Swaziland King changes the country’s name to eSwatini

You may not hear the name of the tiny African nation Swaziland in the news very often but these days it hit the headlines around the world when the country’s king Mswati III changed its name to eSwatini.

The changing of the name was announced during the country’s 50th anniversary. The celebrations also marked the king’s 50th birthday.

“eSwatini” literally means “the land of the Swazis”. This name change was unexpected but king Mswati III has been referring to the country as “eSwatini” rather than “Swaziland” for quite a while now. He addressed the UN general assembly in 2017 by using this name as well. According to the king, people always confuse Swaziland with Switzerland.

Swaziland gained its independence from the British in 1968 and unlike some other African countries it did not change its name and kept the colonial name.

The tiny African kingdom remains the last absolute monarchy in Africa and is landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique.

 

Sources: BBC, The Guardian.