James Baquet

Swaziland — the name of which was actually changed to Eswatini just this year — is actually a doubly-royal experience. That’s because Eswatini is a duarchy, a rare form of government shared only with Andorra, Bhutan, Northern Ireland and San Marino. (Monarchy is more familiar.) Swaziland is ruled by the King, Mswati III, and the Queen Mother, Ntfombi Tfwala.

Mswati’s name is a noble one. His great-great-grandfather (if I counted correctly!) was Mswati II, who reigned from 1840 to 1868. Both the old name “Swaziland” and the new one “Eswatini” are derivations of his regnal name, as he expanded the country through military actions to roughly twice its present size. It was called kaNgwane before that time, after Ngwane III (1745-1780) who was considered the first king of modern Swaziland.

Incidentally, Mswati III currently has 15 wives and 23 children; his father had 70 wives and 210 children!

Swazi peoples settled in the area in the 18th century; from 1906 to 1968 the British ruled Swaziland. Independence was gained in 1968. But through all those years, the dynasty of the current king has reigned over the country.

Official languages are Swazi and English. Swazi, also called SiSwati, is a Bantu language with 2.5 million speakers, and is also one of the official languages of South Africa. English, however, is the main medium for schools, business and the press.

Some 83 percent of the people are Christian, adherents of Anglican, Protestant and indigenous African churches, as well as Roman Catholics. Another 15 percent follow traditional religions, and a small number of people follow Islam, the Baha’i Faith, and Hinduism. In 2013, there were 14 Jewish families.

The southern portion of Mozambique lies along Eswatini’s eastern border; the other three sides are surrounded by South Africa. The country is 200 kilometers from north to south and 130 kilometers wide, making it one of Africa’s smallest countries. It has a small economy, and its currency is pegged to that of its large neighbor and main trading partner, South Africa. Sadly, Eswatini’s life expectancy of 58 years is one of the lowest in the world.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. pertaining to a reign

2. tied to, connected with

3. printed publications

4. how long the average person lives

5. enclosed

6. native

7. things taken from something else

8. followers

9. distinguished, admirable

10. means of communication