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 🇬🇭 (1957)

Swaziland → Eswatini 🇸🇿 (2018)

Ivory Coast → Cote d'Ivoire 🇨🇮 (1986)

Tanganyika and Zanzibar → Tanzania 🇹🇿 (1964)

Upper Volta → Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 (1984)

Southern Rhodesia → Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 (1980)

Northern Rhodesia → Zambia 🇿🇲 (1964)

Zaire → DR Congo 🇨🇩 (1997)

Dahomey Republic → Benin Republic 🇧🇯 (1975)

Dahomey Republic → Benin Republic (1975): 🇧🇯 
Reason: To discard the colonial-era name and honor the historical Kingdom.

Southern Rhodesia → Zimbabwe (1980): 🇿🇼 
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): 🇹🇿 
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): 🇿🇲 
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 ): 🇨🇬 
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): 🇬🇭 
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): 🇧🇫 
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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