Natural resources include asbestos, coal, clay, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc. Environmental issues centre on the limited supplies of potable water; the depletion of wildlife populations due to excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; and soil erosion.

In this landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of agroprocessing factories. Mining has declined in importance in recent years: diamond mines have shut down because of dwindling accessible reserves; iron ore deposits (high grade) were depleted by 1978; and health concerns have cut world demand for asbestos. Today, the main earners of hard currency are exports of soft drink concentrate, sugar, and wood pulp.

Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives four-fifths of its imports and to which it sends two-thirds of its exports. Remittances from the Southern African Customs Union and Swazi workers in South African mines substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Prospects for 2001 are strengthened by government millennium projects, increased road building and factory construction plans.³⁹

GDP per capita is Intl $5,029 (Table 9).

Table 9 GDP per capita (Intl $): countries of Africa, 2001