Fun Facts on
Swaziland
Swaziland
changed its name to the Kingdom of eSwatini in 2018. In the
local language siSwati, it means, "the place of the Swati
people". It was the last country in the continent of Africa to
change its colonial name. (FYI: I visited the country when it was
still Swaziland, so that's why my text written back then has the
previous name.)
Swaziland
is one of the smallest countries in Africa and one of the continent's
three remaining monarchies. It was one of the last of Great
Britain's colonies in Africa, gaining independence in 1968. South
Africa surrounds Swaziland on three sides. Mozambique is the neighbor
on the east side of the country.
The name Swaziland was created from the name of one of the country's kings, Mswati. Kings in Swaziland are always selected by the Queen Mother.
Swaziland has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Cave paintings by the San have been discovered across the country.
More than a million people live in Swaziland. The country has two capital cities. Mbabne is the largest city in Swaziland and the administrative capital. Lobamba is the the traditional, royal capital.
There are two official languages in Swaziland. English is the official language of the government, but most people speak SiSwati.
Much of Swaziland is covered with mountains, rainforests, and valleys. Most of the Swazi people (80%) are farmers.
The name Swaziland was created from the name of one of the country's kings, Mswati. Kings in Swaziland are always selected by the Queen Mother.
Swaziland has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Cave paintings by the San have been discovered across the country.
More than a million people live in Swaziland. The country has two capital cities. Mbabne is the largest city in Swaziland and the administrative capital. Lobamba is the the traditional, royal capital.
There are two official languages in Swaziland. English is the official language of the government, but most people speak SiSwati.
Much of Swaziland is covered with mountains, rainforests, and valleys. Most of the Swazi people (80%) are farmers.