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The Kingdom of Swaziland is in Southern Africa, bordered to the East by Mozambique
and on other borders by the Republic of South Africa. A small country with an official
population figure of just over 1.1 million people, it is led by sovereign head King
Mswati III and administered by an elected parliament.
The three major cities in Swaziland are Mbabane (the administrative capital), Manzini
and Lobamba, the legislative capital.
Swaziland’s scenic beauty is breathtaking. Rolling fields of sugar cane give way
to majestic mountains, valley streams and lush green landsapes. With its subtropical
climate, summer temperatures (October to March) range between 15 and 25 degrees
Celcius and 15 – 19 degrees celcius in the winter months.
The official languages of the country are Siswati and English – communication is
easy with a good mobile phone infrastructure and internet cafes in all major centres.
Transport is easy with an international airport, a railway, buses, taxis and well
maintained roads on all major routes.
Swaziland is generally a traditional, colourful and friendly nation which welcomes
visitors to the country with warm but laid back African hospitality.
Nisela embodies all that is Swaziland – international standards in accommodation,
opportunities to see wild animals in our Game park and all the warmth which the
Swazi so willingly offer.
For more information on this quaint and inviting country, visit
http://www.swazi.com
General Tourist Information
Time Zone: GMT +2
Population
The official figure is approx. 1.1 million. Approximately 53 people per square kilometre.
Language
Siswati and English are the official languages although English is used extensively
in government and business.
Siswati is used every day by the majority of the population.
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Geography and Climate
Situated in Southern Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland is landlocked in the east
by Mozambique and on the other borders by South Africa. It has a subtropical climate
with summer temperature of 15 degrees to 25 degrees Centigrade and 15 degrees to
19 degrees in winter.
The rainfall at higher altitudes varies from 1000 to 1600mm while in the lower areas
it is between 500 and 600mm. The country's highest point is Emlembe at 1862m and
the lowest at the Usuthu River at 21m. The country has a wide range of habitats
and great variations in flora and fauna.
Communications
International telephone calls are easy to make, and there is a mobile phone communications
infrastructure. The international code for the Kingdom of Swaziland is +268. There
are e-mail centres and Internet Cafes in Mbabane and Manzini.
Major cities
Mbabane is the administrative capital, with a population of 60 000. Manzini is the
hub, situated next to Matsapha Industrial Estate. The population of Manzini is about
80 000. Lobamba is the legislative capital.
Culture
You are likely to see many Swazis dressed in colourful costumes featuring toga-like
garments - the emahiya. The women sport the traditional 'beehive' hairstyles.
Electricity and water
Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country . All water gathered from streams
and rivers should be boiled before consumption. For electrical supply, the Kingdom
of Swaziland uses 220V AC, 50Hz and three-pin plugs are used with round terminals.
Internal transport
There are 300km of railway lines augmenting a network of around 800km of paved and
2 000km of unpaved roads. Buses are available, as are minibus taxis.
Safety
The Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the safest tourist destinations in the Southern
African region, though the possibility of petty crime cannot be ignored.
Business hours
From 08H00 to 17H00 each Monday to Friday and on Saturdays from 08H30 to 13H00.
Some establishments are open on Sundays as well. There are four commercial banks
operating in the country: First National Bank, Nedbank , SwaziBank and Standard
bank Swaziland.
In addition to the commercial banks there is one development bank, Swaziland Development
and Savings Bank. The Central Bank of the Kingdom of Swaziland establishes and implements
monetary policy in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Banking hours are normally from 08H30
to 15H30, Monday to Friday and 08H30 to 11H00 on Saturdays.
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