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, Africa'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 the legal status of political parties was not defined and their status remains unclear. Swaziland has surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

26 30 S, 31 30 E

Africa

slightly smaller than New Jersey

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

varies from tropical to near temperate

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

arable land 9.8%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 57.7%

500 sq km (2012)

drought

limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion

landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

1,451,428

African 97%, European 3%

English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official)

Christian 90% (Zionist - a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship - 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, other 30% - includes Anglican, Methodist, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness), Muslim 2%, other 8% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, indigenous religionist, Jewish) (2015 est.)

Swaziland, a small, predominantly rural, landlocked country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique, suffers from severe poverty and the world’s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. A weak and deteriorating economy, high unemployment, rapid population growth, and an uneven distribution of resources all combine to worsen already persistent poverty and food insecurity, especially in rural areas. Erratic weather (frequent droughts and intermittent heavy rains and flooding), overuse of small plots, the overgrazing of cattle, and outdated agricultural practices reduce crop yields and further degrade the environment, exacerbating Swaziland’s poverty and subsistence problems. Swaziland’s extremely high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate – more than 28% of adults have the disease – compounds these issues. Agricultural production has declined due to HIV/AIDS, as the illness causes households to lose manpower and to sell livestock and other assets to pay for medicine and funerals.

Swazis, mainly men from the country’s rural south, have been migrating to South Africa to work in coal, and later gold, mines since the late 19th century. Although the number of miners abroad has never been high in absolute terms because of Swaziland’s small population, the outflow has had important social and economic repercussions. The peak of mining employment in South Africa occurred during the 1980s. Cross-border movement has accelerated since the 1990s, as increasing unemployment has pushed more Swazis to look for work in South Africa (creating a “brain drain” in the health and educational sectors); southern Swazi men have continued to pursue mining, although the industry has downsized. Women now make up an increasing share of migrants and dominate cross-border trading in handicrafts, using the proceeds to purchase goods back in Swaziland. Much of today’s migration, however, is not work-related but focuses on visits to family and friends, tourism, and shopping.

1.1% (2016 est.)

24.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

13.4 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

MBABANE (capital) 66,000 (2014)

19.5 years

389 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

2.74 children born/woman (2016 est.)

66.1% (2014)

9.3% of GDP (2014)

0.15 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 93.6% of population

rural: 68.9% of population

total: 74.1% of population

urban: 6.4% of population

rural: 31.1% of population

total: 25.9% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 63.1% of population

rural: 56% of population

total: 57.5% of population

urban: 36.9% of population

rural: 44% of population

total: 42.5% of population (2015 est.)

28.8% (2015 est.)

218,600 (2015 est.)

3,800 (2015 est.)

14.8% (2014)

5.8% (2014)

7.1% of GDP (2014)

absolute monarchy

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

6 September 1968 (from the UK)

Independence Day (Somhlolo Day), 6 September (1968)

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age

the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the 2006 Constitution; the following are considered political associations:

African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Sibusiso DLAMINI]

Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Alvit DLAMINI]

People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU]

Swaziland Democratic Party or SWADEPA [Jan SITHOLE]

Swaziland United Democratic Front or SUDF

Trade Union Congress of Swaziland or TUCOSWA

Swaziland Solidarity Network or SSN

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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; blue stands for peace and stability, red represents past struggles, and yellow the mineral resources of the country; the shield, spears, and staff symbolize protection from the country's enemies, while the black and white of the shield are meant to portray black and white people living in peaceful coexistence

lion, elephant; national colors: blue, yellow, red

A small, landlocked kingdom, Swaziland is bordered in the north, west and south by the Republic of South Africa and by Mozambique in the east. Swaziland depends on South Africa for 60% of its exports and for more than 90% of its imports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, effectively relinquishing Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. The government is dependent on customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) for 49% of revenue; income tax accounts for 27% and a valued added tax for 19% of revenues. Swaziland is a lower middle income country, but its income distribution is highly skewed, with an estimated 20% of the population controlling 80% of the nation’s wealth. As of 2017, more than one-quarter of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS; Swaziland has the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate.

Subsistence agriculture employs approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector diversified in the 1980s and 1990s, but manufacturing has grown little in the last decade. Sugar and soft drink concentrate are the largest foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in importance in recent years. Coal, gold, diamond, and quarry stone mines are small scale, and the only iron ore mine closed in 2014.

With an estimated 28% unemployment rate, Swaziland's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and to attract foreign direct investment is acute. On 1 January 2015, Swaziland lost its eligibility for benefits under the US African Growth and Opportunity Act after failing to meet benchmarks relating to workers’ rights.

The IMF forecasted that Swaziland’s economy will grow at a slower pace in 2017 because of a region-wide drought, which is likely to hurt Swaziland’s revenue from sugar exports and other agricultural products; tourism and transport sectors will also decline. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and floods are persistent problems. Swaziland’s revenue from SACU receipts also are projected to decline in 2017, making it harder for the government to maintain fiscal balance.

$10.94 billion (2016 est.)

$11.01 billion (2015 est.)

$10.81 billion (2014 est.)

$4.218 billion (2016 est.)

-0.6% (2016 est.)

1.9% (2015 est.)

2.8% (2014 est.)

$9,800 (2016 est.)

$9,800 (2015 est.)

$9,800 (2014 est.)

4.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

18.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

12.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

sugarcane, corn, cotton, citrus, pineapples, cattle, goats

soft drink concentrates, coal, forestry, sugar, textiles, and apparel

-0.6% (2016 est.)

295,200 (2013 est.)

28% (2014 est.)

28% (2013 est.)

63% (2010 est.)

50.4 (2001)

30.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

-8.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

8.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

9% of GDP (2017 est.)

1 April - 31 March

8.5% (2016 est.)

7.9% (2015 est.)

7.25% (31 December 2016)

6.5% (31 December 2015)

10.5% (31 December 2016 est.)

9.25% (31 December 2015 est.)

$440.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$365 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.285 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.017 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.003 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$878.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$NA

$203.1 million (31 December 2007)

$199.9 million (31 December 2006)

-$195 million (2016 est.)

$425 million (2015 est.)

$1.276 billion (2016 est.)

$1.698 billion (2015 est.)

soft drink concentrates, sugar, timber, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus, and canned fruit

$1.178 billion (2016 est.)

$11.36 billion (2015 est.)

motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

$696.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$698.9 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$366 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$339.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$NA

$NA

emalangeni per US dollar -

16.15 (2016 est.)

12.7581 (2015 est.)

12.7581 (2014 est.)

10.8469 (2013 est.)

8.2 (2012 est.)

123 million kWh (2016 est.)

1.084 billion kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2013)

961 million kWh (2016 est.)

69,600 kW (2016 est.)

13% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

5,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

5,029 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

600,000 Mt (2013 est.)

1 state-owned TV station; satellite dishes are able to access South African providers; state-owned radio network with 3 channels; 1 private radio station (2017)

.sz

3D (2016)

14 (2013)

1.79% of GDP (2015)

1.81% of GDP (2014)

1.87% of GDP (2013)

1.86% of GDP (2012)

2.15% of GDP (2011)

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing (no operational aircraft)) (2013)

18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2012)

in 2006, Swazi king advocated resorting to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa