2015 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, Africa'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 the legal status of political parties remains unclear. 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

962.1 cu m/yr (2005)

total

1.04 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%)

Geographic coordinates

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Irrigated land

498.5 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (2)

Mozambique 108 km, South Africa 438 km

total

546 km

Land use

arable land 9.8%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 57.7%

agricultural land

68.3%

forest

31.7%

other

0% (2011 est.)

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

4.51 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

35.99% (male 261,213/female 255,489)

15-24 years

22.26% (male 161,626/female 157,990)

25-54 years

33.64% (male 249,233/female 233,703)

55-64 years

4.26% (male 24,229/female 36,968)

65 years and over

3.84% (male 21,582/female 33,580) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

24.67 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

9% (2000 est.)

total number

28,043

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.8% (2010)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

65.2% (2010)

Death rate

13.56 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.1%

potential support ratio

16.5% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

69.3%

youth dependency ratio

63.2%

Drinking water source

urban: 93.6% of population

rural: 68.9% of population

total: 74.1% of population

urban: 6.4% of population

rural: 31.1% of population

total: 25.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

7.8% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

African 97%, European 3%

Health expenditures

8.4% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

27.36% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,500 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

204,100 (2013 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

48.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

56.49 deaths/1,000 live births

total

52.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

50.5 years (2015 est.)

male

51.6 years

total population

51.05 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

87.5% (2015 est.)

male

87.4%

total population

87.5%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

malaria

water contact disease

schistosomiasis (2013)

Major urban areas - population

MBABANE (capital) 66,000 (2014)

Median age

female

21.3 years (2014 est.)

male

20.7 years

total

21 years

Nationality

adjective

Swazi

noun

Swazi(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

14.8% (2014)

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

1,435,613

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 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.11% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 63.1% of population

rural: 56% of population

total: 57.5% of population

urban: 36.9% of population

rural: 44% of population

total: 42.5% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2011)

male

12 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.07 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.66 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.64 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.8 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

21.3% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Capital

geographic coordinates

26 19 S, 31 08 E

name

Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1968, 1978; latest signed by the king 26 July 2005, effective 8 February 2006 (2013)

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 Makila JAMES (since 27 August 2012)

embassy

7th Floor, Central Bank Building, Mahlokohla St., Mbabane

FAX

[268] 404-5959

mailing address

P. O. Box 199, Mbabane

telephone

[268] 404-6441

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Abednigo Mandla NTSHANGASE (since 19 July 2010)

FAX

[1] (202) 234-8254

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5002

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet recommended by the prime minister, confirmed by the monarch

chief of state

King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)

elections/appointments

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

head of government

Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 23 October 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso MASUKU (since 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 law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the Supreme Court of the Judicature comprising the Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 5 justices) and the High Court (consists of the chief justice - ex officio - and at least 4 justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in all constitutional matters

judge selection and term of office

justices of the Supreme Court of the Judicature are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission or JCS, a judicial advisory body consisting of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, 4 members appointed by the monarch, and the JCS head; justices of both courts eligible for retirement at age 65 with mandatory retirement at age 75 for Supreme Court justices and at age 70 for High Court justices

note

the national constitution as amended in 2006 shifted judicial power from the monarch and vested it exclusively in the judiciary

subordinate courts

magistrates' courts; National Swazi Courts for administering customary/traditional laws (jurisdiction restricted to customary law for Swazi citizens)

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 20 members appointed by the monarch and 10 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the House of Assembly; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 55 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 10 members appointed by the monarch; members serve 5-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 20 September 2013 (next scheduled for September 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Andrease Enoke Fanyana SIMELANE/David Kenneth RYCROFT

name

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

note

adopted 1968; uses elements of both ethnic Swazi and Western music styles

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

National symbol(s)

lion, elephant; national colors: blue, yellow, red

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]

Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Alvit 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 Solidarity Network or SSN

Suffrage

18 years of age

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.406 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$1.349 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.8% (31 December 2014 est.)

8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$34 million (2014 est.)

$140.8 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$568.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$488.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.4 (2001)

Economy - overview

Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland depends heavily on South Africa for more than 90% of its imports and for 60% of its exports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, effectively relinquishing Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. The government is heavily dependent on customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union, and worker remittances from South Africa supplement domestically earned income. Swaziland’s GDP per capita makes it a lower middle income country, but its income distribution is highly skewed, with an estimated 20% of the population controlling 80% of the nation’s wealth. Subsistence agriculture employs approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector diversified in the 1980s and 1990s, but manufacturing has grown little in the last decade. Sugar and wood pulp had been major foreign exchange earners until the wood pulp producer closed in January 2010, and sugar is now the main export earner. Mining has declined in importance in recent years. Coal, gold, diamond, and quarry stone mines are small-scale, and the only iron ore mine closed in 2014. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and to attract foreign direct investment is acute. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and floods are persistant problems. On 1 January 2015, Swaziland lost its eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), threatening the remaining 12,000 jobs in the textile and apparel sector, after 3,000 jobs were lost since the 2014 announcement of the loss of AGOA. As of 2013 more than one-quarter of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS; Swaziland has the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate.

Exchange rates

emalangeni per US dollar -

10.6 (2014 est.)

9.6442 (2013 est.)

8.2 (2012 est.)

7.2597 (2011 est.)

7.3212 (2010 est.)

Exports

$2.192 billion (2014 est.)

$2.104 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

51%

government consumption

25.3%

household consumption

80.5%

imports of goods and services

-70.2%

investment in fixed capital

13.5%

investment in inventories

-0.1%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

7.2%

industry

47.4%

services

45.4% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,800 (2014 est.)

$7,700 (2013 est.)

$7,500 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.7% (2014 est.)

2.8% (2013 est.)

1.9% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.676 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$8.621 billion (2014 est.)

$8.476 billion (2013 est.)

$8.245 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

12.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

15.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

11.8% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

40.1% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

$2.097 billion (2014 est.)

$1.987 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Industrial production growth rate

2.1% (2014 est.)

Industries

coal, forestry, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textiles and apparel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.8% (2014 est.)

5.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

435,500 (2012 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

70%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

$203.1 million (31 December 2007)

$199.9 million (31 December 2006)

Population below poverty line

69% (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$780.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$762.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.109 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.068 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$657 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$643.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$453.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$419.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

35.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

40% (2006 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

936,900 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Electricity - consumption

1.295 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

59.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

40.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

909 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

149,000 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

415 million kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

4,520 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

4,761 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 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 users

percent of population

23.8% (2014 est.)

total

337,300

Radio broadcast stations

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

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 roughly 60 telephones per 100 persons in 2011; 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 - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

44,400

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

65 (2014 est.)

total

916,800

Television broadcast stations

12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)

Airports

14 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

over 3,047 m

1

total

2

Airports - with unpaved runways

7 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

5

total

12

Railways

narrow gauge

301 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

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

344,038 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

175,477 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

201,853

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

15,763 (2010 est.)

male

16,168

Military branches

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing (no operational aircraft)) (2013)

Military expenditures

3.17% of GDP (2012)

3.11% of GDP (2011)

3.17% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2012)

Disputes - international

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