The World Factbook CIA Home CIA Home About CIA Careers Offices of CIA News & Information Library Kid’s Page Contact CIA CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

         
  Swaziland  
Flag of Swaziland
Click to enlarge
Categories Banner
 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


Map of Swaziland



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Swaziland Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Swaziland Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 17,363 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km
water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 10.25%
permanent crops: 0.81%
other: 88.94% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
4.5 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing
total: 1.04 cu km/yr (2%/1%/97%)
per capita: 1,010 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
drought
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
   People    Swaziland Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,128,814
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 2008 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 39.9% (male 226,947/female 222,922)
15-64 years: 56.5% (male 306,560/female 331,406)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 15,594/female 25,385) (2008 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.7 years
male: 18 years
female: 19.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-0.41% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26.6 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
30.7 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 69.59 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 31.99 years
male: 31.69 years
female: 32.3 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
38.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
220,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6%
male: 82.6%
female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Definition Field Listing
total: 10 years
male: 10 years
female: 10 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7% of GDP (2005)
   Government    Swaziland Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland
local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
local short form: eSwatini
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
monarchy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Mbabane
geographic coordinates: 26 18 S, 31 06 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
6 September 1968 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
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
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 16 October 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 10 members appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 10 members appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 19 September 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
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
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
High Court; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the new (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:
Definition Field Listing
Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland and Solidarity Network or SSN
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Ephraim Mandla HLOPHE
chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Maurice S. PARKER
embassy: 2350 Mbabane Place, Mbabane
mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
telephone: [268] 404-2445
FAX: [268] 404-2059
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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 Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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, which may equal as much as 70% of government revenue this year, and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. Swaziland is not poor enough to merit an IMF program; however, the country is struggling to reduce the size of the civil service and control costs at public enterprises. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. 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 nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$5.364 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$2.936 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$4,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 11.8%
industry: 45.7%
services: 42.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
300,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
40% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 40.7% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
50.4 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $1.13 billion
expenditures: $1.143 billion (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13.17% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$244.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$529.4 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$204.1 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textiles and apparel
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
460 million kWh (2007)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.2 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
872 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2007)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,490 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,530 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-$24 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.926 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.914 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$762.7 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$524 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$196.8 million (2005)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
lilangeni (SZL)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
emalangeni per US dollar - 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003)
   Communications    Swaziland Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
44,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
380,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity approaching 40 telephones per 100 persons; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sz
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,582 (2008)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
42,000 (2006)
   Transportation    Swaziland Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2007)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 3,594 km
paved: 1,078 km
unpaved: 2,516 km (2002)
   Military    Swaziland Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 266,311 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 16-49: 122,260 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field Listing
male: 15,951
female: 15,728 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.7% of GDP (2006)
   Transnational Issues    Swaziland Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008


Bottom Banner