Eswatini

agricultural land:

68.3%;

• arable land 9.8%;
• permanent crops 0.8%;
• permanent pasture 57.7%

forest:

31.7%

other:

0% (2011 est.)

total:

1.04 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%)

per capita:

962.1 cu m/yr (2005)

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

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

noun:

Swazi(s)

adjective:

Swazi

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.66 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.64 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria

water contact disease:

schistosomiasis (2013)

total number:

28,043

percentage:

9% (2000 est.)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form:

Swaziland

local long form:

Umbuso weSwatini

local short form:

eSwatini

name:

Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

geographic coordinates:

26 19 S, 31 08 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

description:

bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 20 members appointed by the monarch and 10 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the House of Assembly; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 55 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 10 members appointed by the monarch; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

House of Assembly - last held on 20 September 2013 (next scheduled for September 2018)

election results:

• House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis;
• candidates for election 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

highest court(s):

• the Supreme Court of the Judicature comprising the Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 5 justices) and the High Court (consists of the chief justice - ex officio - and at least 4 justices);
• note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in all constitutional matters

judge selection and term of office:

• justices of the Supreme Court of the Judicature are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission or JCS, a judicial advisory body consisting of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, 4 members appointed by the monarch, and the JCS head;
• justices of both courts eligible for retirement at age 65 with mandatory retirement at age 75 for Supreme Court justices and at age 70 for High Court justices

subordinate courts:

magistrates' courts; National Swazi Courts for administering customary/traditional laws (jurisdiction restricted to customary law for Swazi citizens)

note: the national constitution as amended in 2006 shifted judicial power from the monarch and vested it exclusively in the judiciary

• the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the 2006 Constitution and currently being debated;
• the following are considered political associations

African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley MAUNDZISA, president]

Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Alvit DLAMINI, president]

People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]

• Swaziland Democracy Campaign
• Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions
• Swaziland Solidarity Network or SSN

chief of mission:

Ambassador Abednigo Mandla NTSHANGASE (since 19 July 2010)

chancery:

1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-5002

FAX:

[1] (202) 234-8254

chief of mission:

Ambassador Makila JAMES (since 27 August 2012)

embassy:

7th Floor, Central Bank Building, Mahlokohla St., Mbabane

mailing address:

P. O. Box 199, Mbabane

telephone:

[268] 404-6441

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;
• blue stands for peace and stability, red represents past struggles, and yellow the mineral resources of the country;
• the shield, spears, and staff symbolize protection from the country's enemies, while the black and white of the shield are meant to portray black and white people living in peaceful coexistence

name:

"Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati" (Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi)

lyrics/music:

Andrease Enoke Fanyana SIMELANE/David Kenneth RYCROFT

note: adopted 1968; uses elements of both ethnic Swazi and Western music styles

agriculture:

70%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

1.7%

highest 10%:

40.1% (2010 est.)

general assessment:

a somewhat modern but not an advanced system

domestic:

• single source for mobile-cellular service with a geographic coverage of about 90% and a rising subscribership base;
• combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity roughly 60 telephones per 100 persons in 2011;
• 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) (2009)

• state-owned TV station;
• satellite dishes are able to access South African providers;
• state-owned radio network with 3 channels;
• 1 private radio station (2007)

total:

301 km

narrow gauge:

301 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 121

total:

3,594 km

paved:

1,078 km

unpaved:

2,516 km (2002)

country comparison to the world: 161

• 18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service;
• no conscription;
• compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2012)

males age 16-49:

201,853

females age 16-49:

175,477 (2010 est.)

male:

16,168

female:

15,763 (2010 est.)