Minerals of Swaziland. Swaziland map in Russian. capital of swaziland, flag, history of the country. where is swaziland located on the world map. What to visit in Swaziland

Swaziland is a small African country whose name comes from the people swazi who came to southern Africa from the central continent in the Middle Ages.

Swaziland borders South Africa and Mozambique.

State symbols

Flag- is a panel with an aspect ratio of 2:3 with 5 horizontal stripes on top: blue, yellow, red, yellow and blue. On the central, red stripe, two spears and a staff are depicted, on top of them is an African shield. The staff and shield are adorned with decorative bird feather tassels that represent the king.
The red color symbolizes past battles and struggles; blue - peace and stability; yellow - natural resources of the country. The black and white coloring of the shield symbolizes the peaceful coexistence of the black and white races. The flag was approved on October 30, 1967.

Coat of arms- represents an azure shield, in the field of which an oval shield wavy crossed into silver and black on top of two golden spears in a pillar. Above the shield is an azure-gold windmill under a stylized crown of green feathers. The shield is supported by a marching lion and an elephant in natural colors. Below is a silver motto ribbon with the motto: "We are a fortress."
Spears symbolize protection, the lion - the king, the elephant - the queen mother.

State structure

Form of government- a dualistic monarchy (a constitutional monarchy in which the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, but the monarch formally and in fact retains extensive powers of authority).
head of state- monarch. Legislative and executive power is concentrated in his hands. He is also the Supreme Commander of the Army. Parliament has no real legislative power and is in fact an advisory body to the king.

Current monarch since April 1986 King Mswati III
Head of the government- Prime Minister.

Mbabane
Capital Cities- Mbabane (official), Lobamba (royal and parliamentary).
The largest city- Manzini.
official languages- English, matchmaker.
Territory- 17,363 km².
Administrative division- 4 districts.
Population– 1,185,000 people The country has the highest rate of AIDS infection in the world (more than 26% of the adult population). The average life expectancy is about 50 years.
Swazis make up the bulk of the population, as well as a small number of Zulus, Europeans and immigrants from Mozambique. Urban population 25%.
Religion- Syncretists 40% (beliefs based on a combination of Christianity with aboriginal cults), Catholics 20%, Muslims 10%, other 30%.
Currency- lilangeni.
Economy- The main sector of the economy is agriculture. Main agricultural crops: sugarcane, corn, cotton, tobacco, rice, citrus fruits, pineapples. They are engaged in cattle breeding. Industry: production for the processing of agricultural products, mining (coal and asbestos), pulp production, textile production. Transport: railway 297 km, motorways 2853 km. Export: juice concentrates, sugar, wood, cotton, citrus fruits, canned fruits. Import: industrial goods, vehicles, food, oil products.

Education- the education system is not sufficiently developed, education is not compulsory. In primary schools, the term of study is 7 years (from the age of 6).
Secondary education (5 years) begins at the age of 13 and takes place in two stages - 3 and 2 years. Primary education covers 98% of children of the corresponding age (2002).
Higher education: University of Swaziland, agricultural and pedagogical institutes.
Sport- football is popular. Swaziland took part in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1972. Swaziland's first and only participation in the Winter Games was in 1992 in Albertville. Athletes from Swaziland have never won a single Olympic medal.
Armed forces- The Swaziland Self-Defense Force and the Royal Swaziland Police Force. The army of Swaziland has never participated in external conflicts and is mainly engaged in maintaining order within the country and protecting the borders.

Nature

Basically, Swaziland is located on a highland that descends to the coastal plain of Mozambique in three steps: the High Weld (dissected relief), the Middle Weld (favorable for agriculture) and the Low Weld (pastures, in the east of Mount Lebombo).

Mineral reserves are significant: diamonds, asbestos, gold, iron, coal, kaolin, tin, pyrophyllite, semi-precious stones (beryl, quartz, etc.) and talc.
Dense river network, the largest rivers are Komati, Ngvavuma, Umbeluzi, Usutu. The main rivers of Swaziland cut through the mountains and flow into the Indian Ocean.

Climate subtropical and tropical.
The flora is rich: about 2,400 species - from lichens and ferns to magnolias and ficuses. 25 types of aloe, 12 types of orchids, 10 types of lilies.

Antelopes
There are different types of antelopes (including horned ones), hippopotamuses, white rhinos, zebras, crocodiles. The tsetse fly is spread throughout the area.

Tourism

Tourism in the country is developing dynamically. Tourists are attracted by the picturesque mountain landscapes, the diversity of the animal world, the possibility of a safari, as well as the original culture of the local population. Hiking and horse riding tours are offered.
The main tourist attraction is the traditional Reed dance (Umhlanga)- An annual mass holiday in Swaziland, the culmination of which is the dance of several thousand half-naked Swaziland girls who want to become one of the wives of the King of Swaziland - Mswati III. The festival takes place in August-September.

The celebration lasts 3 days and ends with a dance. On the first night after arriving at the camp, the girls go to collect cane. The torn cane they bring the next day to the palace of the Queen Mother of Swaziland, where it is used as a building material to protect against the wind. On the last day of the celebration, government transport delivers the girls to the stadium, where the climax of the celebration will take place. The stadium is attended by the king and the royal family, as well as spectators. The King and specially invited guests give speeches on current topics in Swaziland. After that, a dance begins, which lasts for several hours. Spectators can join the dancers or encourage them by throwing money at their feet. The king every year has the right to choose his bride from the dancers.

Incwala ("Festival of First Fruits") is also an important religious ritual for Swaziland that attracts tourists. It takes place in the second half of December and continues in January of the following year. This annual ceremony lasts 3 weeks and involves the people of Swaziland uniting to receive blessings from their ancestors and serves to extend the reign of the Swazi people in the country and start the harvest.
The ceremony is attended by the King of Swaziland.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Swaziland

Ngwenya mine

This mine is considered the oldest in the world. Ore containing hematite (iron mineral Fe2O3, one of the most important iron ores. Synonym: red iron ore) was mined here back in the "African Middle Stone Age". At this time, red ocher was obtained from it. Ancient people used red ocher for cosmetic and ritual purposes. Later, the ore was mined for iron smelting and for export.

Other sights of Swaziland

Lobamba

Mantenga waterfall
Historic capital of the kingdom, seat of Parliament and residence of the Queen Mother.
Attractions:
Palace of King Embo Royal
Royal Kraal
National Museum
Houses of Parliament
Memorial of King Sobhuz II
Cultural village - a traditional ethnic beehive village that conveys the life of local residents
Mantenga waterfall
The Reed Dance (Umhlanga) is an annual celebration of virgins in honor of the Queen Mother.

Muti-Muti Reserve

This unique place is actively used by practitioners and healers of the Inyang and Sangoma schools to collect a variety of herbs used in their work.
The city of Siteki is a major commercial and cultural center. Siteki is famous for its Inyanga and Sangoma schools. Here they receive the title of healers and experts in traditional medicine.

King Sobhuz II Memorial Park

The King Sobhuza II Memorial Park is located in the city of Lobamba and is dedicated to the first king of Swaziland. The park consists of a memorial, a mausoleum and a memorial museum. The three-meter bronze statue of the king is surrounded by shields.

The memorial is surrounded by a pond, and there are bronze sculptures of lions at the entrance. To ascend the throne, the leader of the tribe had to kill a lion. Next to the memorial is a torch, which is a symbol of the fact that the spirit of the king is still alive. The torch is lit on important days for the country.

The museum contains exhibits dedicated to the life of the first king of Swaziland. The mausoleum is located on the spot where his body lay during the funeral of Sobhuz II in 1982. The king was buried in the south of the country, in the mountains.

National Museum of Swaziland

The first and most famous museum of the history of culture. Located in the palace of the XXVIII century. in the heart of Copenhagen, it occupies 36 hectares and is a real open-air museum.

The National Museum was opened in 1892, it acquaints residents and visitors of the city with history, from the Stone Age and the Vikings to the Renaissance. Here are samples of various cultures of the peoples that live on the territory of the country.

Story

The ancestors of the Swazi people came to this territory in the middle from the central part of the continent. At first they settled on the coast of the Indian Ocean, but in the XVIII century. they were pushed back into what is now Swaziland by other tribes.
At the beginning of the XIX century. Swazi fought against the Zulu and other neighboring tribes, and they raided Swazi lands.
In 1836, the Swazi leader Sobuza I (now called the king) defeated the Zulu, introduced a centralized system of power, subjugating other leaders. He is actually the founder of the Swazi state.
King Mswati I in the late 1830s annexed new lands in the north of the country and created a large state (its territory was more than twice the area of ​​modern Swaziland).

Traditional Swazi dwellings
In the middle of the XIX century. the country began to attract European colonizers. In 1894, the territory of Swaziland was declared part of the Boer Republic (Transvaal).
After the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. Britain declared Swaziland its protectorate, but retained the power of local kings and leaders there.
In 1964, the first local parliamentary elections were held, and on September 6, 1968, Britain granted full independence to the Kingdom of Swaziland.

In 1973, King Sobuza II abolished the constitution, dissolved parliament and outlawed the activities of all political parties, trade unions and other public organizations.
Sobuza II died in 1982 and was succeeded by Mswati III.
In April 2011, thousands of opposition rallies were held demanding the resignation of Mswati III. The opposition accuses the monarch of plundering the state treasury in order to provide a luxurious life for himself and his 13 wives. The police, using special equipment, dispersed the rally in the capital of Swaziland, arresting 13 organizers of the rally.

Leafing through my passport after returning from Africa, I noticed with surprise that it was the seals from the small kingdom of Swaziland that I had the most, after South Africa. Planning to just transit Swaziland in a few hours, we ended up staying there for a few days. Nice little kingdom, with wonderful people, beautiful nature and surprisingly good roads. We stopped in the town of Siteki, which is near the Mozambique border. And we lived there right on the farm, a real agricultural farm, and with a history. Next, I’ll tell you about the farm, and about Swaziland as such -

After spending a few days in Swaziland, and twice leaving and entering it towards South Africa and Mozambique, my passport, issued only a year and a half ago, lost the last free page. I tried to enter Swaziland with a Russian passport in order to transfer the burden of seals to it (in the Russian half of the passport is free, and in the Israeli one the last page), but the Swazilanders began to look for an exit stamp from South Africa, and it is in the Israeli one. Alas, my little trick didn't work -

Border post between South Africa and Swaziland Golela / Lavumisa -

Our passports (Russian, Israeli and Moldovan) caused surprise at the border. Especially Moldovan, the border guards of none of the neighboring countries have even heard of a country like the Republica Moldova. The Swazis became so interested in what kind of mysterious country this is that they brought us a school map of the world and asked us to show where this very Moldova is located. We showed it, they marked it with a cross. The fact is that the Swaziland border guards, for fun, mark with crosses those states whose citizens crossed their border post. Looking at the map, we noticed that Moldova became the first CIS country whose citizens entered Swaziland through this crossing, because even Russian tourists have not traveled here before! The Russian passport was viewed with interest, but they knew about the existence of Russia, so they independently marked it on the map. As for the Israelis, they have already been here and my passport did not surprise me. Then we drove further along the route -

The asphalt road promised by the Lonely Planet guide soon ended, although, according to the GPS, we continued to drive on asphalt. Phew, I swore to remember the name of this vile device in vain, but again mentioned it. If you remember, I told you a couple of months ago when at first they themselves offered to give me their navigator for advertising reasons, then for almost a month they “fed me with breakfast”, they didn’t give me a navigator, but when I had a couple of days left before departure, it turned out that they have outplayed everything and will not give me anything. And in the end, in a hurry, I ran to buy at least some kind of GPS, made a mistake, bought a fake, etc., etc. So, I don’t know what the problem is to a greater extent: in the navigator, or in the broken map from iGO, but summing up the results of a month-long trip to southern Africa, I must say that in about 30% of cases the navigator was buggy and if not for paper maps - we wouldn't have gone far. I will devote a separate post to this, but for now let's get back to the roads of Swaziland -

The dirt highway, marked on the maps as paved, has been winding through the southeast of Swaziland for 50 kilometers and did not want to be covered with asphalt. Looking ahead, I’ll note that in general, the Swaziland roads are quite okay, but our first experience turned out to be, as they say, like a “damn lump” -

At some point I was confused by strange sounds, reminiscent of "puff", deciding to make sure that we did not puncture the wheel, we stopped next to the sign "Beware of crocodiles and hippos". The wheel turned out to be in order, but a hippopotamus lived in this backwater. It was not possible to photograph him, as soon as we got out of the car, he plunged into the water and we did not see him again, obviously the animal disappeared into the reeds -

At about the 80th kilometer of a dirt road, we finally got to the town of Siteki, we had to make a halt: the car was covered in mud and dust, plus it creaks at all seams, we are tired, sand is everywhere, our eyes itch. By the way, we saw the sign "Mabuda farm B&B", and decided to stop there. I must say that I read about this farm on the Internet, a place with history and a lot of rave reviews. At first, you drive along such an alley -

Then you reach the gate -

The owners live here

And here, in the white houses, guests -

From the threshold of our cottage opens a view of the plains of the central part of the country -

This is what our house looks like inside -

There is also a second floor, which I occupied -

You can even live in a birdhouse (joke) -

The town of Siteki itself is unremarkable, but there are a couple of supermarkets where we stocked up on provisions -

Bus station -

Vegetable Market -

After spending several days in Siteki, using it as a base for traveling around Swaziland and a trip to neighboring Mozambique (more about Mozambique), we moved towards the capital of Swaziland, the town of Mbabane. About 10 km east of the capital there is a government complex, a national museum and the mausoleum of King Mswati, revered in this state as a god -

Everything is very modest, no futuristic scope -

The Parliament of Swaziland, which can be visited accompanied by security. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to shoot inside, which is a pity, it is very colorful there -

Ministerial parking, pay attention to the signs indicating who parks there -

Parliamentary Church -

Church inside -

National Museum -

We leave the capital and drive to the northwest, towards the border with South Africa, on the way we meet the picturesque Maguga dam (

Kingdom Swaziland- the smallest state on the continent, located in southeast Africa. In the east it borders with Mozambique, in the southeast, south, west and north - with the Republic of South Africa. Administrative division. The state is divided into 4 districts

The name comes from the ethnonym of the people - Swazi.

Capital

Mbabane (administrative), Lobam-ba (royal residence).

Square

Population

1100 thousand people

Form of government

A constitutional monarchy.

head of state

supreme legislative body

The bicameral Parliament (Libondla) consists of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

Supreme executive body

government accountable to the king.

Big cities

Official language

Swazi, English.

Religion

60% - Catholics, 30% - pagans.

Ethnic composition

90% Swazi, 2.3% Zulu, 2.1% European.

Currency

Lilangeni (plural - emalangeni) 100 cents.

Climate

The climate is transitional from subtropical to tropical, humid in summer. Average monthly temperatures range from + 12°C to + 20°C in summer. Precipitation is 500-700 mm per year in the east and 1200-1400 mm in the west.

Flora

In the west, the vegetation is a typical savanna with acacia and baobabs, in the east thickets of xerophytic shrubs predominate. West High Veldo is a country of mountain meadows. The plant world has 2.4 thousand species - from lichens to ficuses and magnolias.

Fauna

Representatives of the animal world are typical of the African savannah - blue buffaloes, markhorned antelopes, zebras, hippos, a large number of crocodiles are found in the rivers.

Rivers and lakes

The largest rivers of the country are the Komati, the Great Usutu and the Umbeluzi.

Attractions

In Lobamba - National Museum of Swaziland, Parliament House, Queen Mother Village. The Malotolsa National Park and waterfall are well known.

Useful information for tourists

Swaziland is a unique country where modern, vibrant life is organically intertwined with ancient traditions and rituals that form the basis of the life of its people - the Swazi. The best way to get to know Swaziland is trekking, as well as walking and horseback riding tours. Some national parks offer superb trails, often just gentrified trails that locals have used for centuries. Horse excursions are considered the most suitable for local conditions and have already managed to create the country's fame as one of the world's centers of equestrian tourism. In many cases, it is also the only way to explore parts of the country that are inaccessible to other means of transport and to get acquainted with the wildlife of the region.
One of the most colorful events takes place annually in late August - early September and is timed to coincide with the moment the king chooses the next bride. It is called the "Dance of the Reed". Virgin girls from all over the kingdom gather near the palace of the Queen Mother with a bundle of cane, symbolizing their purity and devotion to the throne. The girls' attire consists only of loincloths woven with beads. Royal princesses adorn their hair with a wreath of red feathers and lead the dance.
The meaning of the ceremony is to show the king his beauty and ability to dance, so that he chooses one of the many virgins and makes him his wife. And although the choice of the king is a foregone conclusion, thousands of almost naked beauties do their best to demonstrate their charms, performing intricate steps.

The Kingdom of Swaziland has two capitals.

The administrative capital of the kingdom is the city of Mbabane and the legislative capital is the city of Lo-bamba, which also houses the royal residence.

King of the state Mswati III, rules from 1986 to the present.

Prime Minister since 1996 Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini.

Swaziland on the world map

Information and History of Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland has an area of ​​17,400 sq. km, the population is about 832,000 people.

The urban population is 28%, the literacy rate is 55%.

Monetary unit of the Kingdom of Swaziland: lilangeni.

Most of the population, about 74%, is employed in agriculture. The ethnic composition of the population is about 90% of purebred Africans, mainly Swazi, Zulu, Tonga, Shangaap tribes.

The official language in the country is English and Swazi. The religious views of the population are distributed as follows: Christians (36%), Catholics (11%), members of independent African churches (28%) and 20% adhere to traditional beliefs.

The Kingdom of Swaziland came into being in 1968. The type of government in the country is an absolute monarchy.

The country is divided into four districts governed by regional councils made up of representatives of the 40 tribes into which the nation is subdivided.

Swaziland, a traditional Swazi kingdom, was jointly ruled by the United Kingdom and the Boer-founded Transvaal Republic. This lasted from 1890 until the end of the South African War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902.

In 1904, the country was forcibly turned into a British protectorate, and in 1907 it became the territory of the High Commissioner.

The act of Parliament of the United Kingdom of 1910, proclaiming the formation of the Union of South Africa, provided for the possible inclusion of Swaziland, along with other territories of the High Commissioner's office, into the union, but the British government stated that this would not happen without the consent of the citizens. Knowing this point, the South African government repeatedly asked Swaziland to come under its jurisdiction, but this was opposed by the British government and the people of Swaziland themselves. Requests of this kind ceased in 1967, when Swaziland gained the right to internal self-government, and subsequently achieved the status of a fully independent state within the Commonwealth, which happened in 1968.

The 1963 constitution, introduced by the British government before Swaziland gained full independence, provided for a parliamentary system of government with King Sobhuza II as head of government. In 1973, with the consent of the assembly, the king abolished the constitution and received unlimited power.

In 1978, a new constitution was adopted, providing for a bicameral Assembly, whose deputies were partly appointed by the king, partly elected by an electoral college representing 40 tribes.

King Sobhuza died in 1982, and, according to Swazi tradition, the position of head of state passed to Queen Mother Dzeliva, who should hold this post until the crown prince Mahosetiv reaches 21 in 1989. However, in August 1983, Queen Dzelive was deposed from the throne by another ex-wife of King Sobhuza, Ntombi, who was formally appointed royal regent in October.

A struggle for power began among the members of the royal family, and in November 1984 it was announced that the crown prince would ascend the throne in April 1986, i.e. three years before reaching the required age. In April 1986, he was officially proclaimed King Msuati III (b. 1968).

During 1991, a royal commission toured the country, studying the opinion of the population about changes in the constitution.

In 1993, direct elections were held for the Assembly, and in 1994 the King announced the need for a commission representing government and foreign interests to draft a new constitution.

It is a member of the South African Customs Union, Swaziland has close economic relations with South Africa, and the South African rand is freely circulated in the country along with the national currency.

In May 1996, the King unexpectedly removed Prince Jameson Mbilini Dlamini from his post and the Prime Minister, appointing Barnabas Sibusizo Dlamini instead. The ban on organizing and operating political parties was not lifted despite strikes and massive pro-democracy demonstrations throughout 1996 and 1997.

Dlamini was reappointed Prime Minister, but the results of elections to the Legislative Assembly in October 1998, then the king dissolved the 21-member deliberative National Council of Swaziland.

On April 20, 2018, the King of Swaziland, Mswati III, renamed the Kingdom of Swaziland to the name of the Kingdom of Eswatini, returning the state to its historical name, which it had before colonization by Great Britain. The new name means "Land of Swazi".

How to get to Swaziland from Russia

There are no direct flights from Russia to Swaziland. To get to the country from Russia, you need to fly to Johannesburg, (South Africa), then fly to Manzini Airport by local airlines. The second option can be reached by car from South Africa or Mozambique.

A visa to Swaziland for citizens of the Russian Federation is required, you can get it upon arrival in the country, directly on the spot.

The cost is about 35 dollars.

Advice: if you pay for a visa when entering the country from South Africa with South African rand, or when entering from Mozambique with meticals, the cost of a visa will be much cheaper than when paying in US dollars.

What to visit in Swaziland

In view of the small size of the country, we do not recommend flying to Swaziland purposefully, but we recommend visiting it when visiting South Africa or Mozambique.

There are not many attractions in the country, and in general, 3-4 days are enough to visit this small country.

Main attractions:

It is the second largest granite monolith in.

It is smaller than Mount Uluru in Australia. Located near the city of Mbabane, about 10 kilometers.

Climbing the mountain takes an average of about 4 hours.

Mbuluzi Game Reserve

The Mbuluzi Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of the kingdom, about an hour's drive from the city of Manzini.

A huge number of representatives of the African fauna, including the African five, live on the territory of the reserve. On its territory, you can stay at a campsite and a mini-hotel for a couple of days, where you can also book a tour of the reserve.

Ethno villages of Shevula and Mantenga.

In ethno villages, the life of the local population of the kingdom is presented, you can walk around the village, look into the dwellings of the inhabitants, watch performances of national traditional songs and dances.

Royal Hlane National Park

The largest reserve of the kingdom, you can look at the big five of Africa. You can stay at a local campsite, and take a tour of the reserve there. We recommend Ndlovu Camp cottage settlement.

Reserve Mkhaya

One of the largest nature reserves in Swaziland, located in the southeast of the country.

You can stay in the hotel complex Stone Camp

Features of rest in Swaziland

Malaria and yellow fever are possible, so when entering the country it is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever, and to use mosquito nets while sleeping.

The country has a rather big problem with medicine, a very small number of medical centers and clinics, so even food poisoning can become quite a serious problem. It is worth eating in normal establishments or at hotels, drinking only bottled water.

In the Kingdom of Swaziland, it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages on public transport; you can end up in a local prison.

Do not walk around the country at night, due to the low standard of living of the local population, you can become a victim of robbery or violence.

Kingdom of Swaziland.

The name comes from the ethnonym of the people - Swazi.

Capital of Swaziland. Mbabane (administrative), Lobam-ba (royal residence).

Swaziland area. 17363 km2.

Population of Swaziland. 1100 thousand people

Location of Swaziland. The Kingdom of Swaziland is the smallest state on the continent, located in the southeast. In the east it borders with, in the southeast, south, west and north - with the Republic of South Africa.

Administrative divisions of Swaziland. The state is divided into 4 districts.
Form of government of Swaziland. .

Head of State of Swaziland. King.

Supreme Legislature of Swaziland. The bicameral Parliament (Libondla) consists of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

Supreme executive body of Swaziland. government accountable to the king.

Major cities in Swaziland. Manzini.

State language of Swaziland.Swazi, English.

Religion in Swaziland. 60% -, 30% - pagans.

Ethnic composition of Swaziland. 90% - Swazi, 2.3% - Zulus, 2.1% -.

Currency of Swaziland. Lilangeni (plural - emalangeni) 100 cents.