Swaziland (2006) | Gibraltar (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 40.7% (male 233,169/female 229,103)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 303,260/female 330,460) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 16,071/female 24,271) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 2,593; female 2,482)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,458; female 8,946) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 1,873; female 2,424) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep | none |
Airports | 18 (2006) | 1 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2006) |
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Area | total: 17,363 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. |
Birth rate | 27.41 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 11.09 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $805.6 million
expenditures: $957.1 million; including capital expenditures of $147 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 00/01 est.) |
Capital | 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) |
Gibraltar |
Climate | varies from tropical to near temperate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 12 km |
Constitution | the first constitution was signed into law in July 2005 and is scheduled to be implemented in January 2006 | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland local long form: Umbuso weSwatini local short form: eSwatini |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
Currency | - | Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
Death rate | 29.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 8.93 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $357 million (2003 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUCKE
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony |
Economic aid - recipient | $104 million (2001) | $NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU |
Economy - overview | 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 two-thirds 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 2004-05 because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS. | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.161 billion kWh (2003) | 93 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2004) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 821.4 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2004) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 392 million kWh (2003) | 100 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
Environment - current issues | limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Ethnic groups | African 97%, European 3% | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese |
Exchange rates | emalangeni per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001) | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004) | UK 27.7%, Switzerland 14.3%, Germany 12%, France 6.9%, Spain 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5%, Ukraine 4.6% (2002) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.9%
industry: 51.5% services: 36.6% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.8% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 26 30 S, 31 30 E | 36 8 N, 5 21 W |
Geography - note | landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Highways | - | total: 29 km
paved: 29 km unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004) | Germany 27.3%, Spain 21.8%, UK 12.1%, Italy 8% (2002) |
Independence | 6 September 1968 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.7% (FY95/96) | NA% |
Industries | mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco |
Infant mortality rate | total: 71.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 75.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2005 est.) | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, 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 | Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 500 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 155,700 (2003) | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% |
Land boundaries | total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km |
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 10.25%
permanent crops: 0.81% other: 88.94% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official) | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
Legal system | 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 | English law |
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 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 |
unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 32.62 years
male: 32.1 years female: 33.17 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 79.38 years
male: 76.51 years female: 82.4 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,008,140 GRT/1,435,595 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 58, chemical tanker 14, container 20, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 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) | no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $41.6 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 September (1968) | National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
Nationality | noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | drought | NA |
Natural resources | asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | - | 0 km |
Political parties and leaders | political parties are banned by the government under an emergency decree that will be revoked when the new constitution takes effect (January 2006)- the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president] | Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association |
Population | 1,136,334
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 2006 est.) |
27,776 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 69% (2005) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.23% (2006 est.) | 0.22% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Gibraltar |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2004) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) |
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Religions | Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30% | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
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) |
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 35,000 (2005) | 19,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 200,000 (2005) | 1,620 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 40% (2005 est.) | 2% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |