Swaziland: economy, political system, population, science and culture. School encyclopedia Swaziland monarchy
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 division 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.
The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small state in southern Africa, located between Johannesburg and Cape Town and bordering South Africa in the west and Mozambique in the east. The official capital of Swaziland is Mbabane, while the historical capital with the parliament and the royal residence are located in Lobamba. The largest city and economic capital is Manzini. Swaziland is a completely independent monarchical state, one of the most beautiful places on the planet. This is a unique country where modern busy life is complemented by ancient culture its Swazi people. Swaziland provides a wide variety of natural landscapes, from mountainous areas along the border with Mozambique to savannahs in the east and rainforests in the northwest. Several rivers flow through the country, one of which is the Lusutfu River. A tourist attraction in Swaziland is the annual traditional Reed Dance or Umhlanga. Tourists are attracted to Swaziland by the natural beauty of the kingdom and the possibility of organizing a safari. Swaziland (Kingdom of Swaziland). The official capital is Mbabane, the royal capital is Lobamba (the country's parliament is also located here). Swaziland is a country in southern Africa. It borders Mozambique and South Africa.
Visa and customs.
Citizens Russian Federation A visa is not required to visit Swaziland for tourism, transit, visiting friends or business purposes.
There are no restrictions on the import and export of national and foreign currencies, it is not necessary to declare the hard currency you have with you when entering and leaving. It is forbidden to import canned meat products, narcotic and explosive substances, weapons and ammunition without proper clearance. . For the export of skins of wild animals, permission from the state veterinary service is required. For the transport of weapons, you must obtain a license at the border crossing point and then renew it at police stations inside the country. It is strictly forbidden to engage in independent development and export of minerals.
Climate.
The climate is transitional from subtropical to tropical, arid. Average monthly temperatures in summer are +20-24 C, in winter +12-15 C, precipitation is from 500 to 1400 mm. in year. October is the hottest month, the rains start in early December and continue until April. In the highlands of the Weld, the temperature regime is quite uneven, with frequent frosts and colder temperatures in winter (which occurs in the summer of the northern hemisphere). The Eastern Low Weld has a subtropical climate.
Beaches and hotels.
There is no access to the sea and ocean.
The hotel base of Swaziland is concentrated in Mbabane, the capital of the country, as well as in the city of Manzini. On the territory of most city hotels there are casinos and gambling centers. In the national parks of the country, accommodation is possible in cottages and bungalows, which can traditionally be rented either in whole or in part. The houses are decorated, as a rule, with the use of national colors. In addition, various campsites are at the service of travelers. However, you must be prepared for the fact that there may be no electricity in the tents. Guest houses are scattered throughout Swaziland - in fact, analogues of European Bed & Breakfast hotels. Most of the rooms in the guesthouses are air-conditioned. During the season - from April to October - a shortage of hotel rooms is possible in Swaziland. In addition, during the annual celebration of Umhlanga, or Reed Dance - in August or September - accommodation in the country should be booked in advance. On average, hotels in Swaziland are about half the price of neighboring South Africa, including national parks. The level of service, however, is the same. Thrifty tourists who want to see animals, but do not have sufficient funds to stay in the expensive Kruger Park in South Africa, can take a safari in Swaziland for significantly less money.
Money and time.
Lilangeni (in the plural - emalangeni, international designation - SZL, within the country - L or E, depending on the amount), equal to 100 cents. Valid coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, L1, E2, E5. Banknotes: E10, E20, E50, E100, E200. The Lilangeni is pegged 1 to 1 to the South African rand and both currencies are equally circulated in Swaziland. Moreover, in many cases, the rand is also preferable, since, unlike the lilangeni, it is also a freely convertible currency. When leaving Swaziland, it is recommended to exchange the rest of the local currency, since it is almost impossible to exchange lilangeni outside the state.
Time difference: 2 hours behind Moscow.(-2)
Excursions and attractions.
Despite its small size, the country has a surprisingly wide range of ecological zones and natural complexes, from the savannah in the east to the rainforest in the northwest, with numerous "patches" of fynbos ("beautiful shrubs") - the "calling card" of South Africa. The vast mountainous country on the border with Mozambique is a completely different landscape - dry and spiky mountains, as if growing from the plateaus of the High Weld. The best way exploring Swaziland - trekking as well as hiking and horseback riding, and some of the national parks offer superb trails that are often just well-groomed trails that the 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.
Mbabane lies at the northern end of the Ezulwini Valley among the lush Dlangeni hills, and has little to offer travelers in particular. The main "tourist" places in the city are fairly modern central streets - Alley, New Alley and Allister Miller, the main street named after the first European born here. To the west of the city center lies Swazi Square, a large, modern shopping complex that deserves attention for its moderate prices and wide range of shops. The Swaziland Tourist Office is also located here, where you can arrange a trip to any corner of the country. Mbabane Market, located at the south end of Allister Miller Road, is worth a visit for its local artisan market and its prices cheaper than anywhere else in South Africa. Several excellent restaurants with Portuguese, Italian and Indian cuisine are also concentrated in the city center area.
Lobamba is the heart of the Ezulwini Valley, the "royal valley of Swaziland", the location of the residence of the king - the Embo Royal Palace, and the seat of the country's legislative bodies. Here you can see all aspects of life royal family- from the dances of the Inkwala ceremony, in which the monarch himself takes part, and the dances of Umlanga, which are held in the Royal Kraal, to the ceremonial departures of the court and colorful national ceremonies. The National Museum is also located nearby, offering expositions of the cultures of the peoples of the country and the Cultural Village - a traditional "beehive village" for the region with all the attributes of the life of local residents, specially preserved near the museum. Given the size of the royal family (King Sobhuza II had 600 children), the country's monarchs now live in the state residence of Lotiza, 10 km. from Lobamba. Next to the museum is the Parliament building, which is sometimes open to tourists, and across the road from the museum is the Memorial dedicated to King Sobhuza II. Near the capital lies a small but very picturesque Mantenga waterfall.
Manzini, Swaziland's largest city and industrial center, is 30 km away. southeast of Mbabane. Between 1890 and 1902, it was the combined administrative center of the constantly conflicting British and Boers, until the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War brought it into decline. It is worth visiting the market (Thursdays and Friday mornings), but otherwise Manzini leaves very conflicting feelings with his provinciality and unkemptness. Siteki is on the road to the mountains of Lebombo and stands quite apart from all the cities of the country, but this city offers tourists cool spurs of mountains and plains, abundantly overgrown with forests. Formerly the "capital" of the highlanders and border guards, the city took its name from Mbandzeni, the great-grandfather of the modern king, who gave his permission to the border guard units to marry only here (the name of the city means "marrying on the spot"), and since then its colonial name Stegi has practically is not used, and the city has turned from a tiny village into a fairly large commercial and cultural center. Siteki is also known for its Inyang and Sangoma schools, government schools that train healers and traditional medicine experts. A fascinating mix of botany, spiritualism and natural history is taught here, and tourists are allowed to visit schools if arranged in advance through the Swaziland Tourist Office in Mbabane. Not far from Siteka lies the unique Muti-Muti reserve, used by active practitioners and healers of the Inyanga and Sangoma schools to collect a variety of herbs used in their work ("muti" can be roughly translated as "magic" and "medicine" at the same time). Dancing and singing features of Swaziland's main cultural ceremonies, and traditional folk celebrations have long since become glamorous performances in this country, with crowds of thousands of people and obligatory dances of women in folk costumes in unison with exciting traditional local rhythms, many of which were created in antiquity as a means of introducing into trance, and now turned into folk songs and dances.
Traditional Swazi culture remains very strong, and important ceremonies such as Inkwala (sometimes called simply Nkwala), Umlanga and Umkvasho still have clear religious overtones. If you want to see the most important cultural ceremonies, you need to come in August or September to attend the Umlanga ("reed") dance ceremony or in late December - early January to visit Inkwala ("first fruit ceremony") - the most important event in the Swazi calendar. One of the most important elements Incwals is a kind of pilgrimage at sea, with obligatory bathing in the foam of the waves. indian ocean, symbolizing the return to the Swazi homeland on the coast of Mozambique. Groups of "bemanti" ("enlightened people") then travel throughout the country, carrying plants, water and foam from the Indian Ocean to settlements, without fail visiting the Royal Kraal in Lobamba. The climax of the holiday comes when the king stops the pilgrims, blocking their way, dances in front of the people and solemnly eats a pumpkin, thus signaling that the Swazi people can now eat the crops of the new crop. In the Umlanga ceremony, held in August or September, young women of marriageable age travel throughout the kingdom, eventually arriving at Lobamba at the Queen Mother's house and assisting her in her ceremonial trials. This festival - "an exhibition of potential wives" for the king and a celebration of the unity of the nation, serves as a reminder to people of their loyalty and obligations towards the royal house.
"Great Valley" Ezulwini - probably the best place to get acquainted with the nature of the country. Swazi Usuto Forest - 65 thousand hectares of plantations of local and imported tree species, provides shelter for ancient Bushmen tribes with unusual villages. There are also countless waterfalls and forest trails passing through the most picturesque places. The most easily accessible natural park to visit is Mlilwane, located near the capital Mbabane, on the border of the High and Middle Weld around the picturesque jagged peak of Nyonyan. A fairly large hippo population lives here, as well as a wide variety of crocodiles (by the way, the only predator in the area), zebras and giraffes. More than 200 species of birds live here, including the magnificent purple loris, the national emblem of Swaziland. Rafting in the area, on the Great Usutu River, is also highly appreciated by tourists.
The Mlawula Reserve is 18,000 hectares of completely untouched and infrequently visited by people forest, although it is a very beautiful, rugged area. It is rather even a small natural country in the foothills of the Lebombo mountains. Rare varieties of succulent plants grow here, cicada and alpine poppy grow among ironwood forests, hyenas and leopards are found in abundance here as well as hippos, samango, crocodiles, various antelopes, zebras and more than 350 species of birds. Since artifacts of the Stone Age were discovered here, there are many cuts and tourist archaeological trails. The Malolotzha Nature Reserve is located in the hilly north-west of the country, 20 km. northwest of Mbabane. Here the High and Middle Weld meet, and about 280 species of birds live, some of which are listed in the Red Book. The name of the reserve comes from the highest waterfall in Swaziland, in addition to which there are 26 more waterfalls of various sizes in the park. Malolotja protects 18,000 hectares of ancient wilderness. Wild flowers and rare plants such as the soft barberton, the Cape cicada or the forest protea around the many crystal clear waters attract many visitors. It is a fantastic place for walking, with numerous cultivated trails, spectacular mountain peaks and conveniently located holiday camps with modern facilities. The oldest known mine in the world is also located on the territory of Malolotzh, which was in production, according to scientists, more than 40 thousand years ago.
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 -
We leave the capital and drive to the northwest, towards the border with South Africa, on the way we meet the picturesque Maguga dam (
Swaziland is located on the African mainland and the occupied territory of Swaziland is 17363. The population of Swaziland is 1202000 people. The capital of Swaziland is located in the city of Mbabane. The form state structure Swaziland - Constitutional monarchy. In Swaziland they speak: English, Swazi languages. Who borders Swaziland: Bahrain, Mozambique.Despite its rather modest size, Swaziland has a surprisingly wide range of natural complexes and ecological zones, from tropical forests in the northwest to savannahs in the east, with numerous “interspersed” fynbos (also called “beautiful shrubs”). On the border with Mozambique, the country has a completely different landscape - spiky and dry mountains, as if growing out of the High Weld plateau.
The official capital of Swaziland - Mbabane - is located in the northern part of the Ezulwini Valley, in the middle of the picturesque Dlangeni hills. There are not many interesting sights here, and the main tourist places in the city can be called quite modern streets in the center - Allister Miller, New Alley and Alley. To the west of the city center is Swazi Square - a modern large shopping complex, famous for its many shops located on its territory and reasonable prices. The local market, which can be found on Allister Miller Street, is also worthy of attention - many interesting folk art items are sold here at very low prices. In addition, there are several excellent restaurants in the center of Mbabane that serve Indian, Italian and Portuguese cuisines.
The royal residence - Embo Royal Palace - is located in the city of Lobamba. Here you can follow the life of the royal family: from bright national ceremonies and parade trips to a kind of Inkwala dance ceremony, in which the king himself participates. Nearby is the National Museum, where you can see interesting expositions of the cultures of various peoples of the country and visit the Cultural Village, a traditional settlement for the region with all the household items of the inhabitants. Given the size of the royal family (King Sobhuz II had six hundred children), Swaziland's monarchs now live in the Lotiza residence, located ten kilometers from Lobamba.
Not far from the capital, you can see a small but very beautiful Mantenga waterfall.
Thirty kilometers from Mbabane is the largest city of Swaziland - Manzini. This place may seem untidy and too provincial, but nevertheless there is a very interesting place here - a colorful local market that reflects the cultural traditions of the region.
The city of Siteki is very popular, standing apart from other settlements of the country and famous for its landscapes - cool spurs of plains and mountains overgrown with dense forest. Previously, the city was the "capital" of the border guards and mountaineers, it got its name thanks to the ruler Mbandzeni, who allowed the border guards to marry only here (the name of the city can be translated as "marrying on the spot"). Since then, the city has gradually evolved from a small village into a major cultural and shopping center. Siteki is home to Sangoma and Iñaga schools, public educational establishments where masters of traditional medicine and healers are trained. An interesting combination of natural science, botany and spiritualism is taught here.
Not far from the city there is an unusual Muti-Muti reserve, which is actively used by practicing healers and doctors of the Sangoma and Inyaga schools to collect various herbs needed in their work (the word "muti" can be translated simultaneously as "medicine" and "magic").
Mlilvane is the most accessible nature reserve for visiting. It is located near the capital of the country, on the border of the Middle and High Weld, around the jagged picturesque peak of Nyonyan. It is home to a large population of hippos, as well as many varieties of crocodiles, giraffes and zebras.
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. 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 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. 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.
