Swaziland: Fact file

Updated October 2009

Name Kingdom of Swaziland
Area 17 363 sq km
Capital Mbabane
Major cities Manzini (Frame 2008, 1166)
Boundaries South Africa, Mozambique (Landlocked)
Population 1.2 million, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Natural pop growth 1.4%, 2005-2010 (UNDP 2009)
Urbanisation 25.5%, 1990 (UNDP 2009)
Life expectancy Female 44.8 yrs, male 45.7 yrs, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
HIV/AIDS prevalence 26%, adult, 2007 est (Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland 2008, 3)
Adult literacy rate Female 78.3%, male 80.9%, 2005 (UNDP 2009)
Health expenditure 9.4% of government expenditure; 2006 (UNDP 2009)
Legal system Roman-Dutch law, traditional law (Dube & Magagula 2007)
Independence 6 September 1968
GDP US$2.936 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
GDP per capita US$2 523, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
GDP growth rate 2.5%, 2008 est (IMF 2009)
Main exports Chemicals, clothing, sugar, wood pulp and wood products (Frame 2008, 1168)
Currency 100 cents = 1 Lilangeni
Unemployment 40%, 2007 (Frame 2008, 1165)
Inflation rate 13.1%, 2008 est (IMF 2009)
External debt ratio 12.6% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009)
Roads 3 594 km, 28.2% tarred (Frame 2008, 1163)
Rail 300 km (SADC 2007, 238)
Airports 1 international (Manzini) (Avigation Networks Undated)
Ethnic groups Swazis (97%), other Africans (2%), others (1%) (Frame 2008, 1165)
Languages Official languages Siswati, English. Other small groups include Zulu and Tsonga (Ethnologue.com undated)
Religion Christian 86.9%, African Traditional 10.7% and Nonreligious 1.2% (Religious Freedom 2001)

References

AVIGATION NETWORKS UNDATED "Airports in Swaziland", [www] http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Swaziland.php [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2007).

DUBE, B & MAGAGULA, A "The Law and Legal Research in Swaziland" IN Globalex, [www] http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Swaziland.htm [opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).

ETHNOLOGUE.COM UNDATED "Languages of Swaziland" [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Swaziland [opens new window] (accessed 25 Apr 2008).

FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.

GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND 2008 "Monitoring the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS): Swaziland Country Report", [www] http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2008/swaziland_2008_country_progress_report_en.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 19 May 2009).

IMF 2008 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 21 Apr 2008).

IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, 66, 70, 88, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/afr/eng/sreo0409.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 May 2009).

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 2001 "Nation profile: Swaziland", [www] http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Swaziland/rbodies.html [opens new window] (accessed 25 Apr 2008).

SADC 2007 "Swaziland" IN Country Profiles, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/swaziland2007_08.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 24 Apr 2008).

UNDP 2009 "Swaziland HDI Rank - 142", IN Human Development Report 2009, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_SWZ.html [opens new window] (accessed 15 October 2009).