Geography |
The Kingdom of Swaziland, located in south-eastern Africa, is bounded on the east by Mozambique and on the south-east, south, west, and north by South Africa. It covers an area of 17 363 km2.
Swaziland can be divided into three regions based on elevation. In the western part of the country, forested mountains reach altitudes of up to 1 370 m. East of the mountains is a hilly grassland, or veld, with an average elevation of about 600 m. The far eastern region, the low veld, is a rolling plain covered with bushes and low grass and averaging 120 to 300 m elevation. It is bounded on the east by the Lebombo Mountains. There are four main rivers, the Ingwavuma, Komati, Umbuluzi, and Great Usutu. All of them flow from west to east.
The climate is mostly temperate, with cool temperatures at higher elevations and more tropical weather in the low veld. Precipitation, which is heavier in the west, is concentrated in the warmer months of October through April. The temperature in Mbabane, located in the western highlands, ranges from 15° to 25° C in January and 6° to 19° C in July. Precipitation in the mountains ranges up to 2 000 mm, while as little as 500 mm falls in the low veld.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.