Eswatini

monarchyIndependence 6 September 1968 (from UK)

Eswatini as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMbabane (administrative)

Area17,360 km2

Populationas each edition published it

859,336 people July 1991 · 778,525 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.18% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 55.94 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.2 children per woman 1991 · 6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

101 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 126 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.5% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

17,360km2

land area: 17,200 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries

535km total

Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Natural resources

asbestos, coal, clay, tin, hydropower, forests, and small gold and diamond deposits

Land use

arable land 8%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 67%;
forest and woodland 6%;
other 19%;
includes irrigated 2%

Environment

overgrazing;
soil degradation;
soil erosion

Note

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

People

14 fields

Population

859,336

(July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

44Death

Literacy

55%

(male 57%, female 54%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)

Language

English and siSwati (official); government business conducted in English

Labor force

195,000;
over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture;
about 92,000 wage earners (many only intermittently), with agriculture and forestry 36%, community and social services 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other 21%;
24,000-29,000 employed in South Africa (1987)

Government

Monarchy

18 fields

Type

monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Capital

Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)

Administrative divisions

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

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)

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Judicial branch

High Court, Court of Appeal Chief of State--King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Obed DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)

Political parties

none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA;
Chancery at 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 362-6683;
US--Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS;
Embassy at Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane (mailing address is P. O. Box 199, Mbabane);
telephone [268] 46441 through 5

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

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

13%

(1990)

External debt

$290million

(1990)

Budget

Revenues

$322.9 millionExpenditures

$325.5 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)

The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies much of the labor force and contributes about 23% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another 26% 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 92% of its imports and to which it sends about 40% of its exports.

GNP

$563 million, per capita $670; real growth rate 5.0% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$543 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit;
partners--South Africa 40% (est.), EC, Canada

Imports

$651 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals;
partners--South Africa 92% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK

Industrial production

growth rate NA; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)

Electricity

50,000 kW capacity; 130 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar

Agriculture

accounts for 23% of GDP and over 60% of labor force;
mostly subsistence agriculture;
cash crops--sugarcane, citrus fruit, cotton, pineapples;
other crops and livestock--corn, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, sheep;
not self-sufficient in grain

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $142 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $488 million

Currency

lilangeni (plural--emalangeni); 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

emalangeni (E) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985);
note--the Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South African rand

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 23 total, 22 usable

permanent-surfaced runways

1runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

2,853Railroads

297

Highways: ; 510 km paved, 1,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, and 1,113 km improved earth · Railroads: , 1.067-meter gauge, single track

system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity radio relay links;
15,400 telephones;
stations--6 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station