Most of the country is a veld, a land covered with grasses and scattered shrubs and bushes. The Highveld in the west covers about 30 percent of the total area and includes the country's highest point, Emlembe peak, at 6,100 feet (1,860 meters). Further east is the Middle Veld, which covers nearly 30 percent of the area. With some of the best soil, the Middle Veld is the most densely populated region. The Lowveld, or Bushveld, is farther east and also covers about 33 percent of the area. The Lubombo Escarpment in the extreme east is the smallest physical region, covering about 9 percent of the country's total area. The Lomati, Usutu, Mkhondvo, Umbeluzi, and Komati are the major rivers, and each has great hydroelectric potential. Large areas in the Highveld have been planted with pine and eucalyptus trees; these are the largest planted forests in Africa.

Cattle raising is common, and cattle are the traditional symbol of wealth and prosperity. Large estates, chiefly controlled by Europeans, produce sugarcane, citrus fruits, and lumber. Corn, millet, and beans are the major subsistence crops, and cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, and peanuts are the chief cash crops. The country's mineral deposits include asbestos, iron ore, and coal. Diamond mining has been a major industry since the mid-1980s. Manufacturing is primarily based at the Matsapa industrial estate in the north. A second industrial estate at Nhlangano in the south was developed in the late 1980s. The chief manufactured products include wood pulp, textiles, cement, shoes, and machinery.

More than three fourths of the people practice a form of Christianity, sometimes combined with traditional beliefs. English and Swazi are the official languages. The dominant ethnic group is the Swazi. The Swazi, a Bantu people, have a complex system of land ownership. Tribal chiefs allocate the available land to families for agricultural purposes. Their tribal ties are strong, and strict allegiance to their ngwenyama—meaning the “lion,” or paramount chief—is common. Music and dance play a significant role in Swazi social life. Education is free at all levels but is not compulsory. About half of the population is literate. Medical services are generally better than those in many other African countries.

Swaziland's major railway line runs from the iron-ore deposits of Ngwenya to Goba, Mozambique, where it connects with another line and continues to the Indian Ocean port of Maputo. An international airport is in Matsapa. With increased transportation facilities, tourism developed rapidly.

Swaziland belongs to a customs union with South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho. Most of its trade must pass through South Africa or Mozambique. Chief exports are asbestos, iron ore, citrus fruits, butter, timber, and tin. Major imports are machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum, and chemicals.

The Swazi, originally from deep southeastern Africa, moved to their present home in the 19th century. Attracted by the fertile soil, Europeans established farms beginning in the 1870s. The kingdom of Swaziland was placed under British protection in 1967, and full independence was achieved as a constitutional monarchy the next year.

In 1982 King Sobhuza II, then the world's longest-reigning monarch (1921–82), died at the age of 83. After a power struggle his son, Prince Makhosetive, was crowned King Mswati III on April 25, 1986. Swaziland is a constitutional monarchy with the king as head of state and a prime minister as head of the government. Population (2003), 1,077,000.