Total Area:17,363 sq km Land Borders: Mocambique, South Africa
Population: 1,136,334
Life Expectancy: 33 years HIV % Total Poulation:38.8
Ethnic Groups: African 97%, European 3%
Languages:English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Chief of state:King MSWATI III GDP - Per Capita: $5,000
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 the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection.
