TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT SWAZILAND
- Swaziland is surrounded 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.
- In 2013, a Swazi civil aviation official announced that it was illegal for witches to fly broomsticks at a height above 150 metres.
- King Mswati III of Swaziland has 15 wives and 23 children.
- After the death of a Swazi king, his successor is decided by a special council called the Liqoqo…
- …Its job is to decide which of his wives is to be appointed “Indlovukazi”, or Great She-Elephant, and to be the mother of the next king.
- She must be of good character, have only one son and not have the maiden name of Nkhosi-Dlamini.
- The life expectancy in Swaziland is 51 for men and 50 for women. Only Afghanistan, GuineaBissau and Chad have lower life expectancies.
- More than half the population of Swaziland is below the age of 21.
- Swaziland has the world’s highest prevalence rate for HIV/Aids with 27.7 per cent of the population estimated to be infected.
