Compare Eritrea (2007) - Swaziland (2008)

Compare Eritrea (2007) z Swaziland (2008)

	Eritrea (2007)	Swaziland (2008)

Administrative divisions	6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)	4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Age structure	0-14 years: 43.5% (male 1,073,404/female 1,060,674) 15-64 years: 52.9% (male 1,286,613/female 1,310,294) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 85,052/female 90,548) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 40.3% (male 230,238/female 226,184) 15-64 years: 56.1% (male 304,899/female 331,036) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 15,870/female 24,839) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish	sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Airports	18 (2007)	18 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007)	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2007)	total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2007)
Area	total: 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 17,363 sq km land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Pennsylvania	slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background	Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. In November 2006, the international commission informed Eritrea and Ethiopia they had one year to demarcate the border or the border demarcation would be based on coordinates.	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.
Birth rate	33.97 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	26.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $234.6 million expenditures: $424.7 million (2006 est.)	revenues: $1.216 billion expenditures: $1.15 billion (2007 est.)
Capital	name: Asmara (Asmera) geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	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)
Climate	hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands	varies from tropical to near temperate
Coastline	2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented	signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006
Country name	conventional long form: State of Eritrea conventional short form: Eritrea local long form: Hagere Ertra local short form: Ertra former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia	conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland local long form: Umbuso weSwatini local short form: eSwatini
Death rate	9.36 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	30.35 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$311 million (2000 est.)	$538.6 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald MCMULLEN embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584	chief of mission: Ambassador Maurice S. PARKER embassy: Central Bank Building, Mahlokahla 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 GHIRMAI Ghebremariam chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)	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
Disputes - international	Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups	in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
Economic aid - recipient	$355.2 million (2005)	$46.03 million (2005)
Economy - overview	Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. In January 2005, the government essentially banned all imports. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency, limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy is heavily dependent on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have not been able to meet the food needs of the country. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.	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.
Electricity - consumption	228 million kWh (2005)	1.3 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	872 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2007)
Electricity - production	274 million kWh (2005)	460 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m highest point: Soira 3,018 m	lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare	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: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%	African 97%, European 3%
Exchange rates	nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002) note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar	lilangeni per US dollar - 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993) cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%	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 from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
Exports	NA bbl/day	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)	soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Exports - partners	Italy 26.7%, France 13.8%, Australia 8.2%, Sudan 7.9%, US 7.8%, China 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Jordan 5.2% (2006)	South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle	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 - composition by sector	agriculture: 21.9% industry: 22.6% services: 55.5% (2006 est.)	agriculture: 11.8% industry: 45.8% services: 42.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2% (2005 est.)	1.6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	15 00 N, 39 00 E	26 30 S, 31 30 E
Geography - note	strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993	landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Heliports	1 (2007)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 40.7% (2001)
Imports	NA bbl/day	3,530 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods	motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners	Italy 15.8%, Saudi Arabia 15.7%, China 15.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, Turkey 6.2%, Germany 5.3% (2006)	South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2006)
Independence	24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)	6 September 1968 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	1% (2007 est.)
Industries	food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement	coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel
Infant mortality rate	total: 45.24 deaths/1,000 live births male: 51.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 39.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 70.66 deaths/1,000 live births male: 74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 67.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	15% (2006 est.)	6% (2007 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO	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, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	210 sq km (2003)	500 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts	High Court; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Labor force	NA	300,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Land boundaries	total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km	total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Land use	arable land: 4.78% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 95.19% (2005)	arable land: 10.25% permanent crops: 0.81% other: 88.94% (2005)
Languages	Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages	English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Legal system	primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	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
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely	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; to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held in 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: 59.55 years male: 57.88 years female: 61.28 years (2007 est.)	total population: 32.23 years male: 31.84 years female: 32.62 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58.6% male: 69.9% female: 47.6% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan	Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,529 GRT/15,023 DWT by type: cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2007)	-
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force	Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	6.3% (2006 est.)	4.7% (2006)
National holiday	Independence Day, 24 May (1993)	Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
Nationality	noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean	noun: Swazi(s) adjective: Swazi
Natural hazards	frequent droughts; locust swarms	drought
Natural resources	gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish	asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government); note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it	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	Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]; Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]	NA
Population	4,906,585 (July 2007 est.)	1,133,066 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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	50% (2004 est.)	69% (2006)
Population growth rate	2.461% (2007 est.)	-0.337% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)	AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004)
Railways	total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2006)	total: 301 km narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Religions	Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant	Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.939 male(s)/female total population: 0.993 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.018 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.921 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.639 male(s)/female total population: 0.947 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age
Telephone system	general assessment: inadequate domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002) international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist	general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity about 25 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)
Telephones - main lines in use	37,700 (2006)	44,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	62,000 (2006)	250,000 (2006)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2006)	12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)
Terrain	dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains	mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Total fertility rate	4.96 children born/woman (2007 est.)	3.43 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	40% (2006 est.)

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