To-GoEswatini (Swaziland)
Updated: Oct 1
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Country Name
Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini, and formerly known in English as Swaziland.
Location
It is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, and south.
Capital
Mbabane (executive)
Lobamba (legislative).
The reason for naming the country
The country and the Swazi take their names from Mswati II, the 19th-century king under whose rule Swazi territory was expanded and unified. In April 2018, the official name was changed from the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Kingdom of Eswatini, mirroring the name commonly used in Swazi.
Flag
The flag of Eswatini was adopted on October 6, 1968. Eswatini (Swaziland) gained independence from the British Empire on September 6, 1968. The flag consists of five horizontal stripes. The top and the bottom ones are blue, followed by two thin yellow stripes and a red stripe in the middle, on the red stripe is an ox hide combat shield laid horizontally, The shield is reinforced by a staff from which hangs injobo tassels-bunches of feathers of the widowbird and the lourie. They also decorate the shield. These feathers are used only by the king. Above the staff are two assegais-local spears, a Swazi fighting stick, and three royal Swazi ornamental tassels called tinjobo, which are made from widow birds and loury feathers. The red color represents past battles and bloodshed, the blue for peace and stability, and the yellow for the resources of Eswatini. The central focus of the flag is a Nguni shield and two spears, symbolizing protection from the country's enemies. Its color is meant to show that white and black people live in peaceful coexistence in Eswatini.
Language
The country's official languages are Swazi and English. Both languages are used by the government, particularly its legislative body which carries out all sessions in Swazi and English. Fluency in English is required for acceptance to universities and other post-secondary learning institutions. News outlets primarily report and present information in Swazi. In addition to the official languages of Swaziland, residents also speak a number of other minority languages, including Afrikaans, Tsonga, and Zulu.
Religion
Most of the population adheres to Christianity in Eswatini. Other Christian denominations are Anglican, Protestant, and indigenous African churches, African Zionists, and Roman Catholicism. Other religions practiced in Swaziland include Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and the Baha'i Faith. The Kingdom of Eswatini does not recognize non-civil marriages such as Islamic-rite marriage contracts.
Currency
Swazi lilangeni (SZL)
South African rand (ZAR).
Time Zone
+02:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary parliamentary absolute monarchy.
Climate
In Swaziland, the climate varies mainly with altitude. Throughout the country, there is a rainy season from mid-October to mid-April and a dry season from mid-April to mid-October, but in the western area, where the altitude is higher, rainfall is more numerous. The rains occur primarily as showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon. The austral winter is dry and sunny everywhere. The altitude determines three areas with different climates and environments: Highveld, Middle Veld, and Lowveld. The best time to visit Swaziland is from June to September since it is the coolest and driest period of the year, however, it is winter, so it can get cold at night even in the Lowveld, and even more so in the Highveld, where the night temperature can drop below freezing from May to August. September is probably the best month since it's less cold in the mountains.
International Phone Code
+268
Internet Code
.sz