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Kingdom of Swaziland
 The Kingdom of Swaziland is landlocked Southern African country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. The country is named after the Swazi, a Bantu tribe and it covers 17, 363 km2 of land. The head of state in Swaziland is the king, currently King Mswati III, who ascended to the throne upon the death of his father King Sobhuza II. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother, Indlovukazi. As a result, the King is viewed as the administrative head of state and the Queen mother as a spiritual and national head of state. The legal system is based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations.
Swaziland is divided into four regional administrative districts: Hhohho, Manzini, Lubombo and Shiselweni. These regions are further subdivided into Tinkhundla administrated by chieftains. Swaziland offers a wide variety of landscapes, from the mountains along the Mozambican border to savannas in the east and rainforest in the northwest. Several rivers flow through the country, such as the Great Usuthu River. The climate varies from tropical to near mild.
 The capital city of Swaziland is Mbabane whilst Lobamba is viewed as the traditional (Legislative) capital. Most of the working population in Swaziland lives along the Mbabane - Manzini corridor. This corridor incorporates Ezulwini (fast becoming an upmarket residential area), Matsapha (the industrial hub of Swaziland) and Manzini (the business hub of Swaziland). Other towns to note include Nhlangano, Pigg's Peak, Hlathikhulu and Siteki.
Swaziland's currency is the Lilangeni (E) which is at par with the South African Rand (R), so E1 = R1. Swaziland is one of the wealthiest nations in Africa, but one of the poorest in the world. The countries literacy rate currently stands at 80% and there's about 300,000 people in the labour force (according to CIA factbook). Swaziland's GDP (purchasing power parity) stood at $5.424 billion in 2007 with a GDP/capita PPP of $4,800. Most of the high-level economic activity is in the hands of non-Africans, but ethnic Swazis are becoming more active as small entrepreneurs are moving into middle management positions.
According to the CIA factbook, current statistics reveal the following 'facts' about Swaziland:
- Agricultural products - sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapple, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, sheep.
- Main industries - coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel.
- Exports - $2.169 billion.
- Expot commodities - wood pulp, soft drink concentrates, sugar, cotton yarn, refrigerators, canned fruit and citrus.
International Investors are allowed to invest in the Kingdom of Eswatini through the Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority and other Investments bodies such as Tibiyo Takangwane, SIDC and other Investments bodies.
 Nonetheless, about 70% of Swazis live below the poverty line in rural areas and are affected by drought and a resulting food crisis that threatens a lot of the people in the rural areas of Swaziland. The unemployment rate is approximately 40% and a significant portion of the population live on less than $1/day. Swaziland's HDI development score is low and economic growth has wavered in the past few years, worsened by the economy's inability to create new jobs at the same rate that new job seekers enter the market. This is due largely in part to the country's population growth rate, which strains the natural resources and the country's ability to provide adequate social services, such as health care and education. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and floods are persistent problems. The country's population currently stands at approximately 1,128,814 million people, but the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS is threatening to drastically reduce this figure.
In 2004, Swaziland acknowledged for the first time that it suffered an AIDS crisis, with 38.8% of the population infected with HIV. Current Prime Minister Themba Dlamini declared a humanitarian crisis because of the combined effect of drought and land degradation, increased poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Read more information about HIV/AIDS in Swaziland.
Swaziland has well-developed road links with South Africa. It also has railroads running east to west and north to south. The older east-west link, called the Goba line, makes it possible to export bulk goods from Swaziland through the Port of Maputo in Mozambique. Until recently, most of Swaziland's imports were shipped through this port. Conflict in Mozambique in the 1980s diverted many Swazi exports to ports in South Africa. A north-south rail link, completed in 1986, provides a connection between the Mpumalanga rail network and the South African ports of Richards Bay and Durban.
The majority of Swaziland's population is ethnic Swazi, mixed with a small number of Zulus and non-Africans, mostly whites of British and Afrikaner descent. Traditionally Swazis have been subsistence farmers and herders, but most now work in the growing urban formal economy and in government. Some Swazis work in the mines in South Africa. Swaziland also received Portuguese settlers and black refugees from Mozambique. Christianity in Swaziland is sometimes mixed with traditional beliefs and practices. Most Swazis ascribe a special spiritual role to the monarch.
Siswati and English are the official languages of Swaziland. Siswati is a Bantu language of the Nguni people spoken in Swaziland and South Africa. It has 1.5 million speakers and is taught in all Swazi schools.
The most common religion in Swaziland is Christianity which totals 82.70% of the total population, in which various indigenous African churches constitute the majority, followed quickly by Roman Catholicism. There are also non-Christian religions practiced in the country such as Islam: 0.95%, Bahai: 0.5%, and Hinduism: 0.15%.
Tourism in Swaziland has become an important sector of the Economy as a lot of effort and resource investments have been made towards improving the tourism sector. The upcoming Soccer World Cup 2010 in South Africa will provide the Swazi tourism industry the kind of exposure it needs. Such exposure will help the country show the world some of the traditions and culture that has been preserved even today. Swaziland's most well-known cultural event is the annual Reed Dance which takes place in late August/ early September. There are various other cultural events that take place throughout the year including the Incwala ceremony which usually takes place at the end of every year.
For more information and facts about Swaziland, visit:
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