About Swaziland

While discussing the Peace Corps with various friends and relatives, it became rather apparent to me that most Americans didn't know much of anything about Swaziland. Quite frankly, however, neither did I. Since I'm going to be spending 27 or so months there, I took it upon myself to find out as much as I could about the country. Here are a couple of things I think are important to know about Swaziland:

 

Swaziland is located in located in South-East Africa. It is bordered to the North, South and West by South Africa and by Mozambique to the East. The country itself is geographically similar to the State of New Jersey in terms of square miles. 

Despite the rather small size of the country, the physical geographic features are quite diverse. The country is populated by rainforests in the north-west, savannas in the east and prominent mountain ranges along the Mozambican border and in the western portion of the country. 

 

The seasons are switched relative to North America because Swaziland is located south of the equator. As such, June-August is winter, while November thru March is summer. The winters in Swaziland are mild in comparison to Michigan, but temperatures can drop to around 30F during the night. Summer temperatures can reach up to over 100F in the low-lying eastern part of the country, while it remains relatively temperate in the higher altitude western areas.

 

Here are a couple of sites that I think are helpful if you're interested in more information about the country:

Lonely Planet

The Kingdom of Swaziland

Current Events in Swaziland

African Studies Center

Swaziland gained its independence from the United Kingdom in September of 1968. Since then, it's been ruled by way of an absolute monarchy - the last remaining in Africa and one of the few left in the entire world. The current reigning monarch is King Mswati III, who has ruled since his coronation in 1986. The King functions as the Chief Executive. Legislative powers is invested in a bicameral Parliament, however, the King also has considerable policy-making authority. Elections to the Swazi House of Assembly occur every 5 years. Candidates are nominated by local councils. Partisan affiliation with a political party is not allowed.

 

A demographic and health survey conducted in 2006-2007 indicated that 26% of Swazi adults (ages 15-49) are infected with HIV, which is among the highest rates in the world. In 2002 the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland (GOKS) approached the U.S. Government to ask that the Peace Corps program be re-opened for the specific purpose of providing assistance in HIV/AIDS education, care, and mitigation.