Swaziland

Geography

Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area 17,360 sq km
land area 17,200 sq km
comparative area slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total 535 km, Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

International disputes: Swaziland wants to reincorporate territory along the South African border; Mbabane has asked South Africa to open negotiations on border adjustments

Climate: varies from tropical to near temperate

Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

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

Land use:
arable land 8%
permanent crops NA%
meadows and pastures 67%
forest and woodland 6%
other NA%

Irrigated land: 620 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues limited access to safe drinking water presents human health risks; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
natural hazards NA
international agreements party to - Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

People

Population: 936,369 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.21% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 43.14 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 11.07 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 93.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population 56.39 years
male 52.4 years
female 60.5 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.13 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Nationality:
noun Swazi(s)
adjective Swazi

Ethnic divisions: African 97%, European 3%

Religions: Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
total population 67%
male 70%
female 65%

Labor force: probably less than 100,000
by occupation private sector about 65%, public sector 35%

Government

Names:
conventional long form Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form Swaziland

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 UK)

National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)

Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 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: none

Executive branch:
chief of state King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993)
cabinet Cabinet; designated by the monarch

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly; the 30 members of the Senate are appointed - 10 by the House of Assembly and 20 by the king; the members of the House are elected by popular vote; last election held in October 1993

Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978

Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA
chancery 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone (202) 362-6683 or 6685
FAX (202) 244-8059

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission Ambassador John SPROTT
embassy Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane
mailing address P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
telephone [268] 46441 through 46445
FAX [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

Economy

Overview: The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the population and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another quarter of GDP. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted in 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.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 1% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $2,500 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues $342 million
expenditures $410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (1994 est.)

Exports: $632 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, canned fruit, citrus
partners South Africa 50% (est.), EC countries, Canada

Imports: $734 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals
partners South Africa 90% (est.), Switzerland, UK

External debt: $240 million (1992)

Industrial production: growth rate 2.6% (1991); accounts for 40% of GDP (1989)

Electricity:
capacity 60,000 kW
production 198 million kWh (1991)
consumption per capita 180 kWh (1991)

Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar

Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 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:
recipient bilateral aid (1991) $35 million of which US disbursements $12 million, UK disbursements $6 million, and Denmark $2 million; multilateral aid (1991) $24 million of which EC disbursements $8 million

Currency: 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per US$1 -3.4551 (March 1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989); note - the Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South African rand

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications

Railroads: 297 km (plus 71 km disused), 1.067-meter gauge, single track

Highways:
total 2,853 km
paved 510 km
unpaved crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 1,230 km; improved earth 1,113 km

Airports:
total 23
usable 21
with permanent-surface runways 1
with runways over 3,659 m 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m 1

Telecommunications: system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity microwave links; 17,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Branches: Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 204,608; fit for military service 118,380

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