Eswatini
Kingdom of SwazilandUmbuso weSwatini
monarchyIndependence 6 September 1968 (from the UK)
Eswatini as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 130 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but political parties remain banned.
The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
Geography
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
20 fieldsLand useshare of 17,364 sq km
Natural resources
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 1.04 cu km/yr (2%/1%/97%)
- per capita:
- 1,010 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- Law of the Sea
People
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.59 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne disease:
- malaria
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis (2009)
Government
Monarchy; King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986); Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 16 October 2008)
18 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Swaziland
- conventional short form:
- Swaziland
- local long form:
- Umbuso weSwatini
- local short form:
- eSwatini
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)
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 16 October 2008)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch
- elections:
- 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; serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- House of Assembly - last held 19 September 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
- 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
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland and Solidarity Network or SSN
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Maurice S. PARKER
- embassy:
- 2350 Mbabane Place, Mbabane
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
- telephone:
- [268] 404-2445
- FAX:
- [268] 404-2059
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
Economy
In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the population.
48 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. In 2007, the sugar industry increased efficiency and diversification efforts, in response to a 17% decline in EU sugar prices.
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.
Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, subsuming Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union, which may equal as much as 70% of government revenue this year, and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income.
Swaziland is not poor enough to merit an IMF program; however, the country is struggling to reduce the size of the civil service and control costs at public enterprises. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and attract foreign direct investment is acute.
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 2006-07 because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.
Central bank discount rate
11% (31 December 2008) · 11% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 33
Commercial bank prime lending rate
14.83% (31 December 2008) · 13.17% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 58
Stock of money
$211.8 million (31 December 2008) · $244.8 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 106
Stock of quasi money
$441.5 million (31 December 2008) · $529.4 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 110
Stock of domestic credit
$51.55 million (31 December 2008) · $204.1 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 126
Agriculture - products
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Current account balance
-$33 million (2008 est.) · $4 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Exports - commodities
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Imports - commodities
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$752 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $774.2 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Debt - external
$554 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $524 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Exchange rates
emalangeni per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
- domestic:
- mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing;
- combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity approaching 45 telephones per 100 persons;
- telephone 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) (2007)
Transportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing) (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Swaziland.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/eswatini/2009.