9 Countries That Changed Their Names

Turkey to Turkiye

Turkey formally changed its name to Turkiye.

Holland To Netherlands

The Netherlands changed its name from Holland.

Burma to Myanmar

The military junta renamed the Southeast Asian country Burma to Myanmar in 1989.

Ceylon to Sri Lanka

Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka, a term derived from the Sinhalese language.

Persia To Iran

King Reza Shah announced the name change to symbolise a new beginning for the country.

Siam To Thailand

The new name was chosen to stress the country’s independence and Thai national pride.

Czechoslovakia To Czech Republic and Slovakia

The Czechoslovakia split in 1993, resulting in two countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Zaire To Democratic Republic of Congo

Zaire adopted the name Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997.

Cape Verde to Republic of Cabo Verde

In 2013, Cape Verde adopted the full Portuguese spelling for the Republic of Cabo Verde.

Kingdom of Swaziland to the Kingdom of Eswatini

In 2018, the country’s name was changed to the Kingdom of Eswatini.