You might not hear much about Swaziland, a small African nation, in the news. However, it recently gained global attention when the country’s king, Mswati III, decided to change its name to eSwatini.
The announcement was made during the country’s 50th anniversary celebrations, which coincided with the king’s 50th birthday. The new name, “eSwatini,” translates to “the land of the Swazis.” Although the change seemed sudden, King Mswati III has been using the name “eSwatini” for quite some time in place of “Swaziland.” He even addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 2017 using this name. The king mentioned that people often confuse Swaziland with Switzerland.
Swaziland, which gained independence from British rule in 1968, did not change its colonial name back then, unlike some other African nations. The country is a landlocked kingdom, bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, and it remains Africa’s last absolute monarchy.