Swaziland has an area of just 17,000 square kilometres, yet it is practically a burst of culture, an extraordinary diversity of landscapes, wildlife and beauty. Well watered by rain and mist, the mountains are thickly covered with grass and, at present, heavily forested.
Gold, asbestos and iron are found in the Swazi Highlands, mining and timber make this the most economically important region of Swaziland. The highest peak of these mountains is Mlembe (‘Place of the Spider’), whose dome-shaped summit is 1862 meters above sea level.
The first inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by the Bantu tribes during the Bantu migrations. Today, the population is mainly Bantu-speaking ethnic Swazis. The nation, as well as its people, are named after the 19th century King Mswati II. The mountainous area of Swaziland is known to the Swazi people as Nkhangala (‘Treeless Country’). To the east it gives way to the lowveld (lowveld is the subtropical garden of Swaziland) – or known as Hlanzeni (‘Place of Trees’) by the Swazi people – “which extends to end in what looks like a garden wall”. This is the range known as the Lebombo (‘ridge’), level-crowned, this ridge also acts as the border with Mozambique.
The climate is warm and rainfall is abundant, with rivers and streams providing large amounts of water for irrigation. In this paradise, Fauna and Flora flourish, and tropical fruits and nuts grow to perfection.
Sugarcane grows in sweet, lush quantities, and the country provides ample grazing space for cattle to fatten with seed pods, acacia trees, and nutritious leaves.
1750 was the year that the Swazi people made their appearance in what is now known as Swaziland. The story goes that a group of migrant African people calling themselves abaNguni and led by a legendary hero named Dlamini, traveled up the eastern side of the Lubombo Mountains from a place in the north called eMbo.
Swaziland was a British protectorate from 1906, but gained full independence in 1968. Swaziland is home to more than 6 national parks. Summer weather is hot, particularly in the eastern lowland area. Winter nights are cold, but the days are brightly sunny.
The capital of the country is Mbabane. Surrounded by the 4 billion year old granite mountains known as ‘Swazi Erathem’, Mbabane lies in the valley of a stream that irrigates the grazing lands of the chief, Mbabane Khunene.
Bombardier Wells established a trading station in Mbabane. His company flourished due to his exchanges with passersby walking the heavily used path that runs from Mozambique through Swaziland to the Transvaal, known as the Ndelakayomi (‘Never Empty Road’).
The main street is named after the founder of The Times Of Swaziland, Allister Miller. Allister Miller’s personal papers became the basis of the Swaziland archives.
There is a legend that tells us about the Sotho people, and that the uSuthu River (meaning ‘The Dark Brown’), the largest river on earth, is supposedly where their name originated.