Swaziland
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| Map of Africa, showing the location of Swaziland (1) |
The Kingdom of
Swaziland is a small landlocked nation in Southern Africa located between South
Africa and Mozambique. Geographically, Swaziland is located mostly between 26
and 27 degrees South and 31 and 32 degrees East. As a whole it is only 6,704 square miles (1),
making it slightly larger than the area of Connecticut, which is 5,544 square
miles (2). The highest point in the
nation is Emlembe which stands at 6,109 ft. and is located in the far
North. This is in contrast to the lowest
point which is the Great Usutu River which at its lowest lies at only 69 ft.
and runs through the center of the nation (1). The climate varies from tropical to temperate
with the change in geography, which is made up of mountains and hills that
transition to sloping plains (3).
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| Map showing Swaziland's diverse geography (1) |
The nation is divided into four districts as
follows; Hhohho, located on the North border, capital city of Piggs Peak;
Lubombo, on the East border, capital city of Siteki; Manzini, located on the
western border and the center of the nation, capital city of Manzini; Shiselweni,
located on the southern border, capital city of Hlatikulu
(4).
The capital city of the whole
nation is Mbabane (exactly 26° 19' S, 31° 8' E) which is located in the
southern part of Hhohho. Some of the
major cities in the nation, other than the capital include: Lobamba, which is
just south of Mbabane; Big Bend, located on the Southeastern border; and
Mhlume, located on the Northeastern border (1).
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| Map showing Swaziland's districts (4) |
In the Drakensberg Mountains there is the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary and in the Lebombo Mountains there is Mlawula Nature Reserve and the Hlane Nature Preserve (1).
Swaziland has
multiple natural resources including coal, clay, cassiterite, forests, small
gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc. However there are limited supplies of potable
water for locals, soil erosion and degradation has become a problem and
wildlife populations are being depleted because of excessive hunting. The nation also has one of the highest rates
of HIV/AIDS infections in Africa. (3)
Resources
1) World Atlas - Swaziland; http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/sz.htm
2) United States
– Area and Ranking; http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/area.shtml
3) Education –
Geography; http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcswaziland.htm
4) Maps of the
World; http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/swaziland-lat-long.html
