THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND

The kingdom of Swaziland gained its independence on the 6th of September 1968 from the United Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Swaziland, is a sovereign state in Southern Africa. It’s neighbored by Mozambique to the northeast and by South Africa to its north, west and south. It’s a gorgeous green and hilly country with some of the most fascinating culture. It is also known as Ngwane or the Kingdom of Eswatini. It is the smallest country in Africa. Swaziland is a great stop for a holiday. Here you get to learn the culture, history, traditions, and other amazing customs.

Did you know the Kingdom of Swaziland is an absolute monarchy, and the King rules by royal decree.

Take a look below for some fascinating and interesting facts about Swaziland.

  • It is currently the only country in Africa not practicing multiparty democracy and is one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies.
  • The nations most important events are Umhlanga, which is in august and september, and Incwala, which is the kingship dance in December and January.
  • Once a year, they hold a fertility festival and reed dance called umhlanga. During the week-long festival, over 25,000 unmarried girls of the kingdom dress in elaborate costume and sing and dance before the Queen Mother, giving the King an opportunity to choose a new wife.
  • The King is polygamous. It is rude to ask how many wives the King has. Research has it that the current one has 15 and 23 children.
  • The King before last had 70 wives. This information was only released after he passed away. Rumor has it that he has 600 children.
  • Any son of a Swaziland king can be the next king as long as he is single. If too young to rule, the future king is the crown prince until of a proper age. In the meantime, his mother and a brother of the former king take charge.
  • Swaziland has two capital cities. Mbabne is the administrative, officially recognized capital, while Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital.
  • The mountains in Swaziland’s Malolotja Native Reserve are among the oldest in the world at 3.6 billion years.
  • Swaziland’s Hlane Royal National Park is home to to the largest population of nesting vultures in Africa. The reserve is also a former private royal hunting ground turned national park.

 

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