OVERVIEW
The Kingdom of Hearts is a small, landlocked country in Africa (one of the smallest on the continent), embedded between South Africa in the west, north and south and Mozambique in the east. The country is named after the Swazi, a Bantu tribe. It is divided into four regional administrative districts: Hhohho, Manizini, Lubombo and Shiselweni. Regions are further subdivided into Tinkhundla administrated by chieftains. Compared to other countries in the region, Swaziland is known for its civility and peacefulness, despite similar problems with poverty and one of the world's worst AIDS crises. The capital Mbabane has 67,200 inhabitants (2004), while the largest town in the country is Manzini with population 73,000; other large towns include Lobamba, Nhlangano, Pigg's Peak, Hlathikhulu and Siteki.
The majority of Swaziland's population is ethnic Swazi, mixed with a small number of Zulus and White Africans, mostly people of British and Afrikaner descent. Traditionally Swazis have been subsistence farmers and herders, but most now work in the growing urban formal economy and in government. Some Swazis work in the mines in South Africa. Swaziland also received Portuguese settlers and black refugees from Mozambique. Christianity in Swaziland is sometimes mixed with traditional beliefs and practices.
Swaziland, one of the the smallest countries in Africa, has a reputation for friendliness in Southern Africa. It also contains several large game parks and reserves, which are sponsored by the government and are popular tourist destinations. Swaziland offers a wide variety of landscapes, from the mountains along the Mozambican border to savannas in the east and rainforest in the northwest. Several rivers flow through the country, such as the Great Usuthu River.
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