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.

Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

slightly smaller than New Jersey

varies from tropical to near temperate

mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

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

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

African 97%, European 3%

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

Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other (includes Anglican, Baha'i, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish) 30%

1,386,914 (July 2012 est.)

26.16 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

14.21 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

MBABANE (capital) 74,000 (2009)

320 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

3.03 children born/woman (2012 est.)

0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2004)

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2006)

urban: 61% of population

rural: 53% of population

total: 55% of population

urban: 39% of population

rural: 47% of population

total: 45% of population

4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

6 September 1968 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

signed by the King July 2005; went into effect 8 February 2006

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law

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

bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 10 members elected by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 10 members appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members to serve five-year terms)

Supreme Court; High Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission

the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the 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]

Swaziland Democracy Campaign; Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; 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

Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland depends heavily on South Africa from which it receives more than 90% of its imports and to which it sends 60% of its exports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, effectively subsuming Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. The government is heavily dependent on customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and worker remittances from South Africa supplement domestically earned income. Subsistence agriculture employs approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp were major foreign exchange earners; however, the wood pulp producer closed in January 2010, and sugar is now the main export earner. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. Customs revenues plummeted due to the global economic crisis and a drop in South African imports. The resulting decline in revenue has pushed the country into a fiscal crisis. Swaziland is looking to other countries, including South Africa, for assistance, but continues to struggle to meet its monthly payroll and fund government programs. 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 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 more than one-quarter of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS.

$6.148 billion (2012 est.)

$6.332 billion (2011 est.)

$6.317 billion (2010 est.)

$3.651 billion (2012 est.)

14.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

39.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

-0.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2010 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

9% (31 December 2012 est.)

9% (31 December 2011 est.)

$335.8 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$355.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.106 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.087 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$960 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$948.6 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$203.1 million (31 December 2007)

$199.9 million (31 December 2006)

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

-$3.8 million (2012 est.)

-$280.9 million (2011 est.)

$1.985 billion (2012 est.)

$2.04 billion (2011 est.)

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

$2.111 billion (2012 est.)

$2.108 billion (2011 est.)

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

$752.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$600.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$737.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$703.2 million (31 December 2011 est.)

emalangeni per US dollar -

450 million kWh (2009 est.)

1.175 billion kWh (2009 est.)

597 million kWh (2010 est.)

130,000 kW (2009 est.)

67.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

32.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

4,567 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

4,898 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

1.113 million Mt (2010 est.)

state-owned TV station; satellite dishes are able to access South African providers; state-owned radio network with 3 channels; 1 private radio station (2007)

Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing) (2010)

18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2010)

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