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Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini, sometimes written in English as eSwatini, and formerly and still commonly known in English as Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, and south. At no more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) north to south and 130 kilometres (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.
Artifacts indicating human activity dating back to the early Stone Age have been found in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Prehistoric rock art paintings date from c. 25,000 B.C. and continuing up to the 19th century can be found in various places around the country. The earliest known inhabitants of the region were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. Later, the population became predominantly Nguni during and after the great Bantu migrations. People speaking languages ancestral to the current Sotho and Nguni languages began settling no later than the 11th century. The country now derives its name from a later king named Mswati II. Ngwane, named for Ngwane III, is an alternative name for Swaziland the surname of whose royal house remains Nkhosi Dlamini. Nkhosi literally means "king". Mswati II was the greatest of the fighting kings of Eswatini, and he greatly extended the area of the country to twice its current size. The people of Eswatini largely belong to a number of clans that can be categorized as Emakhandzambili, Bemdzabu, and Emafikamuva, depending on when and how they settled in Eswatini.
Mswati III is the king of Eswatini and head of the Swazi Royal Family. He was born in Manzini in the Protectorate of Swaziland to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger wives, Ntfombi Tfwala. He was crowned as Mswati III, Ingwenyama and King of Swaziland, on 25 April 1986 at the age of 18, thus becoming the youngest ruling monarch in the world at that time. Together with his mother, Ntfombi Tfwala, now Queen Mother (Ndlovukati), he rules the country as an absolute monarch. Mswati III is known for his practice of polygyny and currently has 15 wives. Although he is respected and fairly popular in Eswatini, his policies and lavish lifestyle have led to local protests and international criticism. Mswati III was also secretly funded and supported by the government of apartheid-era South Africa.
Eswatini is divided into four regions: Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, and Shiselweni. Each region is further divided into tinkhundla. There are 55 tinkhundla in Swaziland and each elects one representative to the House of Assembly of Eswatini. Tinkhundla are, in turn, divided into smaller imiphakatsi.
Sobhuza II, KBE was the Paramount Chief and later Ngwenyama of Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history. Sobhuza was born on 22 July 1899 at Zombodze Royal Residence, the son of Inkhosikati Lomawa Ndwandwe and King Ngwane V. When he was only four months old, his father died suddenly while dancing incwala. Sobhuza was chosen king soon after that and his grandmother Labotsibeni and his uncle Prince Malunge led the Swazi nation until his maturity in 1921. Sobhuza led Swaziland through independence until his death in 1982. He was succeeded by Mswati III, his young son with Inkhosikati Ntfombi Tfwala, who was crowned in 1986.
Labotsibeni Mdluli, also known as Gwamile, was the Queen Mother and Queen Regent of Swaziland.
Sobhuza I was king of Eswatini, from 1815 to 1836. Born around 1780, his father was Ndvungunye, and his mother was Somnjalose Simelane. He was called Somhlolo, "the Wonder," upon his birth because his father Ndvungunye died as a result of being struck by lightning. When Sobhuza was king, Lojiba Simelane instead of his mother Somnjalose was Queen Mother because Somnjalose was an inhlanti or support bride to Lojiba. Somhlolo is a greatly revered king of Eswatini. He had his first royal capital or kraal at Zombodze in the Shiselweni region, but moved it north to new Zombodze in central Eswatini. Swazis celebrate Somhlolo Day every September 6 as their Independence Day and the national stadium is named Somhlolo stadium. Sobhuza was succeeded by his son Mswati II and his wife Tsandzile Ndwandwe as Queen Mother after a short regency by Queen Lojiba Simelane. Sobhuza by the time of his death had conquered a country claimed to reach to modern day Barberton in the north, Carolina in the west, Pongola River in the south and Lubombo Mountains in the east.
The Botswana national rugby union team represents Botswana in the sport of rugby union. Botswana have thus far not played in a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments. They are currently ranked 77th in the world.
The Eswatini national rugby union team represent Eswatini in the sport of rugby union. They are ranked as a tier-three nation by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Eswatini have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have competed in qualifying tournaments.
The Eswatini national cricket team represents the Kingdom of Eswatini, a country in Southern Africa, in international cricket. The Eswatini national cricket team, which is administered by the Eswatini Cricket Association, became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2007. The team, along with Cameroon, the Falkland Islands, and Peru, was promoted to affiliate status in 2007 by the ICC. In 2017, they became an associate member. Eswatini is also a member of the African Cricket Association. The Eswatini national cricket team would compete in the World Cricket League Africa Region and the ICC Africa Twenty20 Championship.
Eswatini first participated at the Olympic Games in 1972. They missed the next two games but returned for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and have appeared in all the games since then. They made their first and only appearance at the Winter Olympics in 1992. In all competitions they have yet to win a medal.
Rutherford University, also known as Senior University International and Stratford International University, was an unaccredited private institution that offered degrees online. It operated from 1993 through 2009 and offered the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Business Administration.
Education in Eswatini includes pre-school, primary, secondary and high schools, for general education and training (GET), and universities and colleges at tertiary level.
Hilda Beemer Kuper was a social anthropologist most notable for her extensive work on Swazi culture.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland.
laNgolotsheni (Lomawa) Ndwandwe was the Ndlovukati of Swaziland, the wife of King Ngwane V, and the mother of King Sobhuza II.
Piet Retief Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.
Cannabis in Eswatini (Swaziland) is illegal; the herb is referred to as insangu in Swazi. The local strain is known as "Swazi gold" and commands a high price due to its reputation for potency.
The history of the Jews of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland.
Eswatini–Turkey relations are the foreign relations between Eswatini and Turkey. The Turkish ambassador in Pretoria, South Africa is also accredited to Eswatini. Eswatini’s embassy in Brussels is also accredited to Turkey.
References
- ↑ Phillip Bonner, Transvaal/Swazi Politics in the Mid-Nineteenth Century, The Journal of African History, Vol. 19, No. 2 (1978), pp. 219–238
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| Preceded by King Mswati II of Swaziland | Queen Regent of Swaziland 1868-1875 | Succeeded by Crown Prince Ludvonga II |
| Pre-modern Swaziland (until 1745) |
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| Modern Swaziland (1745–1903) |
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| Paramount Chiefs under British rule (1903–1968) |
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| Kings of Swaziland (1968–2018) |
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| Kings of Eswatini (2018–present) |
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| tiNdlovukati |
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