Swaziland definition

Swaziland





Home | Index


We love those sites:

2 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Swaziland
       n : a landlocked monarchy in southeastern Africa; member of the
           Commonwealth that achieved independence from the United
           Kingdom in 1968 [syn: {Kingdom of Swaziland}]

From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:



  Swaziland
  
     Introduction Swaziland
     ----------------------
                              Background: Autonomy for the Swazis of southern
                                          Africa was guaranteed by the British
                                          in the late 19th century;
                                          independence was granted 1968.
                                          Student and labor unrest during the
                                          1990s have pressured the monarchy
                                          (one of the oldest on the continent)
                                          to grudgingly allow political reform
                                          and greater democracy.
    
     Geography Swaziland
     -------------------
                                Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique
                                          and South Africa
                  Geographic coordinates: 26 30 S, 31 30 E
                          Map references: Africa
                                    Area: total: 17,363 sq km
                                          water: 160 sq km
                                          land: 17,203 sq km
                      Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
                         Land boundaries: total: 535 km
                                          border countries: Mozambique 105 km,
                                          South Africa 430 km
                               Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
                         Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
                                 Climate: varies from tropical to near
                                          temperate
                                 Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some
                                          moderately sloping plains
                      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
    
                                          highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
                       Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite,
                                          hydropower, forests, small gold and
                                          diamond deposits, quarry stone, and
                                          talc
                                Land use: arable land: 9.77%
                                          permanent crops: 0.7%
                                          other: 89.53% (1998 est.)
                          Irrigated land: 690 sq km (1998 est.)
                         Natural hazards: drought
            Environment - current issues: limited supplies of potable water;
                                          wildlife populations being depleted
                                          because of excessive hunting;
                                          overgrazing; soil degradation; soil
                                          erosion
              Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
                              agreements: Change, Endangered Species, Nuclear
                                          Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
                                          signed, but not ratified:
                                          Desertification, Law of the Sea
                        Geography - note: landlocked; almost completely
                                          surrounded by South Africa
    
     People Swaziland
     ----------------
                              Population: 1,123,605
                                          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 2002 est.)
                           Age structure: 0-14 years: 45.5% (male 254,573;
                                          female 256,677)
                                          15-64 years: 51.9% (male 281,645;
                                          female 301,071)
                                          65 years and over: 2.6% (male
                                          12,027; female 17,612) (2002 est.)
                  Population growth rate: 1.63% (2002 est.)
                              Birth rate: 39.59 births/1,000 population (2002
                                          est.)
                              Death rate: 23.26 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                          est.)
                      Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
                                          est.)
                               Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
                                          under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
                                          15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
                                          65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/
                                          female
                                          total population: 0.95 male(s)/
                                          female (2002 est.)
                   Infant mortality rate: 109.43 deaths/1,000 live births
                                          (2002 est.)
                Life expectancy at birth: total population: 37 years
                                          female: 37.66 years (2002 est.)
                                          male: 36.35 years
                    Total fertility rate: 5.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
        HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 35.6% (2002 est.)
       HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 212,000 (2002 est.)
                                    AIDS:
                       HIV/AIDS - deaths: 7,100 (1999 est.)
                             Nationality: noun: Swazi(s)
                                          adjective: Swazi
                           Ethnic groups: African 97%, European 3%
                               Religions: Zionist (a blend of Christianity and
                                          indigenous ancestral worship) 40%,
                                          Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%,
                                          Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon,
                                          Jewish and other 30%
                               Languages: English (official, government
                                          business conducted in English),
                                          siSwati (official)
                                Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
                                          and write
                                          total population: 78.3%
                                          male: 78%
                                          female: 78.4% (1999 est.)
    
     Government Swaziland
     --------------------
                            Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of
                                          Swaziland
                                          conventional short form: Swaziland
                         Government type: monarchy; independent member of
                                          Commonwealth
                                 Capital: Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal
                                          and legislative capital
                Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo,
                                          Manzini, Shiselweni
                            Independence: 6 September 1968 (from UK)
                        National holiday: Independence Day, 6 September (1968)
                            Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September
                                          1968 was suspended 12 April 1973; a
                                          new constitution was promulgated 13
                                          October 1978, but was not formally
                                          presented to the people; since then
                                          a few more outlines for a
                                          constitution have been compiled
                                          under the Constitutional Review
                                          Commission (CRC), but so far none
                                          have been accepted
                            Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch
                                          law in statutory courts and Swazi
                                          traditional law and custom in
                                          traditional courts; has not accepted
                                          compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
                                Suffrage: 18 years of age
                        Executive branch: chief of state: King MSWATI III
                                          (since 25 April 1986)
                                          head of government: Prime Minister
                                          Sibusiso Barnabas DLAMINI (since 9
                                          August 1996)
                                          cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the
                                          prime minister and confirmed by the
                                          monarch
                                          elections: none; the monarch is
                                          hereditary; prime minister appointed
                                          by the monarch
                      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 16 and 24 October 1998 (next to
                                          be held NA 2003)
                                          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
                         Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal; judges
                                          for both courts are appointed by the
                                          monarch
           Political parties and leaders: political parties are banned by the
                                          constitution - the following are
                                          considered political associations -
                                          Imbokodvo National Movement or INM
                                          [leader NA]; Ngwane National
                                          Libertatory Congress or NNLC [Obed
                                          DLAMINI, president]; People's United
                                          Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario
                                          MASUKU, president]; Swaziland
                                          National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond
                                          SHONGWE, president]
            Political pressure groups and NA
                                 leaders:
               International organization ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
                           participation: IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
                                          IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
                                          ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU,
                                          OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
                                          UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
                                          WToO, WTrO
     Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mary
                                          Madzandza KANYA
                                          FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254
                                          telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
                                          chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue
                                          NW, Washington, DC 20009
       Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador James
                                      US: D. McGEE
                                          embassy: Central Bank Building,
                                          Warner Street, Mbabane
                                          mailing address: P. O. Box 199,
                                          Mbabane
                                          telephone: [268] 404-6441 through
                                          404-6445
                                          FAX: [268] 404-5959
                        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 Swaziland
     -----------------
                      Economy - overview: In this small landlocked economy,
                                          subsistence agriculture occupies
                                          more than 80% of the population.
                                          Manufacturing features a number of
                                          agroprocessing factories. Mining has
                                          declined in importance in recent
                                          years: diamond mines have shut down
                                          because of the depletion of easily
                                          accessible reserves; high-grade iron
                                          ore deposits were depleted by 1978;
                                          and health concerns have cut world
                                          demand for asbestos. Exports of soft
                                          drink concentrate, sugar, and wood
                                          pulp are the main earners of hard
                                          currency. Surrounded by South
                                          Africa, except for a short border
                                          with Mozambique, Swaziland is
                                          heavily dependent on South Africa
                                          from which it receives nine-tenths
                                          of its imports and to which it sends
                                          more than two-thirds of its exports.
                                          Remittances from the Southern
                                          African Customs Union and Swazi
                                          workers in South African mines
                                          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.
                                          Prospects for 2002 are strengthened
                                          by the country's status as a
                                          beneficiary of the US African Growth
                                          and Opportunity Act initiative.
                                     GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6
                                          billion (2001 est.)
                  GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2001 est.)
                        GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,200
                                          (2001 est.)
             GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10%
                                          industry: 43%
                                          services: 47% (1999 est.)
           Population below poverty line: NA%
       Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
                        percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
        Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (2001 est.)
                             Labor force: NA
             Labor force - by occupation: NA
                       Unemployment rate: 34% (2000 est.)
                                  Budget: revenues: $448 million
                                          expenditures: $506.9 million,
                                          including capital expenditures of
                                          $147 million (FY01/02)
                              Industries: mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar,
                                          soft drink concentrates, textile and
                                          apparel
       Industrial production growth rate: 3.7% (FY95/96)
                Electricity - production: 362 million kWh (2000)
      Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 55.8%
                                          other: 0% (2000)
                                          hydro: 44.2%
                                          nuclear: 0%
               Electricity - consumption: 900.66 million kWh (2000)
                   Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
                   Electricity - imports: 564 million kWh
                                          note: supplied by South Africa
                                          (2000)
                  Agriculture - products: sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco,
                                          rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum,
                                          peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
                                 Exports: $702 million (f.o.b., 2001)
                   Exports - commodities: soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood
                                          pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators,
                                          citrus and canned fruit
                      Exports - partners: South Africa 72%, EU 12%, UK 6%,
                                          Mozambique 4%, US 4% (1999)
                                 Imports: $850 million (f.o.b., 2001)
                   Imports - commodities: motor vehicles, machinery, transport
                                          equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum
                                          products, chemicals
                      Imports - partners: South Africa 89%, EU 5%, Japan 2%,
                                          Singapore 2% (2000)
                         Debt - external: $336 million (2001 est.)
                Economic aid - recipient: $104 million (2001)
                                Currency: lilangeni (SZL)
                           Currency code: SZL
                          Exchange rates: emalangeni per US dollar - 11.5808
                                          (January 2002), 8.4933 (2001),
                                          6.9056 (2000), 6.1087 (1999), 5.4807
                                          (1998), 4.6032 (1997); note - the
                                          Swazi lilangeni is at par with the
                                          South African rand; emalangeni is
                                          the plural form of lilangeni
                             Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
    
     Communications Swaziland
     ------------------------
           Telephones - main lines in use: 38,500 (2001)
             Telephones - mobile cellular: 45,000 (2001)
                         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: satellite earth
                                           station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
                                           Ocean)
                 Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters,
                                           shortwave 3 (2001)
                                   Radios: 170,000 (1999)
            Television broadcast stations: 5 plus 7 relay stations (2001)
                              Televisions: 23,000 (2000)
                    Internet country code: .sz
        Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2001)
                           Internet users: 6,000 (2001)
    
     Transportation Swaziland
     ------------------------
                                Railways: total: 297 km
                                          narrow gauge: 297 km 1.067-m gauge
                                          note: includes 71 km which are not
                                          in use (2001)
                                Highways: total: 3,800 km
                                          paved: 1,064 km
                                          unpaved: 2,736 km (2002)
                               Waterways: none
                       Ports and harbors: none
                                Airports: 18 (2001)
           Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
                                          2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
         Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17
                                          914 to 1,523 m: 7
                                          under 914 m: 10 (2001)
    
     Military Swaziland
     ------------------
                       Military branches: Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force
                                          (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force
        Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 253,510 (2002 est.)
     Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 146,805 (2002 est.)
                                 service:
           Military expenditures - dollar $20 million (FY01/02)
                                  figure:
       Military expenditures - percent of 4.75% (FY00/01)
                                     GDP:
    
     Transnational Issues Swaziland
     ------------------------------
                Disputes - international: Swaziland continues to press South
                                          Africa into ceding ethnic Swazi
                                          lands in Kangwane region of KwaZulu-
                                          Natal province that were long ago
                                          part of the Swazi Kingdom
    
                                         
  
  

















Powered by Blog Dictionary [BlogDict]
Kindly supported by Vaffle Invitation Code Get a Freelance Job - Outsource Your Projects | Threadless Coupon
All rights reserved. (2008-2024)