The king the tiny African nation Swaziland has changed his country's name to eSwatini. The new name means "land the Swazis" in the local Swati language. King Mswati III is an absolute monarch, which means he has the power to manage his country as he likes. He renamed his land Thursday celebrations marking 50 years of Swazi independence Britain. The day also coincided with his 50th birthday. Speaking the nation's Golden Jubilee celebrations, he said: "African countries, getting independence, reverted to their ancient names they were colonized. So from now , the country will officially be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini."
The change name has been talked in official circles years. The king has regularly referred to Swaziland as eSwatini in addresses in his country's parliament, the United Nations General Assembly and to the African Union. Swaziland gained independence Britain in 1968, but unlike other former British colonies, it retained its colonial-era name. Nyasaland became Malawi, Northern Rhodesia renamed itself Zambia, Bechuanaland changed its name to Botswana, and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. King Mswati said that now on, people would not confuse his country Switzerland. The UN, Google Maps and Internet companies now have to add eSwatini to their databases.
