Eswatini

Internet country code

.sz

Internet hosts

2,472 (2006)

Internet users

36,000 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2004)

Telephone system

general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system domestic: 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)

Telephones - main lines in use

35,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

200,000 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Budget

revenues: $805.6 million expenditures: $957.1 million; including capital expenditures of $147 million (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

lilangeni (SZL)

Current account balance

$7 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$357 million (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$104 million (2001)

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 about nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends nearly two-thirds 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.

Electricity - consumption

1.161 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

821.4 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2004)

Electricity - production

392 million kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

emalangeni per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Exports

$1.991 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners

South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.117 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.68 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 11.9% industry: 51.5% services: 36.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.8% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)

Imports

$2.149 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate

3.7% (FY95/96)

Industries

mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

10.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

155,700 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line

69% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$311 million (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

40% (2005 est.)

Area

total: 17,363 sq km land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

varies from tropical to near temperate

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

Environment - current issues

limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Irrigated land

500 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Land use

arable land: 10.25% permanent crops: 0.81% other: 88.94% (2005)

Location

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

drought

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

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)

Constitution

the first constitution was signed into law in July 2005 and is scheduled to be implemented in January 2006

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland local long form: Umbuso weSwatini local short form: eSwatini

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUCKE embassy: Central Bank Building, Mahlokahla Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445 FAX: [268] 404-5959

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

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

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

Government type

monarchy

Independence

6 September 1968 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Political parties and leaders

political parties are banned by the government under an emergency decree that will be revoked when the new constitution takes effect (January 2006)- the following are considered political associations; 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

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age

Background

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 the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 227,617 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 89,609 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; both sexes are eligible for military service (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.7% (male 233,169/female 229,103) 15-64 years: 55.8% (male 303,260/female 330,460) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 16,071/female 24,271) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

27.41 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

29.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

African 97%, European 3%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

38.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

17,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

220,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 71.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 75.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 32.62 years male: 32.1 years female: 33.17 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 18.5 years male: 17.8 years female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Swazi(s) adjective: Swazi

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

1,136,334 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 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.23% (2006 est.)

Religions

Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Sex ratio

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: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

18 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Railways

total: 301 km narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

Roadways

total: 3,594 km paved: 1,078 km unpaved: 2,516 km (2002)