Swaziland
Kingdom of Swaziland
Capital: Mbabane
History
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 remains unclear. 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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
17,364
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
535
km
|
| Border Countries |
Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains |
| Minimum Elevation |
21
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
1,862
m
|
| Climate |
varies from tropical to near temperate |
| Natural Resources |
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc |
| Arable Land |
10.08% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.86% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$1.99 billion |
| Export Items |
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit |
| Export Partners |
No data |
| Imports |
$2.11 billion |
| Import Items |
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
No data |
People
| Population |
1,403,362 |
| Population Growth |
1.17% |
| Ethnic Groups |
African 97%, European 3% |
| Religion |
Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Baha'i, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30% |
| Life Expectancy |
50.01 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
1.5 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
