Did you know that the third smallest country in the world joined the list of countries that have changed their names, attributing it to cultural ties?

On August 4, the Pacific Island country of Nauru (pronounced as Now-roo) changed its name to the Republic of Naoero (pronounced Now-ero) according to its President, David Adeang, in a move that changed the country’s international code from NRU to NRO, and its people who were formerly known as Nauruan to dei-Naoero.

According to an earlier government statement, the country became known internationally as Nauru only because its local name was difficult for foreigners to pronounce and was a matter of convenience rather than one of choice. And so, the latest move would return the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, as posted on the government’s Facebook account recently.

With 12,000 residents, Naoero is the world’s third-smallest country by population size, after Tuvalu and Vatican City. The tiny coral limestone atoll was colonised by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968. It has faced tumultuous circumstances, with phosphate mining creating huge wealth on the island in the 1970s.

But Naoero is not the only country that has changed its name of recent. There are a bunch of other countries that changed their names for reasons ranging from political or cultural in nature to an attempt to forget the past. Here is the list of the countries.

1) Turkey To Turkiye

Last year (2025), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey hereon will be identified by its Turkish name Turkiye. It let go of the anglicised version of the country’s name. According to Erdoğan, while announcing his decision, said, "The word Türkiye represents and expresses the culture, civilisation and values of the Turkish nation in the best way." 

2) Persia to Iran

The name Persia was Iran’s official name until 1935. Iran, which was the name of the country in Persian, was adopted after the government asked the countries it has diplomatic ties with to officially refer to the country as Iran. 

3) Siam to Thailand

The country which has never been colonised was ruled by King Siam and was known by that name. However, in 1939 the King changed its name to Thailand after it became a constitutional monarchy.

4) Burma to Myanmar

The ruling Junta military changed the name of the country known as Burma to Myanmar in the year 1989. The change of name was acknowledged by the United nations.

5) Democratic Kampuchea to Cambodia

The country Cambodia has a history of its name getting changed according to the changing leader and political allegiance. The country which was once Kingdom of Cambodia and the Khmer republic was then referred to Democratic Kampuchea under Communist regime between 1975 to 1979. The United Nations named it State of Cambodia which was again renamed as the Kingdom of Cambodia in 1993. 

6) Holland to Netherlands

Holland became Netherlands in the year 2020. The country which originally had two regions North and South became the Netherlands which was also looked at as a move to promote tourism.

7) Irish Free State to Ireland

The country was originally named as the Irish Free State and the name was changed to Ireland in 1937.

8) Ceylon to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka separated from its colonial legacy and changed the name Ceylon given to it by the British Empire to Sri Lanka. Post independence the island government changed the name to Sri Lanka. 

9) The Republic Of Macedonia to The Republic Of North Macedonia

In an attempt to have an alliance with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Republic of Macedonia changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia in 2019. The change followed the Prespa Agreement between North Macedonia and Greece. The naming dispute had lasted for decades because Greece has a region called Macedonia. The new name helped resolve the dispute and paved the way for North Macedonia’s accession to NATO.

10) Swaziland to Eswatini

The King of Swaziland in Africa in the year 2018 changed the name of the country to Eswatini which is merely Swaziland in its local language. King Mswati III announced the change during celebrations marking the country’s 50th independence anniversary. The monarch said the new name reflected the country’s traditional identity and helped eliminate confusion with Switzerland. Eswatini means “land of the Swazi” in the Swazi language.

11) Rhodesia to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe changed the colonial name of Rhodesia after it got independence to the Republic of Zimbabwe, later was renamed to Zimbabwe.

12) Czech Republic to Czechia

Amid the backdrop of the Soviet Socialist Republic crumbling, Czechoslovakia was divided into two countries, one being the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic adopted Czechia as its short-form name in 2016. The change did not replace the country’s formal name, which remains the Czech Republic. Instead, Czechia became the shorter geographical and political name, similar to how “France” is used instead of “French Republic” in ordinary contexts. The Czech Republic wants to be known as Czechia so that it can expand on business by having an easier name. 

13) Cape Verde to Cabo Verde

The West African island nation officially changed the way its name is used internationally from Cape Verde to Cabo Verde. The government requested that the Portuguese name be used without translation. The change reflects the country’s Portuguese heritage and its preference for its native name.

14) East Timor to Timor-Leste

East Timor, the English name commonly used for the country, became internationally known as Timor-Leste following its independence in 2002. Timor-Leste is the country’s Portuguese name and is its official name. The Southeast Asian nation restored its independence after a long period of Indonesian occupation and became an independent country in 2002.