Last Updated on August 25, 2020
7. Swaziland to Eswatini – The Land of the Swazi
The King of Swaziland, Mswati III, announced in April 2018 that the name of the African country had been changed from Swaziland to Eswatini. And of all the countries with changed names, the move to Eswatini did not surprise anyone, since that was the name already being used by the population.
Eswatini is the direct translation of the name Swaziland and has a very appropriate meaning for the people of the region: the land of the Swazi. In addition, the old name caused a lot of confusion with Switzerland, and now this is no longer the case.
8. Burma to Myanmar – The Land with Two Country Names
The truth is that the name change from Burma to Myanmar in 1989 did not have much effect worldwide because this Southeast Asian country is well known for being a land with two country names: Burma and Myanmar.
And this happened because, at the time of the name change, there was no consensus between the national military government (which intended to change the name of the country to the way it was written locally – Myanma) and the local people (who wanted to keep everything as it was).
However, we believe that these are natural barriers caused by a culture that is remote and closed to the outside and that it is still going through a long process of democratization – a common situation in Asian countries. Sooner or later, they will stop to exist.
9. German Southwest Africa to Namibia – The Land Of Deserts and Diamonds!
Which countries changed their names? There are several, but the name change from German Southwest Africa to Namibia was one of the most radical. This happened when the country became independent from South Africa in 1990, completely removing German influence and dominion over its lands.
This country is known for being the land of deserts (Namibia and the Kalahari Desert) and for the production of diamonds, among other precious metals that form the basis of its economy and, at this moment, are one of the African countries with the greatest margin of progression.
