There are several countries in the world that have changed their names, owing to political, social, or cultural factors. Here are 10 of them
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1. Ceylon to Sri Lanka: In 1972, Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka when it became a republic, marking a shift away from its colonial past
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2. Burma to Myanmar: In 1989, the Southeast Asian nation formerly known as Burma adopted the name Myanmar under the ruling military junta
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3. Siam to Thailand: Thailand, previously known as Siam, officially changed its name in 1939
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4. Turkey to Turkiye: Turkey officially changed its name to Turkiye in 2022. Turkish President said that the name represented the country's culture and values in the best way
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5. Czech Republic to Czechia: In April 2016, Czech Republic became Czechia in a move to facilitate the naming of the country at sporting events
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6. Holland to the Netherlands: The Netherlands was renamed from Holland in 2019 with the aim of updating its global image
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7. Persia to Iran: When Reza Shah became the new king of Iran in 1935, he officially asked foreign delegates to use the Persian term 'Iran', the endonym of the country
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8. Southern Rhodesia to Zimbabwe: After gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1980, Southern Rhodesia changed its name to Zimbabwe
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9. Swaziland to Eswatini: Formerly known as the Kingdom of Swaziland, the country was renamed to the Kingdom of Eswatini by King Mswati III in 2018
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10. Zaire to Democratic Republic of the Congo: In 1997, Zaire changed its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a series of political upheavals and conflicts