10 Countries That Changed Their Names
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In 1971, East Pakistan became Bangladesh after it declared independence from West Pakistan following a brutal war
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Thailand was known as Siam until 1939, when it officially changed its name
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In 1997, Zaire changed its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) after a series of political upheavals and conflicts
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Burma, a Southeast Asian nation, was renamed Myanmar in 1989 by the ruling military junta
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In 1972, the island nation of Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka and declared itself a republic
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Iran was known as Persia for most of its history, but was officially renamed Iran in 1935
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Modern-day Ireland was historically known as the Irish Free State until 1937 when the country adapted a new constitution
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In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two nations: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2016, the Czech Republic changed its name to Czechia
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The government decided to change the name of Holland to Netherlands in January 2020
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Turkey was renamed Turkiye in December 2021 by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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