Swaziland

Africa 

 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 535 km, Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime Claims

None; landlocked

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

Climate

Varies from tropical to near temperate

Terrain

Mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

640 sq km (1993 est.)

Environment

Note: Landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

PEOPLE

Population

998,730 (July 1996 est.)
966,977 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

46% (male 227,634; female 229,129) (July 1996 est.)
46% (male 221,003; female 222,544) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

52% (male 247,156; female 271,096) (July 1996 est.)
52% (male 238,726; female 261,973) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

2% (male 9,864; female 13,851) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 9,440; female 13,291) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

3.24% (1996 est.)
3.23% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

42.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
43.06 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

10.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
10.8 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

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
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

88.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
90.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

6.05 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.1 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

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

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

160,355 (1986 est.)

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

WZ

Type

Monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Capital

Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)

Administrative Divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Independence

6 September 1968 (from U.K.)

National Holiday

Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)

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

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

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

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Parliament is advisory

Senate

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

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

Judicial Branch

High Court, Court of Appeal

Political Parties and Leaders

Note: Political parties are banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings

Member of

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

National Anthem

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

ECONOMY

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.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.6 billion (1995 est.), $3.3 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.6% (1995 est.)
4.5% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$3,700 (1995 est.)
$3,490 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

14.7% (1995 est.)
11.3% (1993 est.)

Unemployment Rate

15% (1992 est.)

Budget

Exports

$798 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$632 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$827 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$734 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$240 million (1992)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 4.2% (1993 est.)

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 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

Economic Aid

Currency

1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents

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

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Ports

None

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

30,364 telephones (1993 est.); telephone density is only 17.6 telephones/1,000 persons

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

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

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 220,097; males fit for military service 127,285 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

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

History
World Atlas