Mbabane
Mbabane | |
---|---|
Hhohho | |
Founded | 1902 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Vusi Tembe |
Area | |
• Total | 81.76 km2 (31.57 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,243 m (4,078 ft) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 94,874 |
• Density | 1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi) |
Postal code | H100 |
Climate | Cwb |
Website | www |
Mbabane ( capital.
It has an estimated population of 94,874 (2010). It is located on the
History
The town grew after the nation's
Mbabane was founded in 1887 by Mickey Wells, on the spot where the Transvaal-to-Mozambique route crossed the Mbabane river. It was declared the capital of the new
Prior to the Second World War, most Swazis lived in rural districts and worked outside Eswatini, which prevented the town from growing.
After the war, the creation of trade schools in the city, the arrival of the
In the years following independence, governmental buildings such as the British Consulate were built in Mbabane. Further growth has been achieved through the growth of the tourism industry in Eswatini, of which Mbabane has become the centre. Mbabane today is home to hotels and recreational sites such as clubs and golf courses tending to tourists.[4][5]
Economy
Mbabane's closest border crossing to South Africa is Ngwenya-Oshoek, and though siSwati is the primary language, English is widespread. Mbabane, and Eswatini itself, depend on tourism and sugar exports. It is also a commercial hub for the surrounding region, while tin and iron were mined nearby. The city has two sites for light industries.
The financial services sector in Mbabane is also key driver of economic growth, providing a wide array of services such as banking, investment management, and insurance, The continuous growth of the financial services sector in Mbabane has positioned the city as a key financial hub in the region, contributing to the overall economic progress of Eswatini.[6][7]
Education
Mbabane is the home of the
Culture
Indingilizi Gallery is an art gallery in Mbabane, established in 1982 and showcases a range of Swazi art, including sculptures, paintings, batiks, mohair, ethnic jewellery and pottery.[8]
Places of worship
Among the
Geography
Mbabane is located in the district of Hhohho, of which it is also the capital, and lies on the
Climate
Due to its altitude, Mbabane features a moderate
Climate data for Mbabane (1961-1990 normals, extremes 1957-1977) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 33.4 (92.1) |
32.2 (90.0) |
33.5 (92.3) |
31.0 (87.8) |
29.4 (84.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.6 (83.5) |
31.2 (88.2) |
33.6 (92.5) |
34.2 (93.6) |
34.5 (94.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
34.5 (94.1) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.9 (76.8) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
22.6 (72.7) |
21.4 (70.5) |
19.3 (66.7) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.3 (70.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.5 (72.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.5 (72.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.9 (67.8) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.8 (65.8) |
16.8 (62.2) |
14.7 (58.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.2 (54.0) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.4 (61.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
17.7 (63.9) |
19.0 (66.2) |
16.5 (61.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.9 (58.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
7.9 (46.2) |
4.7 (40.5) |
4.6 (40.3) |
6.6 (43.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.3 (52.3) |
12.9 (55.2) |
14.2 (57.6) |
10.5 (50.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | 8.6 (47.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
6.0 (42.8) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
5.5 (41.9) |
6.6 (43.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 253.2 (9.97) |
224.6 (8.84) |
151.6 (5.97) |
87.9 (3.46) |
33.8 (1.33) |
19.4 (0.76) |
20.1 (0.79) |
35.1 (1.38) |
69.4 (2.73) |
141.9 (5.59) |
197.8 (7.79) |
206.9 (8.15) |
1,441.7 (56.76) |
Average rainy days | 16.9 | 14.3 | 13.8 | 9.8 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 9.2 | 14.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 129.9 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 172.7 | 162.1 | 194.6 | 195.2 | 226.0 | 233.0 | 238.9 | 246.3 | 209.2 | 178.4 | 160.9 | 170.1 | 2,387.1 |
Percent possible sunshine | 41 | 45 | 52 | 57 | 68 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 59 | 45 | 40 | 40 | 55 |
Source 1: WMO[13] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (extremes, sunshine 1970-1975)[14] |
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Mbabane is twinned with:
- Fort Worth, Texas, US[15]
- Taipei, Taiwan[16]
- Mersing, Malaysia
- Melilla, Spain
- Maputo, Mozambique[17]
Notable people associated with Mbabane
- Mark Easter - former rugby union footballer
- Lindiwe Sisulu - South African politician
- Richard E. Grant - actor
- Matthew Parris - British political writer and broadcaster
- George Getzel Cohen - founded Harry's Angels
- G. W. Reynolds - South African optometrist and authority on the genus Aloe
- Anna Livia - lesbian feminist author and linguist
- Noma Dumezweni - South African-British actress
- Dennis Masina - former footballer
- Sibusiso Dlamini - footballer
- Sibusiso Dlamini - Swazi princess and politician
- Cobie Legrange - South African professional golfer
- Christopher Watts - Anglican bishop
- Maurice S. Parker - footballer
- Ian Khama - fourth President of the Republic of Botswana
- Modison Salayedvwa Magagula - Swazi novelist, educator, playwright, poet and short-story author
- Ndumiso Mamba - former minister of justice in Swaziland
- Yvette Christiansë - South African-born poet and novelist
- Lucas Mlambo - Swazi painter
- Lucas Macie - Mozambiquan-Swazi painter
- Darren Christie - Liswati footballer
- Chakyl Camal - Australian-Mozambican Entrepreneur, swimmer
- Jani Simulambo - former Zambian footballer and coach
- John Ddumba Ssentamu - Ugandan economist, academic and banker
- Lisa de la Motte - Swazi former swimmer
- Gcinile Moyane - retired Swazi sprinter
- Jama Mahlalela - Swazi-Canadian basketball coach
- John de la Hay Gordon - British army officer, administrator and diplomat
- Michael S. Hoza - American diplomat
- David Gresham - South African independent record producer, publisher, promoter, and radio & television personality
- Cleopas Dlamini - prime minister of Eswatini from 2021 to 2023
- Nobuhle Dlamini - professional golfer
- Neville Markham - South African cricketer
- Veronica Sentongo - Ugandan telecommunications and electrical engineer
- John Macmillan - British actor
- ^ "Mbabane". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
- ^ Britannica, Mbabane, britannica.com, USA, accessed on June 30, 2019
- JSTOR 1790685.
- ^ Brooms, Derrick. "Mbabane, Swaziland (1887- )". BlackPast.org. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ "MBABANE INFORMATION AND HISTORY". eSwatini Happenings. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ Rume, Allison (2023-01-23). "Mbabane: Discover Mbabane, Capital of Swaziland". Lonely Africa. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "IMF Staff Completes 2023 Article IV Mission to Eswatini". IMF. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "Indingilizi Gallery". Swaziplace.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- ^ Britannica, Eswatini, britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019
- ^ "Mbabane". The Kingdom of Swaziland: A Royal Experience. Swaziland Tourist Board. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ The Cambridge Factfinder; 4th ed.
- ^ a b "Mbabane climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Mbabane weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ^ "World Weather Information Service – Mbabane". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- ^ "South Africa Climatological Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Mbabane". Sister Cities International. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "Taipei - International Sister Cities". Taipei City Council. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- Tourism in Swaziland. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
References
Bibliography
- ISBN 0415234794.