King Mswati Iii of Swaziland announced on Wednesday that he is renaming the country to the Kingdom of eSwatini. King Mswati III has been the ruler of the country for thirty-two years, since 1986, and announced the change during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence – while also celebrating the king’s 50th birthday.

The country’s new name, eSwatini, means Land of the Swazis. While this change was unexpected, Mswati III has been referring to Swaziland as eSwatini for years. The king used eSwatini when he addressed the UN general assembly in 2017, and at the opening of the country’s parliament in 2014.

Explaining the change in names, king Mswati III said “Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland.” Some of the country’s residents aren’t too happy with the change in names, believing that the king should be more focused on the nation’s low economy.

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