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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 was not defined and their status remains unclear. Swaziland has surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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Geography :: SWAZILAND
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Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Africa
total: 17,364 sq km
land: 17,204 sq km
water: 160 sq km
country comparison to the world:
159slightly smaller than New Jersey
total: 546 km
border countries (2): Mozambique 108 km, South Africa 438 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
varies from tropical to near temperate
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
agricultural land: 68.3%
arable land 9.8%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 57.7%
forest: 31.7%
other: 0% (2011 est.)
498.5 sq km (2003)
4.51 cu km (2011)
total: 1.04 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%)
per capita: 962.1 cu m/yr (2005)
drought
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
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
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
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People and Society :: SWAZILAND
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noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi
African 97%, European 3%
English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official)
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other 30% (includes Anglican, Baha'i, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish)
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.)
country comparison to the world:
1550-14 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.)
population pyramid:
total dependency ratio: 69.3%
youth dependency ratio: 63.2%
elderly dependency ratio: 6.1%
potential support ratio: 16.5% (2015 est.)
total: 21.2 years
male: 21 years
female: 21.5 years (2015 est.)
1.11% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
11124.67 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
5513.56 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
140 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
82urban population: 21.3% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
MBABANE (capital) 66,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
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
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
total: 52.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
33total population: 51.05 years
male: 51.6 years
female: 50.5 years (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2212.8 children born/woman (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:
6365.2% (2010)
8.4% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world:
490.17 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
improved:
urban: 93.6% of population
rural: 68.9% of population
total: 74.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 6.4% of population
rural: 31.1% of population
total: 25.9% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 63.1% of population
rural: 56% of population
total: 57.5% of population
unimproved:
urban: 36.9% of population
rural: 44% of population
total: 42.5% of population (2015 est.)
27.73% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1214,300 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
263,500 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
41degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2013)
14.8% (2014)
country comparison to the world:
985.8% (2010)
country comparison to the world:
847.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world:
12definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.5%
male: 87.4%
female: 87.5% (2015 est.)
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2011)
total number: 28,043
percentage: 9% (2000 est.)
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Government :: SWAZILAND
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland
local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
local short form: eSwatini
monarchy
name: Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
geographic coordinates: 26 19 S, 31 08 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
6 September 1968 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
previous 1968, 1978; latest signed by the king 26 July 2005, effective 8 February 2006 (2013)
mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
18 years of age
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 23 October 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso MASUKU (since 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister, confirmed by the monarch
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among elected members of the House of Assembly
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)
elections: House of Assembly - last held on 20 September 2013 (next scheduled for September 2018)
election results: House of Assembly - no results of the election were released; note - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; 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
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
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; National Swazi Courts for administering customary/traditional laws (jurisdiction restricted to customary law for Swazi citizens)
note: the national constitution as amended in 2006 shifted judicial power from the monarch and vested it exclusively in the judiciary
the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the 2006 Constitution; 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]
Swaziland Democracy Campaign
Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions
Swaziland Solidarity Network or SSN
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Abednigo Mandla NTSHANGASE (since 19 July 2010)
chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254
chief of mission: Ambassador Makila JAMES (since 20 September 2012)
embassy: 7th Floor, Central Bank Building, Mahlokohla St., Mbabane
mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
telephone: [268] 404-6441
FAX: [268] 404-5959
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
lion, elephant; national colors: blue, yellow, red
name: "Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati" (Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi)
lyrics/music: Andrease Enoke Fanyana SIMELANE/David Kenneth RYCROFT
note: adopted 1968; uses elements of both ethnic Swazi and Western music styles
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Economy :: SWAZILAND
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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 persistent 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.
$8.621 billion (2014 est.)
$8.476 billion (2013 est.)
$8.245 billion (2012 est.)
note: data are in 2014 US dollars
country comparison to the world:
161$3.676 billion (2014 est.)
1.7% (2014 est.)
2.8% (2013 est.)
1.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
145$7,800 (2014 est.)
$7,700 (2013 est.)
$7,500 (2012 est.)
note: data are in 2014 US dollars
country comparison to the world:
14712.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
15.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
11.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
127household consumption: 80.5%
government consumption: 25.3%
investment in fixed capital: 13.5%
investment in inventories: -0.1%
exports of goods and services: 51%
imports of goods and services: -70.2%
(2014 est.)
agriculture: 7.2%
industry: 47.4%
services: 45.4% (2014 est.)
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
coal, forestry, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textiles and apparel
2.1% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
124435,500 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
158agriculture: 70%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
40% (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world:
19069% (2006 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 40.1% (2010 est.)
50.4 (2001)
country comparison to the world:
18revenues: $1.349 billion
expenditures: $1.406 billion (2014 est.)
35.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
61-1.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
691 April - 31 March
5.8% (2014 est.)
5.6% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1776.5% (31 December 2010)
6.5% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world:
498.8% (31 December 2014 est.)
8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
103$453.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$419.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
164$1.109 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.068 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
165$657 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$643.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
163$NA
$203.1 million (31 December 2007)
$199.9 million (31 December 2006)
$34 million (2014 est.)
$140.8 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
59$2.192 billion (2014 est.)
$2.104 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
142soft drink concentrates, sugar, timber, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
$2.097 billion (2014 est.)
$1.987 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
163motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
$780.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$762.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
141$568.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$488.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
174$NA
$NA
emalangeni per US dollar -
10.6 (2014 est.)
9.6442 (2013 est.)
8.2 (2012 est.)
7.2597 (2011 est.)
7.3212 (2010 est.)
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Energy :: SWAZILAND
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425 million kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1651.295 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1490 kWh (2013)
country comparison to the world:
216900 million kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
68149,000 kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
16559.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1360% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
20840.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
580% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1430 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1460 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2080 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1450 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2100 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2114,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1710 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1464,785 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
1550 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2110 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2110 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
2100 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:
810 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
210936,900 Mt (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world:
168
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Communications :: SWAZILAND
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total subscriptions: 44,400
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
166total: 916,800
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 65 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
160general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced 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
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
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)
AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004)
12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)
.sz
total: 337,300
percent of population: 23.8% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:
137
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Transportation :: SWAZILAND
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14 (2013)
country comparison to the world:
149total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m:
7 (2013)
total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
country comparison to the world:
121total: 3,594 km
paved: 1,078 km
unpaved: 2,516 km (2002)
country comparison to the world:
161
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Military :: SWAZILAND
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Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing (no operational aircraft)) (2013)
18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2012)
males age 16-49: 344,038 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 201,853
females age 16-49: 175,477 (2010 est.)
male: 16,168
female: 15,763 (2010 est.)
3.17% of GDP (2012)
3.11% of GDP (2011)
3.17% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world:
18
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Transnational Issues :: SWAZILAND
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in 2006, Swazi king advocated resorting to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa