Swaziland's terrain is striking and varied. In the east, the Lebombo Mountains cascade down onto a band of low bush country, which then rises to a hilly middle veld, or grassland area, before climbing to the forests and mountains of the high veld in the northwest.
The area that is now called Swaziland was settled by Swazi tribesmen in the early 1800s. The British took control of the land after the second Boer War, in 1903, and ruled until independence in 1968 (Swaziland was the last British protectorate in Africa). In 1973, the Swazi king set aside the constitution and assumed full power. Today, King Mswati III is Africa's last absolute monarch, ruling under a new constitution that places all power in his hands.
With Swazi leaders holding fast to tradition, the winds of democracy that have swept through the region have only recently begun to be felt in Swaziland. The king appoints the prime minister and two-thirds of the country's parliament, which has a mainly advisory role. Only about a third of the representatives are elected by the general public, and political parties are illegal, although several manage to keep up a modest profile.
Although persistent rumblings are heard for more democracy, Swazis are unlikely to dispense with their king anytime soon. More probable is a gradual metamorphosis into a constitutional monarchy, though even this is unlikely to happen in the near future.
Swaziland's main attractions are game reserves, exotic plants, luxury casinos, hiking, beautiful mountain scenery, traditional crafts, rock paintings (though some are difficult to find), waterfalls and horseback riding.
Swaziland is usually visited in conjunction with a trip to South Africa or Mozambique, although it can easily stand on its own as a destination. The country will appeal to adventurous travelers interested in uncrowded game reserves and vibrant traditional cultures.
In Swaziland, wealth is determined by the number of cattle a person controls. For marriage, a man must pay
lobola (bride price—usually consisting of a certain number of cattle) to the father of the bride.
Polygamy is still common in Swaziland. In fact, the present king has actually been criticized for taking only 11 wives. His father had more than 70 at the time of his death in 1982.
Sawubona means "hello," ngiyabonga means "thank you" and hamba kahle is "goodbye."
The Swaziland Stock Exchange opened in September 2000 with just two licensed brokers and five listed companies. The trading floor is a small conference room.
Around December (the date varies from year to year) is the Ncwala (First Fruits ceremony) in Swaziland. Lasting three weeks, the rites celebrate the unity of the king and his people. In 2003, the king deferred the opening of school in Swaziland for a week so that schoolboys could finish weeding royal fields, which are part of the First Fruits ceremony. More than 30,000 students were affected.
The umhlanga (reed dance), when hundreds of Swazi girls dance before the king at his royal compound at Lobamba, takes place in late August or early September. This is the annual festival where the king sometimes chooses a new bride.
In 2001, King Mswati, a staunch traditionalist, made international headlines when he implemented an old ritual that requires unmarried women younger than 23 to wear a colorful tassel (umcwasho) to indicate to men "don't touch." The umcwasho chastity rite was intended to stem the spread of AIDS. But Mswati violated his own decree, and in August 2003, he paid an "admission of guilt" fine for courting a 17-year-old schoolgirl who later became his 10th wife.
Swaziland has the third-highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world, with about one-third of young adults infected.