Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/227.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 8.2 KB | 328 lines

@node Geography (Swaziland)
@section Geography (Swaziland)

@display

Location:
  Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  17,360 km2
 land area:
  17,200 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
  total 535 km, Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  none
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
Land use:
 arable land:
  8%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  67%
 forest and woodland:
  6%
 other:
  19%
Irrigated land:
  620 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Note:
  landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa



@end display

@node People (Swaziland)
@section People (Swaziland)

@display

Population:
  906,932 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.18% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  43.22 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  95.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  55.94 years
 male:
  51.97 years
 female:
  60.03 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.16 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Swazi(s)
 adjective:
  Swazi
Ethnic divisions:
  African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
  Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Languages:
  English (official; government business conducted in English), siSwati
  (official)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
 total population:
  55%
 male:
  57%
 female:
  54%
Labor force:
  195,000 (over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture; about 92,000 wage
  earners - many only intermittently)
 by occupation:
  agriculture and forestry 36%, community and social service 20%,
  manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other 21%
 note:
  15,980 employed in South African gold and coal mines (1991)



@end display

@node Government (Swaziland)
@section Government (Swaziland)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Kingdom of Swaziland
 conventional short form:
  Swaziland
Digraph:
  WZ
Type:
  monarchy independent member of Commonwealth
Capital:
  Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
Administrative divisions:
  4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
  6 September 1968 (from UK)
Constitution:
  none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973; a new
  constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally
  presented to the people
Legal system:
  based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi
  traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
Political parties and leaders:
  none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978
Suffrage:
  none
Elections:
  direct legislative elections rescheduled for June 1993
Executive branch:
  monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate
  and a lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
  High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Obed Mfanyana DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)
Member of:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
  IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA
 chancery:   3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS
 embassy:
  Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane



@end display

@node Government (Swaziland 2. usage)
@section Government (Swaziland 2. usage)

@display

 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
 telephone:
  [268] 46441 through 46445
 FAX:
  [268] 45959
Flag:
  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



@end display

@node Economy (Swaziland)
@section Economy (Swaziland)

@display

Overview:
  The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies most of the
  labor force and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes
  a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another quarter of GDP.
  Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore
  deposits were depleted in 1978, and health concerns cut world demand for
  asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products 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 75% of its imports and to which it sends about half of its exports.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $700 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2.5% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $800 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  13% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $342 million; expenditures $410 million, including capital
  expenditures of $130 million (FY94 est.)
Exports:
  $575 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit
 partners:
  South Africa 50% (est.), EC countries, Canada
Imports:
  $730 million (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products,
  foodstuffs, chemicals
 partners:
  South Africa 75% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK
External debt:
  $290 million (1990)
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)
Electricity:
  60,000 kW capacity; 155 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
  mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Agriculture:
  accounts for 23% of GDP and over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence
  agriculture; cash crops - sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus
  fruit, pineapples; other crops and livestock - corn, sorghum, peanuts,
  cattle, goats, sheep; not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $142 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Currency:
  1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  emalangeni (E) per US$1 -3.1576 (May 1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991),
  2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988); note - the Swazi emalangeni is
  at par with the South African rand



@end display

@node Economy (Swaziland 2. usage)
@section Economy (Swaziland 2. usage)

@display

Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Swaziland)
@section Communications (Swaziland)

@display

Railroads:
  297 km (plus 71 km disused), 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways:
  2,853 km total; 510 km paved, 1,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized
  soil, and 1,113 km improved earth
Airports:
 total:
  23
 usable:
  21
 with permanent-surfaced runways:
  1
 with runways over 3,659 m:   0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity
  microwave links; 17,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV;
  1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Swaziland)
@section Defense Forces (Swaziland)

@display

Branches:
  Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 197,214; fit for military service 114,097 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $22 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)



@end display