The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small, landlocked country in southern Africa (one of the smallest on the continent), situated on the eastern slope of the Drakensberg mountains, embedded between South Africa in the west and Mozambique in the east. The country is named after the Swazi, a Bantu tribe. Swaziland previously had the world's lowest life expectancy, 33.22 years, before being surpassed by Zimbabwe in 2006.

Of the million people living in Swaziland, around 47% are under the age of fifteen, meaning it is an extremely young country. Poverty assessments from the World Bank and UNDP show that 66% of Swazis live in absolute poverty, with high inequalities in income distribution. 

With around a third of the population HIV-positive, the disease is already having an enormous impact on communities. While the country once boasted that it's traditions ensured that no Swazi ever suffered from hunger - with hungry children always taken in by neighbours - this is no longer the case, with too many orphans for communities to handle. The food crisis has exacerbated this problem. 

Most of the people live off the land, growing sugarcane, cotton, maize, rice and pineapples among other crops. For most, it is a subsistence existence, with little left over to sell. Only 50% of people have access to clean water, while only 59% have access to sanitation. 

Full country name: Kingdom of Swaziland 
Area: 17,400 sq. km
Population: 1,136,334 
Life expectancy at birth: 38.62 years (2001)
people living with HIV/AIDS: 220,000 
Language: English, Siswati
Religion: Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30% 
Currency: lilangeni
Climate: temperate; varies from tropical to near temperate 
Major Industries: Sugar, wood pulp, minerals
Imports partners: South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3%