Breathe easy, Switzerland: The tiny African kingdom of Swaziland is changing its name.
King Mswati III announced it during celebrations of the 50th anniversary of independence and his 50th birthday. It appears to be as easy as that, as the king is an absolute monarch.
Many African countries upon independence “reverted to their ancient, native names,” he said. “We no longer shall be called Swaziland from today forward.”
The kingdom will be known by its historic name of eSwatini. The name Swaziland has angered some in the country, since it is a mix of Swazi and English. The new name means “land of the Swazis” in the local Swati language. The king has used that name in the past at openings of Parliament and other events.
Addressing a large crowd gathered in a stadium in the city of Manzini, 25 miles east of the capital Mbabane, the king said Swaziland was reverting to the original name it had before being colonized by the British. SwThe impoverished southern African nation – a member of the Commonwealth – gained independence from Britain in 1968.
“I would like to announce that from today onward, our country will be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini,” the king said. “Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland," he said, claiming the name caused confusion.
Some Swiss have responded with relief as the countries often are confused on online forms.
It is not immediately clear how much it will cost the landlocked African country to make the name change.
