Guernsey (2001) | Swaziland (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including St. Peter Port, St. Sampson, Vale, Castel, St. Saviour, St. Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, St. Martin, St. Andrew | 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
16.22% (male 5,285; female 5,151) 15-64 years: 66.67% (male 21,264; female 21,630) 65 years and over: 17.11% (male 4,546; female 6,466) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 240,643/female 235,895)
15-64 years: 55.6% (male 327,661/female 325,400) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 19,273/female 25,028) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep |
Airports | 2 (2000 est.) | 18 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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:
194 sq km land: 194 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
total: 17,363 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
Background | The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. | 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 | 9.9 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 27.72 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$381.3 million expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $494.6 million
expenditures: $552.7 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (2004 est.) |
Capital | Saint Peter Port | Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital |
Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | varies from tropical to near temperate |
Coastline | 50 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | a constitution was due to be adopted in November 2003 but was delayed and scheduled for early 2005 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound | - |
Death rate | 9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 25.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $320 million (2002 est.) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUCKE
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 | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA
chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002 FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $104 million (2001) |
Economy - overview | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the game under which Guernsey operates. | 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 2004 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 1.173 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | NA kWh | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh | 799 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2002) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 402 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 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 | UK and Norman-French descent | African 97%, European 3% |
Exchange rates | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound | emalangeni per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff De Vic G. CAREY (since NA) cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch |
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 | NA |
Exports - commodities | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables | soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit |
Exports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross | 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 - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
3% industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
agriculture: 16.1%
industry: 43.4% services: 40.5% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5,100 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.7% (1999 est.) | 2.5% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 26 30 S, 31 30 E |
Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa |
Highways | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 3,107 km
paved: NA unpaved: NA (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995) |
Imports | $NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment | motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
Imports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 6 September 1968 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3.7% (FY95/96) |
Industries | tourism, banking | mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel |
Infant mortality rate | 5 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 69.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 65.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.99% (2000 est.) | 5.4% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | none | 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 |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 690 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Royal Court | High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch |
Labor force | 31,322 (2000) | 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:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 10.35%
permanent crops: 0.7% other: 88.95% (2001) |
Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official) |
Legal system | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court | 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 | unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the Bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 People's Deputies elected by popular franchise, 2 Alderney representatives, HM Procureur (Attorney General), HM Comptroller (Solicitor General) and HM Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General)
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents |
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 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:
79.78 years male: 76.78 years female: 82.88 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 33.22 years
male: 32.49 years female: 33.98 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
12 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | - | Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $40.5 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.4% (2004) |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | Independence Day, 6 September (1968) |
Nationality | noun:
Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander |
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi |
Natural hazards | NA | drought |
Natural resources | cropland | asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc |
Net migration rate | 3.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | political parties are banned by the government - 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 64,342 (July 2001 est.) | 1,173,900
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 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 40% (1995) |
Population growth rate | 0.39% (2001 est.) | 0.25% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2004) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | 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:
1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
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 | 44,000 (1996) | 46,200 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 12,000 (1997) | 88,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 5 plus 7 relay stations (2004) |
Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains |
Total fertility rate | 1.36 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 3.7 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.5% (1999 est.) | 34% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |