Bouvet Island (2003) | Swaziland (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 41% (male 242,090; female 237,395)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 323,004; female 324,029) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 18,685; female 24,038) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep |
Airports | - | 18 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 58.5 sq km
land: 58.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 17,363 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
Background | This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island. | 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 |
Birth rate | - | 28.55 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $462.4 million
expenditures: $563.4 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (2003) |
Capital | - | Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital |
Climate | antarctic | varies from tropical to near temperate |
Coastline | 29.6 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | - | a constitution was adopted 14 November 2003 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland |
Currency | - | lilangeni (SZL) |
Death rate | - | 23.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $320 million (2002 est.) |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | chief of mission: Ambassador James D. McGEE
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $104 million (2001) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity; declared a nature reserve | In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. 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 about nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends nearly three-quarters of its exports. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from South Africa 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. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2002 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 962.9 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | - | 639 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001) |
Electricity - production | - | 348.3 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m |
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | - | African 97%, European 3% |
Exchange rates | - | emalangeni per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999) |
Executive branch | - | 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 |
Exports | - | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | - | soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit |
Exports - partners | - | South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5% (1999) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Norway 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 - $5.702 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 16.2%
industry: 43.2% services: 40.5% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 2.2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 54 26 S, 3 24 E | 26 30 S, 31 30 E |
Geography - note | covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve | landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa |
Highways | - | total: 3,247 km
paved: NA unpaved: NA (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995) |
Imports | - | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | - | motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
Imports - partners | - | South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% (1999) |
Independence | - | 6 September 1968 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 3.7% (FY95/96) |
Industries | - | mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 68.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 71.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 7.3% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 690 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | - | High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch |
Labor force | - | 383,200 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | NA |
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% (93% ice) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 10.35%
permanent crops: 0.7% other: 88.95% (2001) |
Languages | - | English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official) |
Legal system | the laws of Norway, 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 18 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008) 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: 37.54 years
male: 39.1 years female: 35.94 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.) |
Location | island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) | Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa |
Map references | Antarctic Region | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 NM | none (landlocked) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Norway | - |
Military branches | - | Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army, including Air Wing) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $29 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.8% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 289,985 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 168,257 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 6 September (1968) |
Nationality | - | noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi |
Natural hazards | NA | drought |
Natural resources | none | asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | political parties are banned by the constitution - the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | uninhabited (July 2003 est.) | 1,169,241
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 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 40% (1995) |
Population growth rate | - | 0.55% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | none |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) |
Religions | - | Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age |
Telephone system | - | 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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 46,200 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 88,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 5 plus 7 relay stations (2001) |
Terrain | volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible | mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains |
Total fertility rate | - | 3.81 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 34% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |