African Countries That Changed Their Names
Countries change their names for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it's for political purposes or to encourage a sense of national pride. The switch might be motivated by marketing considerations and occasionally it could be the result of a royal decree. Here are some of them:
Gold Coast → Ghana š¬š (1957)
Swaziland → Eswatini šøšæ (2018)
Ivory Coast → Cote d'Ivoire šØš® (1986)
Tanganyika and Zanzibar → Tanzania š¹šæ (1964)
Upper Volta → Burkina Faso š§š« (1984)
Southern Rhodesia → Zimbabwe šæš¼ (1980)
Northern Rhodesia → Zambia šæš² (1964)
Zaire → DR Congo šØš© (1997)
Dahomey Republic → Benin Republic š§šÆ (1975)
Dahomey Republic → Benin Republic (1975): š§šÆ
Reason: To discard the colonial-era name and honor the historical Kingdom.
Southern Rhodesia → Zimbabwe (1980): šæš¼
Reason: Gained independence from British colonial rule and adopted the name "Zimbabwe" to reflect its historical and cultural heritage. "Zimbabwe" means "Great House of Stone."
Tanganyika and Zanzibar → Tanzania (1964): š¹šæ
Reason: The two former territories, Tanganyika and Zanzibar, merged to form a unified country. The name "Tanzania" is a combination of their names.
Northern Rhodesia → Zambia (1964): šæš²
Reason: Like Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia gained independence and adopted a new name, "Zambia," which was derived from the Zambezi River.
Zaire → DR Congo (1997 ): šØš¬
Reason: The name change reflected a desire to return to a pre-colonial name and distance itself from the Mobutu Sese Seko era. "DR Congo" refers to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Gold Coast 'n Ghana (1957): š¬š
Reason: The country gained independence from British colonial rule and adopted the name "Ghana" to celebrate its ancient empire's historical significance. "Ghana" means "Warrior King" in the Soninke language.
Upper Volta → Burkina Faso (1984): š§š«
Reason: To emphasize a break from the colonial past and reflect the nation's cultural and linguistic diversity. "Burkina Faso" means "Land of Incorruptible People" in Moore and Jula languages.
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