Amid India-Bharat renaming row, here's a list of renamed countries
The official invitation that was sent out for the G20 summit dinner to be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan mentions "President of Bharat," instead of "President of India." This fueled rumors that the Central government is planning to rename the nation from India to Bharat. Amidst the renaming row, here is a look at countries that have changed their names officially in the past.
Sri Lanka and Myanmar
The island nation of Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972, changing its name to Sri Lanka, which in Sinhalese means "resplendent land" and highlights the country's natural beauty. The nation aspired to more accurately reflect its multicultural identity and distance itself from its colonial past under British administration. Meanwhile, Myanmar became the nation's official name in 1989, replacing Burma, reflecting linguistic accuracy.
Iran and Turkey
From Persia, Iran adopted its current name in 1935. The move was done by Reza Shah, a military officer who became Shah in 1925 after ousting the previous Qajar dynasty with support from the British. Recently, in 2022, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey officially changed the name of the country from Turkey to Turkiye to reflect the nation's vibrant culture, values, and civilization.
The Netherlands and North Macedonia
North Macedonia became the new name for Macedonia in 2019. This alteration put an end to a long-running argument with Greece, which had a problem with the usage of the term "Macedonia" because it too has an area by that name. In 2019, the Dutch chose the moniker The Netherlands instead of Holland. Reportedly, this was a marketing strategy to change its reputation internationally.
Cambodia and Thailand
Siam was the official name of Thailand until 1939 when it was changed. This move tried to assert the country's unity and identity, in response to the growing Western colonial influence in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Cambodia due to its complicated history, has had several different names over the years, including the Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, the State of Cambodia, and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Czechia and Eswatini
The Czech Republic adopted the name Czechia in 2016 to make it simpler for businesses and sports teams to use it on merchandise and apparel. Similarly, in 2018, the African country Swaziland renamed itself Eswatini, which translates to "The Land of Swazis." This modification was intended to conform to its indigenous language and to clear up the ambiguity with Switzerland.
