The King of Swaziland,
King Mswati III, have
renamed his country to eSwatini, which means "land of the Swazis",
according to reports from the BBC.
This was announced at
a stadium by the monarch during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Swazi
independence.
Though the name change
is unexpected King Mswati has been
referring to Swaziland for years as eSwatini.
It was the name the
king used when he addressed the UN general assembly in 2017 and
at the state opening of the country's parliament in
2014. He explained that the name had caused some confusion, saying:
"Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland."
The son of Sobhuza II,
who reigned for 82 years, King Mswati currently has 15 wives. According to
official biographers, his father took 125 wives during his reign.
The king, known as Ngwenyama
or "the lion", is known for his many wives and for his adherence to
traditional dress.