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 ruling monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection.
Location
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Geographic coordinates
26 30 S, 31 30 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
17,363 sq km
land
17,203 sq km
water
160 sq km
Area - comparative
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)
Climate
varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Elevation extremes
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
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Population
1,133,066
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
40.3% (male 230,238/female 226,184)
15-64 years
56.1% (male 304,899/female 331,036)
65 years and over
3.6% (male 15,870/female 24,839) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
18.6 years
male
17.9 years
female
19.3 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.337% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
26.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
30.35 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.018 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.921 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.639 male(s)/female
total population
0.947 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
70.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male
74 deaths/1,000 live births
female
67.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
32.23 years
male
31.84 years
female
32.62 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.43 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
38.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
220,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
17,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Swazi(s)
adjective
Swazi
Ethnic groups
African 97%, European 3%
Religions
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%
Languages
English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
81.6%
male
82.6%
female
80.8% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form
Swaziland
local long form
Umbuso weSwatini
local short form
eSwatini
Government type
monarchy
Capital
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
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence
6 September 1968 (from UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Constitution
signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006
Legal system
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
18 years of age
Executive branch
chief of state
King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government
Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)
cabinet
Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch
elections
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
Legislative branch
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 18 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008)
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
High Court; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leaders
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]
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
In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. 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. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. 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 2004-05 because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.936 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.195 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
1.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$5,200 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
8.6%
industry
49.7%
services
41.7% (2006 est.)
Labor force
300,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
Unemployment rate
40% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
69% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1%
highest 10%
50.2% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$984.6 million
expenditures
$1.019 billion; including capital expenditures of $147 million (2006 est.)
