Many countries have changed their names for various reasons
Two years ago, Turkey changed its official name to Türkiye, but it’s not the only country that has changed its long-standing name.
Countries sometimes change their names for various reasons, just like people might change their names. Names often reflect a country’s political, cultural, or historical background.
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For instance:
- Turkey: Changed its name from Turkey to Türkiye in 2022 to better represent its culture and values.
- Netherlands: Changed its name from Holland to Netherlands in 2019 to improve its global image, moving away from associations with drugs and prostitution.
- North Macedonia: Changed its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia in 2019 to improve relations with Greece and join NATO and the EU.
- Eswatini: Changed its name from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018 to shed its colonial past and mark its 50th independence anniversary.
- Czechia: The Czech Republic officially shortened its name to Czechia in 2016 for marketing reasons.
- Myanmar: Changed its name from Burma in 1989 under the military government, though many countries still use the old name due to concerns about human rights.
- Sri Lanka: Was known as Ceylon before gaining independence from Britain. It changed its name to better reflect its multicultural identity.
- Thailand: Was known as Siam before 1939. The name change aimed to strengthen national identity and unity in the face of growing Western colonial influence.
- Iran: Was called Persia until 1935, when it officially changed its name to Iran.
These changes often reflect a desire to modernize, improve international relations, or honor cultural heritage.
