Eswatini
Kingdom of Swaziland
monarchyIndependence 6 September 1968 (from UK)
Eswatini as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
15 fieldsLand useshare of 17,360 sq km
International disputes
Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom
Terrain
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
- lowest point:
- Great Usutu River 21 m
- highest point:
- Emlembe 1,862 m
Natural resources
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Environment
- current issues:
- limited access to potable water;
- wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting;
- overgrazing;
- soil degradation;
- soil erosion
- natural hazards:
- NA
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1996 est.)
Male · female(1996 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 46% (male 227,634; female 229,129)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (male 247,156; female 271,096)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (male 9,864; female 13,851) (July 1996 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.91 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.71 male(s)/female
- all ages:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Government
Monarchy; King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) is a hereditary monarch; Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993)
22 fieldsConstitution
- none;
- constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 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 and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
- NA;
- note - no suffrage before September 1993;
- 55 of the 65 seats in the House of Assembly were filled by popular vote in the elections of September and October 1993;
- of a population of less than 1 million, the electorate numbered 283,693
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) is a hereditary monarch
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993); appointed by the king
- cabinet:
- Cabinet; designated by the king
House of Assembly
- elections last held 26 September and 11 October 1993 (next to be held NA);
- results - balloting is done on a nonparty basis;
- of the total of 65 seats, 10 are appointed by the king and 55 are elected by secret, popular vote;
- 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
Judicial branch
High Court, judges are appointed by the king; Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the king
Political parties and leaders
note: political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings
- illegal parties:
- Peoples' United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Mario MASUKU;
- Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Benedict TSABEDZE;
- Swaziland Communist Party (SWACOPA), Mphandlana SHONGWE;
- Swaziland Liberation Front (FROLISA);
- Convention for Full Democracy in Swaziland (COFUDESWA), Sabelo DLAMINI;
- Swaziland National Front (SWANAFRO);
- Ngwane Socialist Revolutionary Party (NGWASOREP)
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mary Madzandza KHANYA
- chancery:
- 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 362-6683, 6685
US diplomatic representation
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador John T. SPROTT
- embassy:
- Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
- telephone:
- [268] 46441 through 46445
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
This small landlocked economy is based largely | on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the | population.
20 fieldsGDP composition by sector(1995 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 120,000 kW
Economic overview
This small landlocked economy is based largely on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of agroprocessing factories. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted by 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 half of its exports.
Remittances from Swazi workers in South African mines supplement domestically produced income by as much as 20%. Overgrazing, soil depletion, and drougth persist as problems for the future.
Agriculture
sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, corn, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Exports
$798 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
- commodities:
- sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, cotton yarn, asbestos
- partners:
- South Africa 50%, EU countries, Canada
Imports
$827 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
- commodities:
- motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals
- partners:
- South Africa 90%, Switzerland, UK 2.6%
Exchange rates
- emalangeni (E) per US$1 - 3.6417 (January 1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990);
- note - the Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South African rand
Transportation
4 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 17 in all
Networkskm
Communications
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland | Police Force
9 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Swaziland.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/eswatini/1996.