Every country in the world today had a history that shaped their culture and way of life and even the name they are called.
Many countries of the world today got their names from their colonial masters and have kept it, while many others adopted the names themselves to suit their cultures and beliefs.
Changing of name by a particular country is not always as easy as it sounds but is not also impossible. Most times, these countries grow tired of being associated with the name given to them by their colonial masters or for political reasons, hence the need to choose a name that suits them properly is always the better option.
In this article, we will take a look at six countries that changed their names officially in the past years.
1. Siam to Thailand
Thailand is a country in Asia but the name we all know the nation by today used to be different. In 1939, the government decided to change the name from Siam, which was formally the original name of the country to “Thailand”. That decision was majorly because the locals refer to their country as “Prathet Thai”, which means ” the country of free people”.
2. Burma to Myanmar
Myanmar, also in Asia used to be called Burma until 1989, when the ruling government at the time decided to change everything in the English translation to the local language which means the name of the country had to change too. Burma became Myanmar.
3. Alto Volta to Burkina Faso
This West African country was known as “Alto Volta” for many years during and after colonisation from the French. In 1960, the region gained independence from its French colonists and more than 20 years later in 1984, it was renamed Burkina Faso.
4. Macedonia to North Macedonia
The most recent country to change its name, this European country has been known as The Republic of Macedonia for years until in 2019 when it was changed to The Republic of North Macedonia. The move was made majorly because the country wanted to be part of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and to separate itself from their neighbor Greece, which has a region named Macedonia.
5. Ceylon to Sri Lanka
Since being discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, this small island nation in South Asia has been known as Ceylon, the name given to it by their colonial masters, the Portuguese. Though gaining independence in 1948, they kept the name Ceylon untill 2011 when it was changed to Sri Lanka.
6. Swaziland to Eswatini
Apart from the fact that the old name of Swaziland sounds like the European country of Switzerland, the other reason for the change is quite understandable. This country located in southern Africa had it’s name changed from Swaziland to Eswatini by the king of the country, as the citizens usually refer to their nation as “Eswatini” which means land of the swazis. Makes a lot of sense I must say.
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