The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Swaziland

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Swaziland

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Map

Location: 26 30 S, 31 30 E -- Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

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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

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Geography

Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 26 30 S, 31 30 E
Map references: Africa
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
border countries: 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: asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: NEGL
meadows and pastures: 62%
forest and woodland: 7%
other: 20%
Irrigated land: 640 sq km (1993 est.)
Environment:
current issues: limited access to potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geographic note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

People

Population: 998,730 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 227,634; female 229,129)
15-64 years: 52% (male 247,156; female 271,096)
65 years and over: 2% (male 9,864; female 13,851) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.24% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 42.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 10.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 57.26 years
male: 53.25 years
female: 61.4 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.05 children born/woman (1996 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 (1995 est.)
total population: 76.7%
male: 78%
female: 75.6%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland
Data code: WZ
Type of government: 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 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 and 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:
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) is a hereditary monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993); appointed by the king
cabinet: Cabinet; designated by the king
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, judges are appointed by the king; Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the king
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
illegal parties: Peoples' United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Mario MASUKU; Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Benedict TSABEDZE; Swaziland Communist Party (SWACOPA), Mphandlana SHONGWE; Swaziland Liberation Front (FROLISA); Convention for Full Democracy in Swaziland (COFUDESWA), Sabelo DLAMINI; Swaziland National Front (SWANAFRO); Ngwane Socialist Revolutionary Party (NGWASOREP)
International organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KHANYA
chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 362-6683, 6685
FAX: [1] (202) 244-8059
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador John T. 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

Economic 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.6% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $3,700 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 40%
services: 35% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.7% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 160,355 (1986 est.)
by occupation: private sector about 65%, public sector 35%
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $342 million
expenditures: $410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (1994 est.)
Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 120,000 kW
production: 410 million kWh
consumption per capita: 1,003 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, corn, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Exports: $798 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, cotton yarn, asbestos
partners: South Africa 50%, EU countries, Canada
Imports: $827 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals
partners: South Africa 90%, Switzerland, UK 2.6%
External debt: $240 million (1992)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
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

Railways:
total: 297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use
narrow gauge: 297 km 1.067-m gauge (single track)
Highways:
total: 2,960 km
paved: 804 km
unpaved: 2,156 km (1993 est.)
Ports: none
Airports:
total: 17
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 10
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 6 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 30,364 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: 129,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 10
Televisions: 12,500 (1992 est.)

Defense

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)

Swaziland

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).