NewsTracker Answers for week of Apr 23, 2018

Q: King Mswati III of Swaziland said last week that from now on his kingdom will be known by its historic name of eSwatini. Find Swaziland, or eSwatini, a small nation wedged between Mozambique and South Africa.

Circle the area on this map


Q: Mswati rules as an absolute monarch over some of the poorest people in the world, yet his royal holdings include fleets of luxury vehicles and two private planes. Which of these U.S. allies is an absolute monarchy?

A. Britain

B. Japan

C. Saudi Arabia

D. Spain


C. Britain, Japan and Spain are constitutional monarchies where democratically elected representatives actually hold political power and the monarchs fill largely traditional ceremonial roles. In Saudi Arabia, the king and his family exercise absolute political power. Absolute monarchies also rule Brunei, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Vatican City.


Q: When countries across Africa gained independence from European colonizers in the mid-20th century, many chose to shed the names bestowed upon them by outsiders. Others, like Swaziland, Kenya, Cameroon, did not. Swaziland gained independence from which nation in 1968?

A. Belgium

B. Britain

C. France

D. Netherlands


B. In 1903, Swaziland became a British protectorate after Britain defeated the Boers, Dutch colonists in what is now South Africa. The name eSwatini means “land of the Swati” in the siSwati language that is predominant in the landlocked kingdom.


Q: The people of eSwatini have nearly the lowest documented life expectancy in the world at  51.2 years, only four other nations are worse. Which is the leading cause of death in eSwatini?

A. HIV/AIDS

B. Malaria

C. Starvation

D. Violent conflict


A. The last available World Health Organization data in 2002 shows that 64 percent of all deaths in the country were caused by HIV/AIDS. eSwatini has the highest HIV infection rate in the world with 27.2 percent of its adults afflicted with HIV, according to the CIA World Factbook. Life expectancy is 12 years lower than it was in the mid-1990s.


Q: Now that the king has proclaimed the new name, who is most important for him to convince to use it?

A. Google Maps

B. New York Times

C. Swati people

D. United Nations


A. If  the United Nations adopts eSwatini, it could lead companies like Google, media outlets and other governments to also use the new name. However, the strong cultural pride of the nation’s people may be tempered by their dire circumstances. Most eke out a living farming small plots or work in neighboring South Africa's mines.