Which country was formerly known as Swaziland?

Which country was formerly known as Swaziland? The answer is Eswatini. The country is officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and is a small, landlocked state in Southern Africa. It borders South Africa on most sides and Mozambique to the east. The name Eswatini means “land of the Swazis” in siSwati, the country’s principal local language.

The former name, Swaziland, was widely used during the colonial and post-independence periods. The kingdom gained independence from Britain on 6 September 1968 as Swaziland. On 19 April 2018, King Mswati III announced the change to Eswatini, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of independence and intended to reflect the name used in the Swazi language.

Eswatini is sometimes confused with Switzerland because the English names sound somewhat similar, but the two countries are unrelated and lie on different continents. Mbabane is the executive capital, while Lobamba is the legislative and royal capital. The country’s currency is the lilangeni, alongside widespread use of the South African rand.