Travel Tips
15.02.2022 561
Which 8 countries changed their names?
As a company Tourwix Travel & Airport Transfer we have researched for you and are investigating that it is not easy to change the name of a country. It is both culturally damaging to the country and difficult to accept internationally. However, a country that has used the same name for centuries can suddenly change. The main reasons are independence, territorial division, war or strategy...
We know many countries that changed their name a few years ago. However, there have been countries that have shown great courage and changed their names in recent history. Here are the countries that have had the courage to change their names...
1. Holland – The Netherlands
As a marketing strategy, the government decided to change the country name from Netherlands to Netherlands in 2020. The reason for the move is to attract attention on the international stage and show that it is an inclusive and open country.
2. Macedonia - North Macedonia
Due to the cultural crisis with neighboring Greece, Macedonia had to change its name. Millions of ethnic groups in Greece refer to themselves as "Macedonian". They even refused to use the Macedonian name, which caused cultural problems.
The governments of Macedonia and Greece have agreed to change the country's name to "North Macedonia" in 2018, effective February 12, 2019.
3. Czech Republic – Czechia
The reasons for the Czech name change are completely different. Considering that the country's name is pronounced in other languages and that this is a situation that will shake the country's reputation, the government decided to change the country's name. This issue, which has been causing controversy in the country for 20 years, came to an end in 2016 when the country's name was changed to Czechia.
4. Swaziland - Eswatini
The statement from Swaziland, located in the southern part of the African continent, said the country will be renamed Eswatini in 2018. People didn't suffer much since they were already using this name. The similarity of the former country name with Switzerland is of course a different matter.
5. Altvolta - Burkina Faso
On the 20th anniversary of its independence, the Republic of Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso, which in the local language means land for all.
6. Burma - Myanmar
The military regime established in the country in 1989 was converted from Burma to Myanmar to erase traces of the country's colonial era, and the name is still in official use today.
7. Siam - Thailand
In 1932, a bloodless revolution took place in Thailand and the country was transformed from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary monarchy. In 1939 the name of the country was changed from Siam to Thailand. Thailand means land of the free people in the local language.
8 Ceylon 2011 – Sri Lanka
Ceylon was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505 and has been known as Sri Lanka since 2011.