Old Names and New Names of Countries and Cities
| Old Name | New Name | Historical Context |
| Abyssinia | Ethiopia | Abyssinia, the ancient name for Ethiopia, was officially changed to Ethiopia in 1930 when Haile Selassie became Emperor. |
| Angora (Turkey) | Ankara | Angora was the former name of the capital city of Turkey, which was changed to Ankara when it became the capital in 1923. |
| Bohemia, Moravia, Czechoslovakia | Czech Republic and Slovakia | Czechoslovakia was split into two separate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in 1993 after the Velvet Divorce. |
| Ceylon | Sri Lanka | Ceylon was the colonial name for the island nation, and it was changed to Sri Lanka upon gaining independence in 1972. |
| Constantinople (Turkey) | Istanbul | The name Constantinople was changed to Istanbul in 1930 as part of the Turkish government’s efforts to modernize and Westernize. |
| Peking (China) | Beijing | The change from Peking to Beijing reflects the shift from the Wade-Giles romanization system to Pinyin in the late 20th century. |
| Persia | Iran | Iran is the native name for the country, and it officially asked to be called Iran instead of Persia in 1935. |
| Mesopotamia | Iraq | The name Mesopotamia referred to the historical region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which is now modern-day Iraq. |
| Southern Rhodesia | Zimbabwe | Southern Rhodesia was renamed to Zimbabwe upon gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1980. |
| Northern Rhodesia | Zambia | Northern Rhodesia became Zambia when it gained independence from British colonial rule in 1964. |
| Saigon (Vietnam) | Ho Chi Minh City | Saigon was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1976 after the reunification of North and South Vietnam under communist rule. |
| Petrograd and Leningrad (Russia) | St. Petersburg | The city was originally named St. Petersburg, then Petrograd during World War I, and Leningrad during the Soviet era, before reverting. |
| Siam | Thailand | Siam officially became Thailand in 1939. The name change aimed to emphasize the country’s identity as a nation of the Thai people. |
| Tanganyika and Zanzibar, | Tanzania | The two territories of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964. |
| German East Africa | Rwanda and Burundi | German East Africa was divided into Rwanda and Burundi after World War I when it became a League of Nations mandate. |
| Zaire | Democratic Republic of Congo | Zaire was the name for the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1971 to 1997, after which it reverted to its former name. |
| South-West Africa | Namibia | South-West Africa was a German colony before becoming a League of Nations mandate and eventually gaining independence as Namibia. |
| Moldavia | Moldova | Moldavia is a historical region that corresponds to present-day Moldova. The name Moldova was officially adopted after independence. |
| Upper Volta | Burkina Faso | Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso, meaning “Land of the Upright People,” in 1984 to reflect its cultural and political identity. |
| Tripolitania and Cyrenaica | Libya | These two regions merged to form the modern nation of Libya in 1951 after gaining independence from Italian colonial rule. |
| Numidia | Algeria | Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in North Africa. The region became part of modern-day Algeria after Roman conquest. |
| Sudanese Republic | Mali | The Sudanese Republic was part of the Federation of Mali, which later became the independent country of Mali in 1960. |
| Gaul | France | Gaul was the Roman name for the region that corresponds to modern-day France. |
| French Equatorial Africa | Central African Republic, Chad | French Equatorial Africa was dissolved, and its territories became independent countries, including the Central African Republic and Chad. |
| Cathay | China | Cathay was a historical name used by European explorers and traders to refer to China. |
| Mangi | China | Mangi was another historical name used by early European travelers to refer to China. |
| Cochin-China, Annam, Tonkin | Vietnam | These were historic regions of Vietnam, which became part of a unified Vietnam after gaining independence. |
| Burma | Myanmar | The military government officially changed the name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, although the name is still a subject of debate. |
| Edo | Tokyo | Edo was the former name of Tokyo, and it was changed when Emperor Meiji moved the capital from Kyoto to Edo in 1868. |
| Cho son | Korea (North and South) | Cho son was the historical name for Korea, which was divided into North and South Korea after World War II. |
| Kampuchea | Cambodia | The Khmer Rouge regime renamed the country Kampuchea in 1975, and it was later changed back to Cambodia in 1991. |
| Formosa | Taiwan | Formosa was the name given to Taiwan by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. |
| Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and | Yugoslavia | Established in 1918, this name was used before the country was officially known as Yugoslavia. |
| Slovenes | Yugoslavia | The “Kingdom of Yugoslavia” was the name used from 1929 to 1943. |
| Kingdom of Yugoslavia | Yugoslavia | From 1943 to 1963, the country was known as the “Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia.” |
| Federal People’s Republic of | Yugoslavia | Yugoslavia adopted this name from 1945 to 1963. |
| Socialist Federal Republic of | Yugoslavia | The name “Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia” was used from 1963 to 1992. |
| Gambia Colony and Protectorate | The Gambia | The Gambia was a British colony and protectorate before gaining independence. |
| Dahomey Kingdom | Benin | Dahomey was the former name of the country that is now known as Benin. |
| Republic of Dahomey | Benin | Before becoming Benin, the country was known as the “Republic of Dahomey” until 1975. |
| Cho sen | North Korea | Cho sen was the historical name for North Korea. |
| Swaziland | Eswatini | Swaziland officially changed its name to the “Kingdom of Eswatini” in 2018. |
Originally written on
September 17, 2009
and last modified on
November 1, 2023.
Anonymous
November 25, 2009 at 9:22 amDemocratic Republic of Congo- Zaire
LiguistHound
March 15, 2023 at 8:40 pmCzech republic – Czechia