17 Interesting Facts About Eswatini (Swaziland)

17 Interesting Facts About Eswatini (Swaziland)

We share the most interesting facts about Eswatini that we gathered during our brisk but beguiling sojourn in “Africa’s Newest Kingdom.”

We had been in southern Africa for almost three weeks when we arrived in Eswatini, our fourth country of the trip.

After spending two weeks driving around Namibia and exploring Etosha National Park, one of Africa's great wildlife destinations, we thought we had seen all the African wildlife we ​​were going to see.

What could 36 hours in Eswatini show us that a 17-day Namibia safari cannot?

Well, rhinos for starters. Lots of it. We saw no fewer than 13 of these magnificent creatures during our fleeting foray into the kingdom.

alt=“Interesting facts about Eswatini Swaziland white rhinos”>Atlas & BootsTwo white rhinos in Eswatini

We visited three world-class wildlife parks on a short road trip. It wasn't nearly long enough to see the country properly, but it gave us just enough time to collect some interesting facts about Eswatini, the best of which we share below.

Interesting facts about Eswatini

1. Eswatini ist Afrikas letzte absolute Monarchie und eine der wenigen verbliebenen auf der Welt. Diese Regierungsform gibt einem Monarchen die höchste Autorität, ungehindert durch geschriebene Gesetze, Legislative oder Bräuche. (Quelle: BBC)

alt="Interesting Facts About the Eswatini King of Swaziland">Maximum exposure PR/ShutterstocKing Mswati III announces Swaziland's name change

1. Im Jahr 2018 benannte König Mswati III das Land von Swasiland in „Königreich Eswatini“ um. Der Monarch kündigte den offiziellen Stadionwechsel während der Feierlichkeiten zum 50. Jahrestag der Unabhängigkeit Swazis von der britischen Herrschaft an. (Quelle: The Guardian)
2. Sibebe Rock in Eswatini ist der weltweit zweitgrößte Monolith (einzelnes Felsbrocken) hinter dem australischen Uluru. (Quelle: Lonely Planet)
3. In Eswatini ist es möglich, die berühmten fünf großen Wildtiere Löwen, Leoparden, Nashörner, Elefanten und Büffel zu beobachten. (Quelle: Der Wächter)

alt=“Things to do in Eswatini Swaziland Big Five”>Atlas & BootsA lion lounges in Hlane Royal National Park

1. Darüber hinaus beherbergt Eswatini 132 Säugetierarten, 500 Vogelarten, 111 Reptilien- und Amphibienarten und über 3.500 einheimische Pflanzenarten. (Quelle: Eswatini Tourism)

2. King Mswati III currently has 15 wives. His predecessor had 125. He can choose a new spouse at the annual Reed Dance, a cultural event celebrating chastity and virginity. (Source: The Telegraph)

3. The Umhlanga – or Reed Dance – festival takes place annually in Eswatini. The festival includes tens of thousands of women from across the country. In recent years it has drawn criticism for its treatment of women and is beginning to focus more on preserving cultural heritage. (Source: The Guardian)

alt="Interesting Facts About Eswatini Swaziland Festival">Homo Cosmicos/ShutterstockEswatini's annual reed dance

1. Nach swazianischem Recht können Wildhüter in Eswatini auf frischer Tat ertappte Wilderer erschießen und töten. (Quelle: NBC)

2. Eswatini is a landlocked country: a country surrounded by land and with no access to the sea. There are currently 45 such countries and five partially recognized states. (Source: CIA World Factbook, The Economist)

alt="Map of Southern Africa with location of Eswatini">Peter Hermes Furian/ShutterstockEswatini is landlocked by South Africa and Mozambique

1. Eswatini ist eines der wenigen Länder der Welt, in denen sowohl Spitzmaul- als auch Breitmaulnashörner zu finden sind. (Quelle: WWF, WWF)

2. King Sobhuza II, who reigned from 1899 to 1982 and spent 82 years and 253 days on the throne, is the longest-reigning monarch in world history. (Source: The Guardian)

3. Eswatini has the highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the world: 26% of people aged 15 to 49 years. CDC is working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization to build systems for a sustained response to the epidemic. (Source: UNICEF, CDC)

4. The Makhonjwa Mountains in South Africa and Eswatini consist of rocks that date back up to 3.6 billion years. They are considered one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. (Source: UNESCO / Guinness World Records)

5. The Ngwenya mine in Eswatini is considered the oldest mine in the world. Its iron ore deposits are among the oldest geological formations in the world. (Source: UNESCO)

alt="The Ngwenya Mine in Eswatini">Felix Lipov/ShutterstockThe Ngwenya mine in Eswatini

1. Eswatini hat zwei Hauptstädte. Mbabane ist die Verwaltungshauptstadt, während Lobamba die Landeshauptstadt ist, der Sitz von König Mswati III und Sitz des Parlaments und anderer nationaler Institutionen. (Quelle: Britannica)

2. Eswatini has a low life expectancy, averaging 55.1 years for men, 59.3 years for women and 57.2 years for the general population. It ranks 215th out of 223 countries and territories. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

3. The Eswatini flag consists of horizontal stripes of blue, yellow and purple with a Swazi shield, two spears and a "fighting stick" with feather tassels in the center. The purple represents the battles of the past, yellow for mineral resources and blue for peace. The oxhide battle shield comes from the traditional Swazi Emasotsha Regiment. (Source: Britannica)

alt="The Flag of Eswatini Swaziland">invisibleStudio/ShutterstockSeveral interesting facts about Eswatini are hidden in its flag

Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland contains a comprehensive travel guide to Eswatini, covering a range of activities and destinations as well as many other interesting facts about Eswatini.

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