“The kingdomsof this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelation 11:15 Geography
Swaziland was isolated for many years from any contact with western civilization due to its geography. It lies nearly 1,600km (1,000 miles) from the coast of the Cape of Good Hope, and inland beyond a shield of mountains called the Lubombo Range. It is bordered by Mozambique to its north-east and South Africa to its north, west and south. It is a small country, with a surface area of 17,364 km2 and a population of about one million people. Political Control The Kingdom of Swaziland was established in the early-18th century. The present boundaries were drawn up in 1881.After the Anglo-Boer War, Swaziland was a British protectorate until 1967. It gained its independence in 1968. Whilst Swaziland is generally quiet and peaceful, due to it being a country with only one ethno-linguistic group, student and labour protests in the 1990’s pressured the king to introduce reforms. Today King Mswati III is Africa's last absolute monarch in the sense that he has the power to choose the prime minister, other top government posts and top traditional posts. In 2004, Mswati promulgated a new constitution that allows freedom of speech and assembly for the media and public, while retaining the traditional
Tinkhundla (constituency) system. The king is deeply respected by the people, although he has been criticized by some for his lavish lifestyle.