Compare Baker Island (2004) - Swaziland (2001)

Baker Island (2004)

Swaziland (2001)

Administrative divisions

-

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Age structure

-

0-14 years:
45.53% (male 250,327; female 252,479)

15-64 years:
51.88% (male 276,186; female 296,728)

65 years and over:
2.59% (male 11,687; female 16,936) (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products

-

sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Airports

1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with vegetation and unusable (2003 est.)

18 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

-

total:
1

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

-

total:
17

914 to 1,523 m:
7

under 914 m:
10 (2000 est.)

Area

total: 1.4 sq km

land: 1.4 sq km

water: 0 sq km

total:
17,363 sq km

land:
17,203 sq km

water:
160 sq km

Area - comparative

about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Background

The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast.

Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s have pressured the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy.

Birth rate

-

40.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Budget

-

revenues:
$400 million

expenditures:
$450 million, including capital expenditures of $115 million (FY96/97)

Capital

-

Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

Climate

equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

varies from tropical to near temperate

Coastline

4.8 km

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

-

none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not formally presented to the people; since then a few more outlines for a constitution have been compiled under the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), but so far none have been accepted

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Baker Island

conventional long form:
Kingdom of Swaziland

conventional short form:
Swaziland

Currency

-

lilangeni (SZL)

Death rate

-

21.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Debt - external

-

$281 million (2000 est.)

Dependency status

unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

-

Diplomatic representation from the US

-

chief of mission:
Ambassador Gregory L. JOHNSON

embassy:
Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane

mailing address:
P. O. Box 199, Mbabane

telephone:
[268] 404-6441 through 404-6445

FAX:
[268] 404-5959

Diplomatic representation in the US

-

chief of mission:
Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA

chancery:
3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 362-6683

FAX:
[1] (202) 244-8059

Disputes - international

none

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

Economic aid - recipient

-

$55 million (1995)

Economy - overview

no economic activity

In this small landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of agroprocessing factories. Mining has declined in importance in recent years: diamond mines have shut down because of the depletion of easily accessible reserves; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted by 1978; and health concerns have cut world demand for asbestos. Exports of soft drink concentrate, sugar, and wood pulp 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 four-fifths of its imports and to which it sends two-thirds of its exports. Remittances from the Southern African Customs Union and Swazi workers in South African mines substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. Prospects for 2001 are strengthened by government millennium projects for a new convention center, additional hotels, an amusement park, a new airport, and stepped-up roadbuilding and factory construction plans.

Electricity - consumption

-

198 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

-

852 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

-

701 million kWh

note:
supplied by South Africa (1999)

Electricity - production

-

375 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

-

fossil fuel:
53.33%

hydro:
46.67%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location 8 m

lowest point:
Great Usutu River 21 m

highest point:
Emlembe 1,862 m

Environment - current issues

no natural fresh water resources

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, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:
Desertification, Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups

-

African 97%, European 3%

Exchange rates

-

emalangeni per US dollar - 7.7803 (January 2001), 6.9056 (2000), 6.1087 (1999), 5.4807 (1998), 4.6032 (1997), 4.2706 (1996); note - the Swazi lilangeni is at par with the South African rand; emalangeni is the plural form of lilangeni

Executive branch

-

chief of state:
King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)

head of government:
Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas DLAMINI (since 9 August 1996)

cabinet:
Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Exports

-

$881 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities

-

soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners

-

South Africa 65%, EU 12%, Mozambique 11%, US 5% (1998)

Fiscal year

-

1 April - 31 March

Flag description

the flag of the US is used

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

GDP

-

purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture:
10%

industry:
46%

services:
44% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

-

purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-

2.4% (2000 est.)

Geographic coordinates

0 13 N, 176 31 W

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Geography - note

treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Highways

-

total:
3,000 km

paved:
850 km

unpaved:
2,150 km (1997)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%

Imports

-

$928 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities

-

motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

-

South Africa 84%, EU 5%, Japan 2%, Singapore 2% (1998)

Independence

-

6 September 1968 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-

3.7% (FY95/96)

Industries

-

mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates

Infant mortality rate

-

109.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

6.4% (2000 est.)

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, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

-

3 (2000)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1998 est.)

670 sq km (1993 est.)

Judicial branch

-

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

Labor force

-

NA

Labor force - by occupation

-

private sector 70%, public sector 30%

Land boundaries

0 km

total:
535 km

border countries:
Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Land use

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (2001)

arable land:
11%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
62%

forests and woodland:
7%

other:
20% (1993 est.)

Languages

-

English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)

Legal system

the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

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

Legislative branch

-

bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)

elections:
House of Assembly - last held 16 and 24 October 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)

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

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population:
38.62 years

male:
37.86 years

female:
39.4 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

-

definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
76.7%

male:
78%

female:
75.6% (1995 est.)

Location

Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Map references

Oceania

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

none (landlocked)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard

-

Military branches

-

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

-

$19.198 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

-

4.75% (FY00/01)

Military manpower - availability

-

males age 15-49:
248,084 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

-

males age 15-49:
143,618 (2001 est.)

National holiday

-

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Nationality

-

noun:
Swazi(s)

adjective:
Swazi

Natural hazards

the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard

NA

Natural resources

guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Net migration rate

-

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

-

Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Libertatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]; Swaziland Progressive Party or SPP [J. J. NQUKU, president]; Swaziland United Front or SUF [Matsapa SHONGWE, leader]

note:
political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings; the organizations listed are political associations

Political pressure groups and leaders

-

NA

Population

uninhabited

note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (2004 est.)

1,104,343

note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

1.83% (2001 est.)

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast

none

Radio broadcast stations

-

AM 7, FM 6 (2000)

Radios

-

155,000 (1997)

Railways

-

total:
297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use

narrow gauge:
297 km 1.067-m gauge

Religions

-

Protestant 55%, Muslim 10%, Roman Catholic 5%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Sex ratio

-

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
0.99 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.69 male(s)/female

total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Suffrage

-

18 years of age

Telephone system

-

general assessment:
not a modern system

domestic:
system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

-

33,500 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

-

30,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

-

10 (2000)

Terrain

low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains