Gallery of the Nations
Kingdom of Swaziland
(Umbuso weSwatini)
The Kingdom of Swaziland is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It is surrounded by South Africa, except
to the east where it is bordered by Mozambique.
The Swazi people are said to have migrated to their present location from central Africa beginning some time
during the 15th and 16th centuries. During a period of constant and prolonged warfare in the early 19th century,
the Ngwane King, Sobhuza I led his people to higher elevation in order to escape Zulu attacks. There Sobhuza I
established the Swazi kingdom.
The British recognized Swazi autonomy in a convention signed in 1881. But in 1894 the British reached agreement
with the Boer in which Swaziland was placed under the administrative control of the Union of South Africa. After
the end of the Boer war the British colonial governor of Transvaal took over administration of Swaziland in
1903.
In 1967 Swaziland attained internal self-government. Full independence followed the next year on September 6,
1968. The king at independence was Sobhuza II. Under the British-given constitution, the king was recognized as
"head of State." In 1973, the king suspended the constitution and banned all political activities. A
new constitution was promulgated in 1978.
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