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$Unique_ID{COW03444}
$Pretitle{440}
$Title{Swaziland
Statistical Profile of Swaziland}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Central Intelligence Agency}
$Affiliation{United States Government}
$Subject{million
rate
km
south
africa
swaziland
total
}
$Date{1990}
$Log{National Anthem*73100010.aud
Map of Swaziland*0344401.scf
Flag of Swaziland*0344402.scf
}
Country: Swaziland
Book: CIA World Factbook
Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Affiliation: United States Government
Date: 1990
[Hear National Anthem]
[See Map of Swaziland]
[See Flag of Swaziland]
Statistical Profile of Swaziland
Geography
Total area: 17,360 km2; land area: 17,200 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 535 km total; Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, tin, hydroelelectric
power, forests, and small gold and diamond deposits
Land use: 8% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 67% meadows and pastures;
6% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
People
Population: 756,195 (July 1989), growth rate 2.8% (1989)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1989)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1989)
Infant mortality rate: 127 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male, 54 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born/woman (1989)
Nationality: noun--Swazi(s); adjective--Swazi
Ethnic divisions: 97% African, 3% European
Religion: 60% Christian, 40% indigenous beliefs
Language: English and siSwati (official); government business conducted in
English
Literacy: 67.9% (1985)
Labor force: 195,000; over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture;
about 92,000 wage earners (many only intermittently), with 36% agriculture and
forestry, 20% community and social services, 14% manufacturing, 9% construction,
21% other; 24,000-29,000 employed in South Africa (1987)
Organized labor: about 10% of wage earners
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Swaziland
Type: monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Capital: Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Mazini, Shiselweni
Independence: 6 September 1968 (from UK)
Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on
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,
Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
Branches: bicameral Parliament (Senate, House of Assembly) formally opened
in January 1979; 80-member electoral college chose 40 members of lower house and
10 members of upper house; additional 10 members for each house chosen by king;
executive authority vested in the king or queen (with the advice of the Supreme
Council of State), whose assent is required before parliamentary acts become
law; king's authority exercised through prime minister and Cabinet, who must be
members of Parliament; judiciary is part of Ministry of Justice but otherwise
independent of executive and legislative branches; cases from subordinate courts
can be appealed to the High Court and the Court of Appeal
Leaders: MSWATI III, King (since April 1986); Ntombi THWALA, Queen (and
co-Monarch), Prince Sotsha Ernest DLAMINI, Prime Minister (since October 1986)
Suffrage: universal adult
Elections: last held 23 November 1987; next election must be held within
five years, but the king can call for one sooner
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: AfDB, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern African Customs Union,
SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA; Chancery at
4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6683;
US--Ambassador Mary A. RYAN; Embassy at Central Bank Building,
Warner Street, Mbabane (mailing address is P. O. Box 199, Mbabane);
telephone 22281 through 22285
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
Overview: The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies
much of the labor force and contributes about 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which
includes a numbnr of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another 25% of GDP.
Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits
were depleted in 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 one-third of its exports.
GNP: $539 million, per capita $750; real growth rate 0.7% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $149 million; expenditures $163 million,
including capital expenditures of $20 million (FY89)
Exports: $300 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--sugar, asbestos,
wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit; partners--South Africa, UK, US
Imports: $381 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--motor vehicles,
chemicals, petroleum products, foodstuffs; partners--South Africa, US,
UK
External debt: $275 million (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 24% (1986)
Electricity: 50,000 kW capacity; 130 million kWh produced,
180 kWh per capita (1988)
Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Agriculture: maize, cotton, rice, sugar, citrus, tobacco
Aid: US commitments (FY70-87), $114 million; Western (non-US) countries,
ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $436 million
Currency: lilangeni (plural--emalangeni); 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per US $1--2.3866 (January 1989),
2.2609 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2686 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 297 km plus 71 km disused, 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 2,853 km total; 510 km paved, 1,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or
stabilized soil, and 1,113 km improved earth
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 23 total, 22 usable; 1 with permanent-surfaced runways;
1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines
and low-capacity radio relay links; 15,400 telephones; stations--6 AM, 6 FM,
10 TV; Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT station
Defense Forces
Branches: Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 160,985; 93,014 fit for military service
Military budget: $17.9 million, 9.7% of central government budget (FY89)