Facts about Swaziland

Swaziland consists mostly of high plateaus and mountains with an array of diverse vegetation at every turn, surprising variety for a nation its size.

The new constitution reaffirms his authority over the government and legislature and was strongly criticized by civil society organizations in Swaziland and human rights organizations elsewhere.

Present-day Swaziland, through its ancient Bantu and Nguni origins, easily accepts the concept of royal leadership.

Swaziland is made up of four diverse areas, varying from 400 to 1800 meters above sea level, and each with its own climate and characteristics.

Early in Mswati's reign he asked British authorities in South Africa for assistance against Zulu raids into Swaziland.

In 1902 Swaziland became a British protectorate and thus maintained its territorial identity.

CANGO said donors were avoiding Swaziland because of its lack of democratic reforms and transparency.

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

Swaziland offers a wide variety of landscapes, from the mountains along the Mozambican border to savannas in the east and rainforest in the northwest.

Human remains and artifacts from more than 100,000 years ago have been found in Swaziland.

After World War II, however, South Africa's intensification of racial discrimination induced the United Kingdom to prepare Swaziland for independence.

The Central Bank of Swaziland said at least 2.9 percent economic growth was needed to match population growth and maintain Swazis' standard of living.

In 2004 Swaziland acknowledged for the first time that it has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world, with almost 40 percent of adults infected with HIV.