Old Names and New Names of Countries and Cities

September 17, 2009 November 1, 2023

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.