Swaziland (2008) | Singapore (2007) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni | none |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 15.2% (male 358,064/female 333,702)
15-64 years: 76.3% (male 1,692,817/female 1,780,982) 65 years and over: 8.5% (male 171,876/female 215,568) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep | rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish |
Airports | 18 (2007) | 8 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 17,363 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km water: 10 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly more than 3.5 times the size of 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 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. | Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe. |
Birth rate | 26.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.216 billion
expenditures: $1.15 billion (2007 est.) |
revenues: $19.56 billion
expenditures: $18.8 billion (2006 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) |
name: Singapore
geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | varies from tropical to near temperate | tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 193 km |
Constitution | signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006 | 3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland local long form: Umbuso weSwatini local short form: eSwatini |
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore local long form: Republic of Singapore local short form: Singapore |
Death rate | 30.35 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.4 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $538.6 million (31 December 2007 est.) | $24.36 billion (2006 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD
embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340 |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 consulate(s) general: San Francisco consulate(s): New York |
Disputes - international | in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa | disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold public hearings as a consequence of the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; Indonesia and Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait |
Economic aid - recipient | $46.03 million (2005) | $NA (2004) |
Economy - overview | 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. | Singapore has a highly-developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the four largest West European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics and information technology products. It was hard hit from 2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the technology sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004-06 with real GDP growth averaging 7% annually. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the global demand cycle for information technology products - it has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production - and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.3 billion kWh (2005) | 33.99 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 872 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2007) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 460 million kWh (2005) | 35.92 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m |
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m |
Environment - current issues | limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion | industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | African 97%, European 3% | Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census) |
Exchange rates | lilangeni per US dollar - 7.4 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003) | Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.5889 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002) |
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 from among the elected members of the House of Assembly |
chief of state: President S R NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
note: uses S R NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004) and WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005) cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; appointed on 17 August 2005 - (next election to be held by August 2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president election results: Sellapan Rama (S R) NATHAN appointed president in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified three other would-be candidates; scheduled election not held |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit | machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels |
Exports - partners | South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2006) | Malaysia 13.1%, US 10.2%, Hong Kong 10.1%, China 9.7%, Indonesia 9.2%, Japan 5.5%, Thailand 4.2% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
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 equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.8%
industry: 45.8% services: 42.3% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 0%
industry: 34.8% services: 65.2% (2006 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.6% (2007 est.) | 7.9% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 26 30 S, 31 30 E | 1 22 N, 103 48 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa | focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 40.7% (2001) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% (1998) |
Illicit drugs | - | drug abuse limited because of aggressive law enforcement efforts; as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money laundering |
Imports | 3,530 bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals | machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2006) | Malaysia 13%, US 12.7%, China 11.4%, Japan 8.3%, Taiwan 6.4%, Indonesia 6.2%, South Korea 4.4% (2006) |
Independence | 6 September 1968 (from UK) | 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1% (2007 est.) | 12.6% (2006 est.) |
Industries | coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel | electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
total: 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6% (2007 est.) | 1% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | 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 | APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 500 sq km (2003) | NA |
Judicial branch | High Court; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch | Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals |
Labor force | 300,000 (2006) | 2.47 million (2006 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 39%, other 26% (2003) |
Land boundaries | total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 10.25%
permanent crops: 0.81% other: 88.94% (2005) |
arable land: 1.47%
permanent crops: 1.47% other: 97.06% (2005) |
Languages | English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official) | Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000 census) |
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 | based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | 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 |
unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; up to three losing opposition candidates who came closest to winning seats may be appointed as "nonconstituency" members
elections: last held on 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%, SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 32.23 years
male: 31.84 years female: 32.62 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 81.8 years
male: 79.21 years female: 84.59 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5% male: 96.6% female: 88.6% (2000 census) |
Location | Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa | Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia |
Map references | Africa | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice |
Merchant marine | - | total: 1,131 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,237,005 GRT/52,487,127 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 167, cargo 85, carrier 1, chemical tanker 156, container 231, liquefied gas 72, livestock carrier 2, petroleum tanker 355, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 46 foreign-owned: 652 (Australia 6, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 8, China 19, Denmark 68, France 1, Germany 18, Greece 14, Hong Kong 37, India 9, Indonesia 56, Italy 4, Japan 108, South Korea 7, Malaysia 28, Norway 125, Philippines 4, Slovenia 1, Sweden 17, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 60, Thailand 20, UAE 8, UK 13, US 17) registered in other countries: 293 (Bahamas 9, Belize 3, Bermuda 1, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1, Dominica 8, France 2, Honduras 10, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 26, Isle of Man 2, Kiribati 1, Liberia 42, Malaysia 22, Marshall Islands 12, Mongolia 12, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Panama 83, Philippines 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 6, Thailand 2, Tuvalu 13, US 11, unknown 4) (2007) |
Military branches | Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2007) | Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.7% (2006) | 4.9% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 September (1968) | National Day, 9 August (1965) |
Nationality | noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi |
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore |
Natural hazards | drought | NA |
Natural resources | asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc | fish, deepwater ports |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 139 km; refined products 8 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | 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] | People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee Lian]
note: SDA includes National Solidarity Party or NSP, Singapore Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore People's Party or SPP |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 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.) |
4,553,009 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 69% (2006) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.337% (2007 est.) | 1.275% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004) | AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003) |
Railways | total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2006) |
- |
Religions | Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30% | Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census) |
Sex ratio | 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.) |
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.073 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.797 male(s)/female total population: 0.954 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age | 21 years of age; universal and compulsory |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless service in February 2005 international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct connection to more than 100 countries; satellite earth stations -4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2003) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 44,000 (2006) | 1.854 million (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 250,000 (2006) | 4.789 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004) | 1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception of numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia (2006) |
Terrain | mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains | lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve |
Total fertility rate | 3.43 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.07 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 40% (2006 est.) | 3.1% (2006 est.) |