The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small landlocked country surrounded by South Africa on three sides and Mozambique on the East. The country is smaller than the state of New Jersey, approximately 17,203 square kilometers.
The name Swaziland is derived from the Swazi, a Bantu tribe that occupied that area. The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khosian, who were hunter-gatherers. The Swazi kingdom was established in the early 19th century by King Sobhuza I. After the Second Boer War, Swaziland became a British protectorate. They were granted independence on September 6, 1968.
The current head of state is King Mswati III, the world’s last ruling monarch. The constitution was suspended in 1973 and although a new constitution was put into effect in February 2006, pro-democracy political activity has continued to be suppressed. Balance of power in Swaziland lies between the King and the Queen Mother. The King is viewed as the administrative head of state and the Queen Mother as the spiritual and national head of state.
The country is divided into four regional administrative districts and these are further subdivided into smaller areas which are administered by chieftains. The capital of Swaziland is Mbabane.
Swaziland is composed mostly of mountains and hills. The official languages are Swazi (Siswati) and English.
The official currency is the lilangeni.
The most common religion in Swaziland is Christianity.
70 percent of the population of 1.1 million resides in rural areas.
Sugar is the leading export. Coal and diamonds are also exported.
Swaziland is one of the poorest countries in the world, but possibly one of the wealthiest in Africa.
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