Swaziland or eSwatini

HISTORY 

Swaziland is named after Mswati II who was king from 1840-1868 and greatly extended the area of the country through victories in tribal wars.

Swaziland's present boundaries were drawn up in 1881 by the European powers in the midst of the Scramble for Africa.

After the Second Boer War, Swaziland was a British protectorate from 1903, until it regained its independence on September 6, 1968.

The flag of Swaziland was adopted on October 6, 1968 after the country gained independence from the UK on September 6, 1968. Its design is based on a flag given by King Sobhuza II to the Swazi Pioneer Corps in 1941.

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland had 100 wives and more than 600 children by the time he passed away on August 21, 1982.

King Sobhuza II was the Paramount Chief and later King of Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, making him the longest-reigning monarch in history.

Sobahuza II of Swaziland Wikipedia

On April 19, 2018, the King of Swaziland Mswati III announced that the Kingdom of Swaziland had renamed itself the Kingdom of eSwatini. The new name, meaning "land of the Swazis" in Swazi, was partially intended to prevent confusion with the similarly named Switzerland. However, the country's common name in English remains Swaziland.

FUN SWAZILAND FACTS

Swaziland is surrounded almost entirely by South Africa except for a small border it shares with Mozambique.

Swaziland is an absolute monarchy in which the king has total authority to make laws.

Swaziland is the world's smallest monarchy and the smallest country in the Southern hemisphere.

The current king, Mswati III, has ruled since 1986. He is known for his practice of polygamy and currently has 15 wives and 23 children.

King Mswati III 

The king rules the country jointly with the Queen Mother who is known as “Indlovukazi” or Great She-Elephant.

After the death of a Swazi king, his successor is decided by a special council called the Liqoqo. The Queen Mother is first chosen from among the late king's wives and she must have only one son, for the new king must have no full brothers.

Also the Great She-Elephant must be of good character and not have the maiden name of Nkhosi-Dlamini.

Under the rules of succession to the throne of Swaziland, any left-handed prince is barred from becoming king.

Swaziland has the world's highest prevalence rate for HIV/Aids with 27.7 per cent of the population estimated to be infected.

In 2001, King Mswati III imposed a rite called Umchwasho which prohibited teenage women from having sex.

When the king himself broke this law by marrying a 17-year-old, he fined himself one cow.

Since 2000 the life expectancy in Swaziland has dropped from 61 to 50.50 mainly due to AIDS. Only Afghanistan, GuineaBissau and Chad have lower life expectancies.

More than half the population of Swaziland is below the age of 21.

Children in Swaziland are considered rude if they make eye contact with adults.

Princesses are the only women in Swaziland allowed to dress in a manner showing their thighs.

Source Daily Express