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 šŸ‡¬šŸ‡­ (1957)

Swaziland → Eswatini šŸ‡øšŸ‡æ (2018)

Ivory Coast → Cote d'Ivoire šŸ‡ØšŸ‡® (1986)

Tanganyika and Zanzibar → Tanzania šŸ‡¹šŸ‡æ (1964)

Upper Volta → Burkina Faso šŸ‡§šŸ‡« (1984)

Southern Rhodesia → Zimbabwe šŸ‡æšŸ‡¼ (1980)

Northern Rhodesia → Zambia šŸ‡æšŸ‡² (1964)

Zaire → DR Congo šŸ‡ØšŸ‡© (1997)

Dahomey Republic → Benin Republic šŸ‡§šŸ‡Æ (1975)

Dahomey Republic → Benin Republic (1975): šŸ‡§šŸ‡Æ 
Reason: To discard the colonial-era name and honor the historical Kingdom.

Southern Rhodesia → Zimbabwe (1980): šŸ‡æšŸ‡¼ 
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): šŸ‡¹šŸ‡æ 
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): šŸ‡æšŸ‡² 
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 ): šŸ‡ØšŸ‡¬ 
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): šŸ‡¬šŸ‡­ 
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): šŸ‡§šŸ‡« 
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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