Eswatini

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.

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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea

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.)

noun:

Swazi(s)

adjective:

Swazi

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form:

Swaziland

local long form:

Umbuso weSwatini

local short form:

eSwatini

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)

• 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

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

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

• 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]

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

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

• 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

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

1%

highest 10%:

50.2% (1995)

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)

total:

301 km

narrow gauge:

301 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total:

3,594 km

paved:

1,078 km

unpaved:

2,516 km (2002)