ted
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: 10% permanent crops: 1% other: 89% (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 agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
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)