Kingdom of Swaziland

Website: http://www.gov.sz

BRIEF HISTORY

Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Kingdom of Swaziland is also a member of ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

GEOGRAPHY

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

CLIMATE

Varies from tropical to near temperate

TERRAIN

Mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains.

NATURAL RESOURCES

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

POPULATION

1,136,334

ETHNIC GROUPS

African 97%, European 3%.

NATIONALITY

Noun: Swazi(s)
Adjective: Swazi

LANGUAGES

English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official).

COUNTRY NAME

Conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
Conventional short form: Swaziland
Local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
Local short form: eSwatini

GOVERNMENT TYPE

Monarchy

CAPITAL CITY

Mbabane.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni.

INDEPENDENCE

6 September 1968 (from UK)

NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

CONSTITUTION

Signed by the King in July 2005 went into effect on 8 February 2006

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.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
Head of government: Prime Minister Absalom 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

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Bicameral Parliament or Libandla, a legislative 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 (Inkhundla) 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

JUDICIAL BRANCH

High Court; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch.

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]

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.

ECONOMY BRIEF

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 more than nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends 60% 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.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep.

INDUSTRIES

Coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel.

EXPORT COMMODITIES

Soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit.

IMPORT COMMODITIES

Motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals.

CURRENCY CODE

Lilangeni (SZL) and South African rand (ZAR).

INTERNET COUNTRY CODE

.sz