What countries border Eswatini?
What is the current weather in Eswatini?
What is Eswatini famous for?
What is the capital of Eswatini?
Capital | Mbabane (administrative capital); Lobamba (royal and legislative capital) |
Government Type | absolute monarchy |
Currency | SZL |
Total Area |
6,704 Square Miles 17,364 Square Kilometers |
Location | Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa |
Language | English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.9% |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | $9,800.00 (USD) |
What is the population of Eswatini?
Ethnic Groups | African 97%, European 3% |
Nationality Noun | Swazi(s) |
Population | 1,104,479 |
Population - note | 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
Population Growth Rate | 1.17% |
Population in Major Urban Areas | MBABANE (capital) 66,000 |
Urban Population | 21.200000 |
What type of government does Eswatini have?
Executive Branch |
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) head of government: Prime Minister Russell Mmiso DLAMINI (since 3 November 2023) cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister, confirmed by the monarch; at least one-half of the cabinet membership must be appointed from among elected members of the House of Assembly elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among members of the House of Assembly |
Suffrage | 18 years of age |
Citizenship |
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Eswatini dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
National Holiday | Independence Day (Somhlolo Day), 6 September (1968) |
Constitution |
history: previous 1968, 1978; latest signed by the king 26 July 2005, effective 8 February 2006 amendments: proposed at a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament; passage requires majority vote by both houses and/or majority vote in a referendum, and assent of the king; passage of amendments affecting "specially entrenched" constitutional provisions requires at least three-fourths majority vote by both houses, passage by simple majority vote in a referendum, and assent of the king; passage of "entrenched" provisions requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses, passage in a referendum, and assent of the king |
Independence | 6 September 1968 (from the UK) |
What environmental issues does Eswatini have?
Overview |
Swaziland is a landlocked independent kingdom in southern Africa. Swaziland consists of 6,700 square miles bordered on three sides by the Republic of South Africa (the Provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal). Its 70-mile-eastern border with Mozambique is about 40 miles inland from the Indian Ocean. The greatest distance from north to south is 120 miles and from east to west is roughly 90 miles. The highveld has an average elevation is 4,000 feet. The middleveld and the Lubombo Plateau are defined as the central and extreme eastern sections. The middleveld is the site of the industrial center of the country, Manzini, as well as the University of Swaziland campuses and has an average elevation of 2,500 feet. The average elevation of the Lubombo Plateau is 1,800 feet. |
Climate |
Swaziland is divided into four well-defined regions running from west to east. The mountainous highveld, where Mbabane is located, has a humid, near-temperate climate with mean annual rainfall of 40-90 inches (100-230 centimeters), rarely suffering from drought. Daytime weather is more variable in the highveld than in other regions; a foggy morning may be followed by a sunny afternoon and vice versa. Temperatures in Mbabane range from an average of 51ºF to an average of 72ºF. In some parts of Mbabane, frost develops in winter and snow occasionally occurs. The middleveld and the Lubombo Plateau (the central and extreme eastern sections) are subtropical and drier, with mean annual rainfall of 25-47 inches (65-120 centimeters). Temperatures average 78ºF to an average low of 57 degrees. The middleveld is the site of the industrial center of the country, Manzini, as well as the University of Swaziland campuses and has an average elevation of 2,500 feet. The average elevation of the Lubombo Plateau is 1,800 feet. The lowveld is subtropical and drier with a mean annual rainfall of 20-30 inches (50-90 centimeters); the majority of this rainfall is from heavy storms. Temperatures in Big Bend, the largest town in the lowveld, range from an average low of 58ºF to a high of 84ºF. The altitude ranges from 500 to 1,000 feet. |
Border Countries | Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km |
Environment - Current Issues | limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion |
Environment - International Agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Terrain | mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains |
How big is the Eswatini economy?
Economic Overview |
A small, landlocked kingdom, Eswatini is bordered in the north, west and south by the Republic of South Africa and by Mozambique in the east. Eswatini depends on South Africa for a majority of its exports and imports. Eswatini's currency is pegged to the South African rand, effectively relinquishing Eswatini's monetary policy to South Africa. The government is dependent on customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) for almost half of its revenue. Eswatini is a lower middle income country. As of 2017, more than one-quarter of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS; Eswatini has the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate, a financial strain and source of economic instability. The manufacturing sector diversified in the 1980s and 1990s, but manufacturing has grown little in the last decade. Sugar and soft drink concentrate are the largest foreign exchange earners, although a drought in 2015-16 decreased sugar production and exports. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and floods are persistent problems. Mining has declined in importance in recent years. Coal, gold, diamond, and quarry stone mines are small scale, and the only iron ore mine closed in 2014. With an estimated 28% unemployment rate, Eswatini's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and to attract foreign direct investment is acute. Eswatini's national development strategy, which expires in 2022, prioritizes increases in infrastructure, agriculture production, and economic diversification, while aiming to reduce poverty and government spending. Eswatini's revenue from SACU receipts are likely to continue to decline as South Africa pushes for a new distribution scheme, making it harder for the government to maintain fiscal balance without introducing new sources of revenue. |
Industries | mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel |
Currency Name and Code | SZL |
Export Partners | South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5% |
Import Partners | South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% |
What current events are happening in Eswatini?
Source: Google News
What makes Eswatini a unique country to travel to?