Historically, several countries had to go through processes of revolution and independence that completely shaped the course of their history. These events are often accompanied by changes in the way nations are referred to and perceived around the world.
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This is the case for many countries on the list. Find out what they are called now and what their original names were.
1. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe
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Rhodesia (19651970), which became the Republic of Rhodesia (19701979) from 1970, was an unrecognized state in southern Africa during the Cold War. The region included what we now know as Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a former colony of the United Kingdom. Therefore, English is one of the 16 official languages.
The name change occurred after the country's independence in 1980. Independence is viewed as legitimate by the United Kingdom and the United Nations.
2. Countries that changed their names: Ceylon became Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka is an island nation south of India. Like the first country on the list, Sri Lanka was also a British colony. Notably, they gained independence in 1948. Ceylon was the name of the British Empire.
The country became a republic and took the name Sri Lanka in 1972, the same year a new constitution was adopted.
3. Burma became Myanmar
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Myanmar, in turn, is a Southeast Asian country in which more than 100 ethnic groups live. The country borders China, Laos, Thailand, India and Bangladesh. The country's military junta changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. The United Nations recognized the change.
The country became independent from British rule in 1948. Although English is widely spoken, it is not the most commonly spoken language. In fact, Burmese is the most widely spoken language.
4. Holland became the Netherlands
Netherlands (Image: Shutterstock/Boris Stroujko)
After all, the Netherlands is one of the most famous and visited countries in the world. Since 2020 the official version has been “Netherlands”. The country is so named due to its geographical location relatively below mean sea level. The name change also serves to further spread the country's culture and history.