Independence Day Recently Celebrated in Swaziland

People all across SWAZILAND (eSwatini) celebrated their country's Independence Day on Sunday, September 6th. The small country bordering Mozambique and South Africa achieved independence from The United Kingdom in 1968. Happy belated Independence Day!

Swaziland is Known for...

●    Ezulwini Valley
●    HIV/AIDS, unfortunately
●    King Mswati III and his lavish lifestyle
●    Mkhaya Game Reserve
●    Royal weddings
●    Swazi art and crafts

Most items were listed in The Africa Book; the MLA citation is below. What are other "trademarks" of this African country? Feel free to share your thoughts with a comment!

Phillips et al. The Africa Book: A Journey through Every
          Country in the Continent. Lonely Planet, 2007.

— #AfricaWeek —

Swaziland Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org), the following items are major exports of SWAZILAND: canned fruit and other packaged food, cassiterite, citrus fruit, clay, clothing and textiles, coal, corn (maize), cotton yarn, diamonds and gold (small amounts), gravel, pineapples, refrigerators, rice, soft drink concentrates, sorghum, sugar, talc, tobacco, and wood pulp. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include South Africa (top importer), Namibia, Italy, Mozambique, El Salvador, the United Arab Emirates, Botswana, Chile, Lesotho, Sri Lanka, Zambia, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Switzerland, Guinea, Barbados, and Colombia.

Swaziland Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for SWAZILAND in Southern Africa lists 6 critically endangered species and 10 endangered species. The following six species are critically endangered in Swaziland: Black Rhinoceros, Heenan's Cycad, Hooded Vulture, Kaapsehoop Cycad, White-Backed Vulture, and White-Headed Vulture. Endangered species are the African Wild Dog, Cape Vulture, Grey-Crowned Crane, Incomati Suckermouth upside-down catfish, Lappet-Faced Vulture, Lebombo Cycad, Orange-Fringed River Bream fish, Pepper Bark Tree, Steppe Eagle, and Umbeluzi Cycad. Swaziland House Snakes are named after the country.

Countries with Z in their Names

There are sixteen countries with Z in their names. Two countries start with the letter Z: Zambia and Zimbabwe. Other countries with the letter Z in their names are Azerbaijan, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, New Zealand, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela. Zaire was a former Z country, but that became the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"Land" Countries

Several countries in Asia, Europe, and Oceania have the word land in their names. I nickname them the "Land Countries," which are listed right here: FINLAND, ICELAND, IRELAND, MARSHALL ISLANDS, The NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, POLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SWAZILAND, SWITZERLAND, and THAILAND. Somaliland in northeast Africa is another entity with land in its name. However, it is an autonomous region in SOMALIA fighting for its independence, not a recognized country currently.

Christianity in Southern Africa

Out of all the countries in Southern Africa, the Kingdom of LESOTHO, MALAWI, and NAMIBIA have the highest percentage of Christians. Anywhere from 80 to 90% of the people in these countries are Christians, while many of the rest believe in indigenous beliefs. There is a small population of believers in other religions. Other Southern African countries with high percentages of Christians include ANGOLA, SOUTH AFRICA, SWAZILAND, and ZAMBIA. Christian missionaries from around the world played a pivotal role in introducing Christianity to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Monarchies in Africa

Three African countries, LESOTHO, SWAZILAND, and MOROCCO, have monarchial systems of government. Swaziland is the only absolute monarchy in Africa, while Lesotho and Morocco are constitutional monarchies.

French Name for Swaziland

There is a country in Africa where its French name is totally different from the English name. The country I am talking about is SWAZILAND, the small, absolute monarch country in Southern Africa. Its name in the French language is LE NGWANE since Swaziland is sometimes called Ngwane.
By the way, Happy Labor Day to Americans and Canadians!

Continental African Capitals with Lowest Populations

On continental AFRICA (excluding countries like Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Comoros, & São Tomé and Príncipe), both of SWAZILAND's capitals have the lowest populations. Mbabane, the administrative capital, has a population just under 100,000, while Lobamba the royal and legislative capital has way less: about 5,000.

Kings of Africa

There are 3 kingdoms in Africa: LESOTHO, SWAZILAND, and MOROCCO. Lesotho’s king is King Letsie III, Swaziland’s king is King Mswati III, and Morocco’s king is King Mohammed VI. Lesotho’s and Morocco's monarchial systems are constitutional monarchies, while Swaziland's system is an absolute monarchy.

Capitals of Swaziland

Located in southern Africa, SWAZILAND has two capitals: Mbabane (the administrative capital) and Lobamba (the royal and legislative capital). Additionally, Swaziland borders the countries of Mozambique and South Africa. To learn more about Swaziland, visit my Swaziland post!

Eswatini (Swaziland)

Also known as Umbuso weSwatini in the Swazi (siSwati) language and formerly known as Swaziland, the Kingdom of ESWATINI (alternate spelling: eSwatini) is a relatively small country located in Southern Africa. Since 1986, King Mswati III is the current leader — as of 2023 — of Eswatini's absolute monarchy. There are 2 bordering countries: Mozambique to the north and South Africa to the west. There are two capitals: Mbabane (pronounced "Mmm Ba Ba Nay") is the administrative capital, while Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital. The currency is the Swazi Lilangeni, and its ISO 4217 currency code is SZL.