Swaziland sänker sig stegvis från ca 1500 m på sluttningen av Drakensberg i väster till kustslätten nära Indiska oceanen på ca 200-300 m i öster. Området i väster upptas av Höga velden med grässtäpper och galleriskogar utefter floderna. Öster om Höga velden ligger en övergånszon med Middle veld på ca 300-1 000 m ö.h. Låglandet, som är det nedersta trappsteget, upptas av Låga velden med torra buskstäpper och torrsavanner med akacior och apbrödsträd. Vid gränsen till Moçambique ligger bergsryggen Lebombo som når upp till 800 m ö.h. Floderna Komati, Umbeluzi och Usutu rinner österut genom landet. Swaziland var ursprungligen mycket viltrikt, men långa tider av okontrollerad jakt har praktiskt taget eliminerat större däggdjur. Nederbörden, som huvudsakligen faller under tiden november-april, varierar mellan ca 1 350 mm per år i Mbabane i väster till ca 750 mm på kustslätten. Medeltemperaturen i Mbabane är 12° C i juli och 20° C i januari.

LAND AND RESOURCES Swaziland is roughly oval-shaped. The elevation of the land decreases from west to east. The mountainous western portion in places reaches an altitude of more than 1,200 m above sea level. The hilly central region, or veld (grassland), has an average elevation of about 600 m The eastern region, or low veld, is a rolling area that averages from 120 to 300 m above sea level; it is bounded on the east by the Lebombo Mountains. The principal rivers are the Komati, Lusutfu, and Umbuluzi. The steady flow of the rivers, fed by abundant rain in the mountains, supports irrigation and hydroelectric power projects in the lowlands. Swaziland also has quantities of several valuable minerals, including coal, asbestos, diamonds, and gold. The climate is mostly temperate, with cool temperatures at higher elevations and more tropical weather in the low veld. Precipitation, which is heavier toward the west, is concentrated in the warmer months of October through April; the rest of the year is characterized by sunny, clear weather. The temperature in Mbabane, located in the western highlands, ranges from 15° to 25° C in January and 6° to 19° C in July.

Befolkningen domineras helt av swazifolket, som är indelat i patrilinjära klaner, ordnade i en hierarkisk organisation. Makten i de politiska församlingarna på både lokal och nationell nivå balanseras mellan aristokratiska och icke-aristokratiska klaner. Kungens hustrur och barn är bosatta i särskilda kungliga byar, som ligger utspridda på olika håll i landet. Tvärs genom klansystemet och dess hierarkiska organisation skär dessutom en indelning av de vuxna männen i skilda åldersklasser. Ålderskalssystemet bildar bas för den militära organisationen, som har starkt ceremoniella drag. Inom Swaziland har flera andra bantugrupper absorberats av swazikulturen, som gradvis etablerades i nuvarande Swaziland från 1500-talet. Trots att Swazikulturen har nära släktskap med zulukulturen ingick swazikungarna aldrig någon allians med zulu under de många krig och härjningståg som zulu företog, speciellt under 1800-talet. Swaziland blev i stället en fristad för många bauntugrupper som flydde undan zulukrigen. Försörjningen i Swaziland har traditionellt baserats på jordbruk och boskapsskötsel, men inom aristokratin har stora inkomster förvärvats genom koncessioner till européer.
Swaziland hade 1993 en befokningstäthet av 48 invånare/km² För perioden 1985-90 beräknades födelse- och dödstalen till resp. 46,8‰ och 12,5‰ vilket ger en naturlig årlig befolkningstillväxt på 3,4%. Vid slutet av perioden var barnadödligheten 115 per 1 000 födda och medellivslängden 57 år. Skillnader mellan stad och landsbygd är stora. Sedan självständigheten har Swaziland mottagit ett betydande antal flyktingar, främst från Moçambique, men också från Sydafrika.

Land and Population
Swaziland is roughly oval-shaped. The elevation of the land decreases from west to east. The mountainous western portion in places reaches an altitude of more than 1220 m (more than 4000 ft) above sea level. The hilly central region, or veld (grassland), has an average elevation of about 610 m (about 2000 ft). The eastern region, or low veld, is a rolling area that averages from 120 to 305 m (about 400 to 1000 ft) above sea level; it is bounded on the east by the Lebombo Mountains. The principal rivers are the Komati, Great Usutu, and Umbeluzi. Rainfall, which is concentrated in summer (November to March) is light in the east and heavier toward the west. The climate ranges from tropical in the low veld to temperate in the mountains.

The administrative center and principal town is Mbabane (population, 38,290). Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital. Nearly all of the country's people are Swazis. Much of the country's land is owned by Europeans or foreign companies, but some 55% is held in trust by the king for the exclusive use of the Swazis. About one-fifth of the people retain their traditional religious beliefs, and almost all the remainder of the population are at least nominally Christians. The official languages of Swaziland are Siswati, a Bantu language, and English. In the late 1980s, 147,700 children annually attended primary schools, and some 32,900 were enrolled in secondary schools. The University of Swaziland (1964) is in Kwaluseni.

POPULATION Nearly all of the people in Swaziland are ethnic Swazi, although there are small populations of Zulu, Tsonga, Asians, and Europeans. About 62 percent of the country's land has been set aside by the monarchy for exclusive use by the Swazi people. Much of the remaining land is owned by Europeans or foreign companies. The population (1998 estimate) is 966,462, giving Swaziland a population density of 56 persons per sq km (144 per sq mi). In 1998 the annual population growth rate was estimated at 2 percent. The capital and principal town is Mbabane (population, 1986, 38,290). Lobamba is the traditional royal capital. Some 33 percent of the population lives in urban areas. Traditional religious beliefs are held by about two-fifths of the people, and almost all the remainder are at least nominally Christians. The official languages of Swaziland are siSwati, a Bantu language, and English, in which most government business is conducted. In 1998 life expectancy at birth was estimated to be 39.8 years for women and 37.3 years for men. In 1996 some 202,439 children attended primary schools, and some 54,873 were enrolled in secondary schools. The University of Swaziland (1964) is in Kwaluseni. The literacy rate is estimated to be 77 percent.

Swazilands ekonomi är förhållandevis utvecklad och deversifierad. För perioden 1965-90 har Världsbanken beräknat att BNP per capita årligen ökade med i genomsnitt 2,2%; 1991 uppskattades den till 1 060 US dollar. Siffran döljer dock betydande socioekonomiska ojämlikheter. Ekonomin är nära knuten till Sydafrika via ägande, handel, finnans- och valutapolitik samt medlemskap i Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU)
Jord- och skogsbruk är de viktigaste näringarna. De svarade visserligen bara för 15 % av BNP 1990, men huvuddelen av den ekonomiskt aktiva befolkningen är verksamma på Swazilands jordbruks- och skgosplantager, inom relaterade industrier eller självhushållningsbruk, där odling av majs och bomull jämte boskapsskötsel utgör huvudsysslor. Viktigaste gröda är sockerrör, som främst odlas på större konstbevattnade plantage. Swaziland är också en betydande producent av citrusfrukter och ananas, som konserveras för export. Skogsplantager täcker 6 % av Swazilands yta och inkluderar det sydafrika intressen dominerade Usutu, som med 65 000 ha är en av världens största anlagda skogar. Gruvnäringen har gått tillbaka, men sedan 1984 utvinns diamanter för industriellt bruk. På sikt är det brytning av stenkol som kan återge gruvnäringen en framträdande plats.
Industrisektorn är till 80 % uppbyggd kring förädling av jordbruks- och skogsbruksprodukter och svarade kring 1990 för ca 20 % av BNP. Också turistnäringen är viktig. Under 1990-atlets första år uppvisade handelsbalansen ett ökande underskott. P.g.a. transfereringar från SACU och ca 15 000 swaziska gruvarbetare i Sydafrika samt internationellt bistånd, huvudsakligen från EU och USA, var dock betalningsbalansen positiv. Swazilands främsta exportprodukter är socker, färsk och konserverad frukt samt pappersmassa. Importen domineras av maskiner, verkstadsprodukter och drivmedel. Sydafrika är den helt dominerande handelsparten, med 46,5 % av exporten och över 90 % av importen 1989. Västeuropa, främst Storbritannien, är en betydande exportmarknad med en andel av 26,5% samma år.

Economy and Government
The majority of the working population in Swaziland is engaged in subsistence farming and cattle raising. Corn is the major food crop. The chief commercial crops are sugar, cotton, tobacco, sorghum, and citrus fruit. Livestock includes about 650,000 cattle, 320,000 goats, and 35,000 sheep. Mining is increasing in importance, yielding diamonds, asbestos, gold, coal, and kaolin. Forestry is also important. Light manufacturing industries are being developed, and tourism is a growing industry. The principal exports are sugar, asbestos, wood pulp, chemicals, and citrus fruit. The unit of currency is the lilangeni (plural: emalangeni), which is on a par with the South African rand (3.3977 emalangeni equal U.S.$1; 1993). Swaziland has 515 km (320 mi) of railroad, linking it to the ports of Maputo in Mozambique and Richard's Bay and Durban in South Africa.

National executive power in Swaziland is vested in a king who appoints, and is assisted by, a prime minister and cabinet. The parliament consists of a House of Assembly with 50 members, 40 of whom are indirectly elected and 10 appointed by the king, and a 20-member Senate, of whom half are elected by the House of Assembly and the other half appointed by the king. Judicial authority is vested in a high court and subordinate courts. Civil matters among Swazi are handled by traditional leaders, subject to appeals to the high court.

ECONOMY Swaziland's labor force is split between two dominant sectors, agriculture and services. Some 39 percent of its workforce engaged in crop or livestock production, while another 38 percent hold service jobs. The country's economy is tied to that of South Africa through trade and currency links, and can rise or fall depending on the fortunes of its large neighbor. Gross domestic product in 1997 was $1.3 billion, or an average of $1,370 per person. About three-quarters of the population live on Swazi national land, most cultivating staple crops of maize or herding livestock. The country's most productive farmland, however, are the tracts in private hands, which produce about 75 percent of the country's exports. Chief cash crops are sugarcane grown on irrigated land, cotton, citrus fruits, and pineapples. Livestock includes 650,000 cattle and 435,000 goats. Swaziland also has an important forestry industry. Much of the 146,000 hectares of forestland is devoted to production of pine. Because of a favorable climate, pine reaches maturity in Swaziland more than twice as fast as in Europe. Swaziland has large reserves of anthracite coal, which with asbestos form the country's mineral exports. Asbestos extraction has diminished in recent years because health risks associated with the material have decreased its use. Industrial diamond mining began in the mid-1980s. Much of Swaziland's manufacturing is related to agricultural and wood processing. The tourism industry is growing; some 322,000 people visited Swaziland in 1997, attracted by the country's game preserves and mountain scenery. The principal exports are sugar, wood and wood pulp, canned and fresh fruit, and mineral products. Along with Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho, Swaziland is a member of a customs union with South Africa, and the country is Swaziland's chief trading partner. The unit of currency is the lilangeni (plural: emalangeni), which is maintained at an equal value with the South African rand (4.61 emalangeni equal U.S.$1; 1997 average). Swaziland has 294 km of railroads, linking it to the ports of Maputo in Mozambique and Richard's Bay and Durban in South Africa. The road system extends 3,810 km. The country's only large airport is at Matsapa, near Mbabane.

GOVERNMENT National executive power in Swaziland is vested in a king who appoints, and is assisted by, a prime minister and cabinet. One house of parliament is the National Assembly, which has 65 members, 55 of whom are directly elected from a list of candidates nominated by traditional local councils or directly elected and 10 appointed by the king. The 30-member Senate includes 10 members who are elected by the National Assembly and 20 who are appointed by the king. Judicial authority is vested in a high court and subordinate courts. Civil matters among Swazi are handled by traditional leaders, subject to appeals to the High Court.

History
Under the leadership of Sobhuza the Swazi retreated from Zulu attacks into the area of Swaziland about 1820. When European settlers entered the area during the 1880s, the Swazi granted concessions to them that endangered the independence of the territory.

An Anglo-Boer convention of 1894 placed Swaziland under the administration of the Union of South Africa (now the Republic of South Africa). Administration passed to the British governor of Transvaal in 1903 and to the British high commissioner for South Africa in 1907. In 1967 Swaziland became internally self-governing. The nation attained full independence on September 6, 1968, with King Sobhuza II as head of state. The king suspended the constitution in 1973 and banned all political activity; under a new constitution, promulgated in 1978, a bicameral parliament was indirectly elected. Following the death of Sobhuza in 1982, a power struggle ensued to determine which of the king's wives would rule as queen regent and which of his 67 sons would ascend the throne. In 1986 Crown Prince Makhosetive was installed as King Mswati III.

HISTORY The earliest known people in what is now Swaziland were the Ndwandwe, who lived in the southeast. In the mid-18th century the Ndwandwe defeated the Ngwane people, who had entered the region from the south. The Ngwane settled in the southwest, and warred periodically with the Ndwandwe. The early 19th century was marked by a prolonged series of local wars, centering around the powerful Zulu to the south. Ngwane leader Sobhuza led his people to higher elevations around 1820 to escape Zulu attacks. In this period the Ngwane became known as the Swazi, and Sobhuza established the Swazi kingdom in what is now central Swaziland. When European settlers entered the area during the 1880s, the Swazi granted concessions to them that endangered the independence of the territory. An Anglo-Boer convention of 1894 placed Swaziland under the administration of the Union of South Africa (now the Republic of South Africa). Administration passed to the British governor of Transvaal in 1903 and to the British high commissioner for South Africa in 1907. In 1967 Swaziland became internally self-governing. The nation attained full independence on September 6, 1968, with King Sobhuza II as head of state. The king suspended the constitution in 1973 and banned all political activity; under a new constitution, promulgated in 1978, a bicameral parliament was indirectly elected. Following the death of Sobhuza in 1982, a power struggle ensued to determine which of the king's wives would rule as queen regent and which of his many sons would ascend the throne. In 1986 Crown Prince Makhosetive was installed as King Mswati III. Shortly after assuming the throne Mswati consolidated his power by abolishing the Liqoqo, an advisory body that traditionally gave binding suggestions. During the late 1980s and early 1990s members of organized political parties, which are illegal under the Swaziland constitution, secretly criticized the king and government. Their continued call for more accountability in government led Mswati to open public dialogue on changes to the political process. As a result of this dialogue, a majority of the National Assembly was directly elected for the first time in 1993. In 1994 the king announced that a new constitution would be drafted incorporating the new election process. In 1996, after no progress had been made, the king appointed a constitutional reform commission to hear proposals for a draft constitution. In the following years the king and the commission were criticized by many Swazis for blocking the reform progress. Opposition groups staged a boycott of October 1998 elections to the National Assembly.