Eswatini (Swaziland)

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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).