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 summer time wet years. 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. Vegetable world has 2.4 thousand species - from lichens to ficuses and magnolias.
Fauna
Representatives of the animal world are typical of the African savanna - blue buffaloes, markhorned antelopes, zebras, hippos, are found in rivers a large number of crocodiles.
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. well known national park and Malotolsa waterfall.
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 acquaintance with Swaziland-trekking, as well as walking and horse riding excursions. Some National parks offer excellent trails that are often only gentrified trails local residents which they have used for centuries. Horse riding tours are considered the most suitable for local conditions and have already managed to create the country the glory of one of the world centers of equestrian tourism. In many cases, this is also the only way explore inaccessible to others ground facilities transport parts of the country and get to know 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.
SWAZILAND
(Kingdom of Swaziland)
Geographical position. Swaziland is a state in southeast Africa. In the east it borders with Mozambique, in the southeast, south, west and north with South Africa.
Square. The territory of Swaziland occupies 17,363 sq. km.
gchavnye cities, Administrative division. The capital of Swaziland is Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal residence). Largest cities: Man-zini (53 thousand people), Mbabane (47 thousand people).
Swaziland- a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the king. The head of government is the prime minister. The legislature is a bicameral parliament (the Senate and the House of Assembly).
Nature
Relief. In the west of the country there is a mountain range rising up to 1,220 m, in the center - a plateau, average height which is about 610 m, the east of the country is occupied by a low-lying veld.
Geological structure and minerals. The bowels of the country contain reserves of asbestos, gold, diamonds.
Climate. The country's climate is transitional from subtropical to tropical, humid in summer. Average monthly temperatures are from +12°С to +20°С. Precipitation falls from 500-700 mm in the east of the country to 1200-1400 mm or more in the west.
Inland waters. The main rivers of the country are the Komati, the Great Usutu and the Umbeluzi.
Soils and vegetation. Vegetation in the west is a typical savanna with acacia and baobab, in the east thickets of xerophytic shrubs predominate.
Animal world. Fauna - typical of the African savannas: blue buffaloes, markhorned antelopes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles in the rivers.
Population and language
The population of Swaziland is about 966 thousand people, average density population of about 56 people per 1 sq. km. km. ethnic groups: Swazi - 90%, Zulus - 2.3%), Europeans - 2.1%. Languages: Swazi, English (both official).
Religion
Believers are mostly Christians, a third of the population adhere to local traditional beliefs.
Brief historical sketch
The Royal House of Swaziland has been known for over 400 years and is one of the oldest in Africa. AT late XIX in. after Boer War Swaziland came under the control of the Union of South Africa. In 1907, Swaziland was placed under the jurisdiction of the British High Commissioner. South Africa. In 1967, the country received the right to self-government, and on September 6, 1968, full independence. In 1973, the constitution was repealed and banned political activity. For four years after the death of King Sobuz II, there was no ruler in the country - it was decided which of the 67 sons of the monarch should take the throne. This problem was solved in 1986.
Brief economic essay
Economically underdeveloped agricultural country. Main agricultural crops: corn, sugarcane, citrus fruits, pineapples, cotton. Transhumance-pasture animal husbandry. Mining of asbestos, coal, iron ore. Artificial afforestations have been created on the site of the reduced primary forests. Logging. Sugar, woodworking, canning factories. Exports: sugar, canned fruits, meat, timber, asbestos.
The monetary unit is the lilangeni, and the South African rand is also in free circulation.
Brief essay culture
Art and architecture. Lobamba. National Museum of Swaziland; Houses of Parliament; Queen Mother's Village.
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. Sweet 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 Russian half passport is free, and in Israeli the last page), but the Swazis began to look for an exit seal from South Africa, and it is in Israeli. 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 it is that they brought us school card world and asked 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 more: in the navigator, or in a 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 would not 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 strange noises, 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 -
Approximately at the 80th kilometer 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 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 South African republic.
Administrative divisions of Swaziland. The state is divided into 4 districts.
Form of government of Swaziland. .
Head of State of Swaziland. King.
Higher Legislature Swaziland. The bicameral Parliament (Libondla) consists of the Senate and the House of Assembly.
Higher executive agency 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.
Details Category: Countries of South Africa Posted on 18.05.2015 17:38 Views: 2103Swaziland - small African country whose name comes from the people swazi who came to southern Africa from 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 countries. 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 – 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. In his hands is concentrated the legislative and executive power. He is also Supreme Commander 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's most high level in the world of AIDS infection (more than 26% of the adult population). Average duration life 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: manufactured goods, vehicles, food, oil products.
Education- the education system is not sufficiently developed, education is not compulsory. AT 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 covered 98% of children of the corresponding age (2002).
Higher education: University of Swaziland, agricultural and pedagogical institutes.
Sport- football is popular. Swaziland participated for the first time Olympic Games in 1972 Swaziland's first and only participation in Winter Games happened in 1992 in Albertville. Athletes from Swaziland have never won a single Olympic medal.
Military establishment- The Swaziland Self-Defense Force and the Royal Swaziland Police Force. The Swazi army 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 (pasture, 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 major rivers- Komachi, Ngwavuma, Umbelusi, 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
inhabit different types antelopes (including markhorns), hippos, 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. local population. Hiking and horse riding tours are offered.
The main tourist attraction is the traditional Reed dance (Umhlanga)– annual mass holiday in Swaziland, which culminates in 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 construction material for wind protection. 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 the audience. 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 into January next year. This annual ceremony lasts 3 weeks and involves the people of Swaziland uniting to receive blessings from their ancestors and serves the purpose of extending the reign of the Swazi people in the country and starting 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 ore. Synonym: red ironstone), was mined here 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 is unique place 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 trading 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 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 life 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
First and most famous museum cultural history. 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 to the middle ones from the central part of the continent. First they settled on the coast indian ocean but in the 18th century they were driven back to what is now Swaziland by other tribes.
AT early XIX in. 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 centralized system power by subordinating 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 big state(its territory was more than twice the area of modern Swaziland).
Traditional Swazi dwellings
AT mid-nineteenth in. 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.
