September 2008 (next to be held in 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Andrease Enoke Fanyana SIMELANE/David Kenneth RYCROFT note: adopted 1968; the anthem uses elements of both ethnic Swazi and Western music styles

name

"Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati" (Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Political parties and leaders

the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the 2006 Constitution and currently being debated; the following are considered political associations; African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley MAUNDZISA, president]; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Swaziland Democracy Campaign; Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland and Solidarity Network or SSN

Suffrage

18 years of age

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2009) 11% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.38% (31 December 2009 est.) 14.83% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$374 million (2010 est.) -$213 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$497 million (31 December 2010 est.) $411 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.4 (2001)

Economy - overview

In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. In 2007, the sugar industry increased efficiency and diversification efforts, in response to a 17% decline in EU sugar prices. 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 more than nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends 60% of its exports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, subsuming Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) account for two-thirds of Swaziland's government revenues, and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. Customs revenues plummeted during the global economic crisis and Swaziland has appealed to SACU for assistance. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and attract foreign direct investment is acute. 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 2006-07 because of drought, and more than one-quarter of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.

Electricity - consumption

1.266 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008)

Electricity - imports

770 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

441 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

emalangeni per US dollar - 7.57 (2010), 8.4737 (2009), 7.75 (2008), 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006)

Exports

$1.417 billion (2010 est.) $1.338 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

8.6%

industry

42%

services

49.4% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,500 (2010 est.) $4,400 (2009 est.) $4,500 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2% (2010 est.) 0.4% (2009 est.) 2.4% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.165 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.055 billion (2010 est.) $5.937 billion (2009 est.) $5.913 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 40.7% (2001)

Imports

$1.643 billion (2010 est.) $1.585 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2010 est.)

Industries

coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textiles and apparel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (2010 est.) 7.3% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

12.6% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

457,900 (2007)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA (31 December 2009) $203.1 million (31 December 2007) $199.9 million (31 December 2006)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

4,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

69% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$708 million (31 December 2010 est.) $959 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.266 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $920.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$258.5 million (31 December 2010 est.) $274.5 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$335.7 million (31 December 2010 est) $273.9 million (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

40% (2006 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned TV station; satellite dishes are able to access South African providers; state-owned radio network with 3 channels; 1 private radio station (2007)

Internet country code

.sz

Internet hosts

2,335 (2010)

Internet users

90,100 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

single source for mobile-cellular service with a geographic coverage of about 90% and a rising subscribership base; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity exceeded 60 telephones per 100 persons in 2009; telephone 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) (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

44,000 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

656,000 (2009)

Airports

15 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

13 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 7 (2010)

Railways

narrow gauge

301 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

total

301 km

Roadways

paved

1,078 km

total

3,594 km

unpaved

2,516 km (2002)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 336,436 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 196,633 females age 16-49: 172,602 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

15,630 (2010 est.)

male

16,024

Military branches

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF)

Ground Force (includes Air Wing) (2010)

Military expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; only HIV-negative applicants accepted; compulsory HIV testing required (2010)

Disputes - international

in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Swaziland is a source, destination, and transit country for women and children trafficked internally and transnationally for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor in agriculture; Swazi girls, particularly orphans, are trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, as well as to South Africa and Mozambique; Swazi boys are trafficked for forced labor in commercial agriculture and market vending; some Swazi women are forced into prostitution in South Africa and Mozambique after voluntarily migrating to these countries in search of work

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - the government of Swaziland does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government believes that trafficking probably does occur, but does not know the extent of the problem; the government does not judge trafficking to be an "important" problem and chooses to direct its limited resources towards other issues, a judgment which significantly limited the government's current efforts to eliminate human trafficking, or to plan anti-trafficking activities or initiatives for the future (2010) page last updated on January 19, 2011 ======================================================================