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Kingdom of Eswatini

Umbuso weSwatini  (Swazi)
Coat of arms of Eswatini
Coat of arms
Motto: 
"Siyinqaba" (Swazi)
"We are a fortress"
"We are a mystery"
"We hide ourselves away"
"We are powerful ones"
Anthem: 
"Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati"
"Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi'"
Location of  Eswatini  (dark blue)– in Africa  (light blue)– in the African Union  (light blue)
Location of  Eswatini  (dark blue)

– in Africa  (light blue)
– in the African Union  (light blue)
Location of Eswatini
Capital

26°30′S 31°30′E / 26.500°S 31.500°E / -26.500; 31.500
Largest city Mbabane
Official languages
Demonym(s) Swazi
Government Unitary parliamentary absolute diarchy
Mswati III
Themba N. Masuku
Legislature Parliament
Senate
House of Assembly
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Granted
 6 September 1968
• United Nations membership
 24 September 1968
• Current constitution
 2005
Area
• Total
 17,364 km2 (6,704 sq mi) (153rd)
• Water (%)
 0.9
Population
• 2018 estimate
 1,136,281 (155th)
• 2017 census
 1,093,238
• Density
 68.2/km2 (176.6/sq mi) (135th)
GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate
• Total
 $12.293 billion
• Per capita
 $11,089
GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate
• Total
 $4.662 billion
• Per capita
 $4,206
Gini (2015) ▼ 49.5
high
HDI (2018) Increase 0.608
medium · 138th
Currency
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Driving side left
Calling code +268
ISO 3166 code SZ
Internet TLD .sz

Eswatini is a country in Africa. It is officially the Kingdom of Eswatini (Umbuso weSwatini). Its capital is Mbabane. The country is named after the 19th-century king Mswati II. Eswatini was colonized by the British and the Boers at the end of the 19th century. It was formerly called Swaziland until April 2018.

Eswatini is a small country. It is no more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) north to south and 130 kilometres (81 mi) east to west. It is completely surrounded by land. Eswatini does not touch the sea. The two countries that touch it are Mozambique and South Africa.

On 19 April 2018, the King of Eswatini Mswati III announced that the Kingdom of Swaziland had renamed itself the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Health

Eswatini is strongly affected by HIV and AIDS. The 2012 CIA World Factbook showed Swaziland with the highest HIV infection rate in the world. Life expectancy is 50 years.

Education

Education in Eswatini is free at primary level, mainly 1st and 2nd grades. It is also free for orphaned and vulnerable children. Children are not required to attend. In 1996, the primary school enrollment rate was 90.8%. Girls and boys both attended at the primary level. In 1998, 80.5% of children reached grade five.

The University of Eswatini provides higher education.

Demographics

Ssa clem 48
Swazi people dancing in a cultural village show.

Most of Eswatini’s people are ethnically Swazi. There is also a small number of Zulu and White Africans, mostly people of British and Afrikaner descent. Swaziland also had Portuguese settlers and African refugees from Mozambique.

82.70% of the people are Christian, Christianity in Eswatini is sometimes mixed with traditional beliefs and practices. Some people think of the king as having a spiritual role. Eswatini also has a small Muslim minority.

Swazi have been subsistence farmers and herders. They now mix such activities with work in the growing urban economy and in government. Some Swazi work in the mines in South Africa.

SiSwati and English are the official languages. SiSwati has 2.5 million speakers and is taught in schools. It is also one of the official languages of South Africa.

About 76,000 people in the country speak Zulu. Tsonga is spoken by about 19,000 people in Swaziland. Afrikaans is also spoken by some residents of Afrikaner descent.

Districts

Eswatini is divided into four districts:

  • Hhohho
  • Lubombo
  • Manzini
  • Shiselweni

Cities

The cities in Eswatini are:

Rank City Census 1986 Census 1997 Calc. 2005 District
1. Manzini 46,058 78,734 110,537 Manzini
2. Mbabane 38,290 57,992 76,218 Hhohho
3. Big Bend 9,676 9,374 10,342 Lubombo
4. Malkerns 4,830 7,400 9,724 Manzini
5. Nhlangano 4,107 6,540 9,016 Shiselweni
6. Mhlume 6,509 7,661 8,652 Lubombo
7. Hluti n.a. 5,806 6,763 Shiselweni
8. Simunye 8,762 5,633 6,512 Lubombo
9. Siteki 2,271 4,157 6,152 Lubombo
10. Piggs Peak 3,223 4,581 5,750 Hhohho
11. Lobamba n.a. 3,625 4,557 Manzini
12. Ngomane n.a. 3,902 4,511 Lubombo
13. Vuvulane n.a. 3,594 4,155 Lubombo
14. Mpaka 1,007 2,144 3,586 Lubombo
15. Kwaluseni n.a. 2,701 3,395 Manzini
16. Bhunya 3,361 2,650 3,046 Manzini
17. Mhlambanyatsi 2,075 2,553 2,886 Manzini
18. Mondi 2,886 2,703 2,872 Hhohho
19. Tabankulu 4,651 2,551 2,815 Lubombo
20. Hlatikulu 1,276 2,076 2,748 Shiselweni
21. Bulembu 4,850 2,443 2,260 Hhohho
22. Kubuta n.a. 1,750 2,038 Shiselweni
23. Tjaneni 3,682 2,250 1,899 Lubombo
24. Sidvokodvo 1,339 1,528 1,746 Manzini
25. Lavumisa 850 1,117 1,300 Shiselweni
26. Ngwenya 445 842 1,281 Hhohho
27. Nsoko 2,868 963 1,175 Lubombo
28. Mankayane 913 1,040 1,144 Manzini



Images for kids

  • Récipient Swazi

    A 19th-century Swazi container, carved in wood

  • Johnston, W. and A.K. - South African Republic. Orange Free State, Natal, Basuto Land, Etc.

    Swaziland in Southern Africa, 1896

  • Eswatini Topography

    Topographic map of Eswatini

  • Eswatini landscape

    Landscape in Eswatini

  • Swaziland treemap

    A proportional representation of Swazi exports

  • Central Bank of Eswatini

    Central Bank in Mbabane

  • School Day (3638222558)

    A rural primary school in Eswatini

  • King of Swaziland

    King Mswati III at the reed dance festival where he will choose his next wife

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