Eswatini: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 11, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	Kingdom of Swaziland • Kingdom of eSwatini • Umbuso weSwatini • Swaziland
Head Of State And Government	King: Mswati III, assisted by Prime Minister: Russell Dlamini
Capitals	Mbabane (administrative and judicial); Lobamba (legislative)⁵
Population	(2026 est.) 1,231,000
Form Of Government	monarchy² with two legislative houses (Senate [30³]; House of Assembly [73⁴])
Official Languages	Swati (Swazi); English
Official Religion	none
Official Name¹	Umbuso weSwatini (Swati); Kingdom of Eswatini (English)
Total Area (Sq Km)	17,364
Total Area (Sq Mi)	6,704
Monetary Unit	lilangeni⁶ (plural emalangeni [E])
Population Rank	(2026) 161
Population Projection 2030	1,322,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 183.6
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 70.9
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 25% • Rural: (2024) 75%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 57.6 years • Female: (2022) 61.8 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 4,460
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 3,590
¹On April 19, 2018, it was announced by the king that the new official name would be changed to Eswatini.²Controversial constitution became effective by royal decree on February 8, 2006.³The constitution provides for a maximum of 31 members; it includes 20 nonelective seats and 10 indirectly elected seats; the Senate president may be designated from outside that body.⁴ The constitution provides for a maximum of 76 members; it includes 10 nonelective seats, 4 indirectly elected seats for women if they make up less than 30 percent of Parliament after a general election, and 1 ex officio seat (for the attorney-general); in addition, the speaker may be designated from outside the House of Assembly.⁵Lozitha and Ludzidzini, royal residences close to Lobamba, have national symbolic significance.⁶The lilangeni is pegged to the South African rand at 1:1; the rand is accepted as legal tender within Eswatini.

Photos

Map of Eswatini showing its national boundaries with South Africa and Mozambique, major cities including Mbabane and Manzini, and main towns and roads. An inset locator map highlights Eswatini's position in southern Africa.

Map of southern Africa highlighting Eswatini, with its capital Mbabane marked. Surrounding countries-South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho-are labeled for geographic context.

Map of Eswatini (Swaziland) showing major rivers such as the Komati, Mbuluzi, Usutu, and Ngwavuma, the Mnjoli Reservoir, and the Drakensberg range along the western border. The map outlines Eswatini's borders with South Africa and Mozambique, and includes a small inset locator map of southern Africa.

A sawmill with stacks of cut logs sits at the edge of dense pine and eucalyptus forest, with scattered white buildings and dirt roads in the hilly Highveld of western Swaziland.

A shallow river with rocky banks and green trees flows through a valley in Swaziland, Africa, with hills and distant mountains in the background.

Numerous black and yellow locusts cluster on green grass stems in a grassy field in Swaziland, southern Africa.

Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) with long, ringed horns and a reddish-brown coat sits in tall grass at Mkhaya Game Reserve, Swaziland.

A Swazi person stands outdoors in traditional dress, holding a staff, with patterned cloth wrapped around the body and mountains visible in the background.

National anthem of Eswatini

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Topics

Mswati III Sobhuza II Africa Southern Africa nation-state Commonwealth Southern African Development Community Lobamba member states of the Commonwealth Manzini United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

King Mswati III of Eswatini, wearing a red military uniform with medals and a hat, speaks at a podium with a gold emblem in Manzini, Eswatini.

Mswati III

king of Eswatini

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Sobhuza II

king of Eswatini

A map of the continent of Africa, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities. It also shows parts of Europe and Asia and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.

Africa

continent

Namib desert

Southern Africa

region, Africa

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Lobamba

legislative capital, Eswatini

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Manzini

Eswatini

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Mbabane

national capital, Eswatini

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Havelock

Eswatini

South Africa

country, Africa

Mozambique

country, Africa

Drakensberg mountains

Drakensberg

mountain range, Africa

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Lebombo Mountains

mountains, Africa

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Komati River

river, Africa

Bushveld region

Bushveld

region, Africa

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

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