A country changes its name to shed a colonial label, to resolve a dispute, to match its own language, or to rebrand. Here are the recent changes and the historic ones still worth knowing.
Recent official changes
- Swaziland → Eswatini (2018). King Mswati III restored the Swazi-language name, meaning "land of the Swazis", noting that it also ended the constant mix-up with Switzerland.
- Turkey → Türkiye (2022, at the United Nations). The government adopted the Turkish spelling for all international use, partly to avoid the English word's other meanings.
- Czech Republic → Czechia (2016, as the official short name). The long form remains valid; Czechia is meant for everyday use, like "France" for the French Republic.
- Macedonia → North Macedonia (2019). The Prespa Agreement resolved a decades-long dispute with Greece over the name, unlocking NATO membership and EU accession talks.
- Cape Verde → Cabo Verde (2013, at the UN). The Portuguese form is now the official international name.
- The Netherlands stopped promoting "Holland" as an informal name in 2020, asking that "the Netherlands" be used consistently.
Historic changes still worth knowing
- Burma → Myanmar (1989). Still contested — some governments and news outlets continue to use Burma.
- Zaire → Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997), reverting a 1971 change from Congo.
- Ceylon → Sri Lanka (1972).
- Persia → Iran (1935), at the government's request.
- Siam → Thailand (1939, briefly back to Siam, then Thailand again from 1949).
- Upper Volta → Burkina Faso (1984), meaning "land of upright people".
- Dahomey → Benin (1975); Rhodesia → Zimbabwe (1980); South-West Africa → Namibia (1990); Kampuchea → Cambodia (reverted 1989); East Pakistan → Bangladesh (1971).
- Ivory Coast officially requests the French form, Côte d'Ivoire, in all languages.
Capitals and cities that renamed too
Name changes often extend to the capital. Astana became Nur-Sultan (2019) then Astana again (2022). Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City (though the capital is Hanoi). Salisbury became Harare; Léopoldville became Kinshasa; Christiania became Oslo; Batavia became Jakarta; Constantinople became Istanbul.
Every country fact page uses the current official name, and the games accept common alternative names in the search box.
Current names and facts →