In 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, asked the international community to refer to his country as Iran, its historical name. Persia is still a commonly used term, particularly for its rich cultural heritage.
After gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1922, the country was initially called the Irish Free State. The name Ireland was adopted in 1937 with the adoption of a new constitution.
In 1939, the Siamese government changed the name of the country to Thailand, which means "land of the free" Siam is still occasionally used in literature and historical contexts.
Following Sri Lanka gaining independence from Britain in 1948, the country continued to be called Ceylon for some time. In 1972, Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese name for the island nation, was officially adopted.
After gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, the island nation changed its name from Cape Verde to Republic of Cabo Verde, the Portuguese name for the country.
In 1984, Upper Volta, a former French colony, changed its name to Burkina Faso. "Burkina" means "people of uprightness" and "Faso" means "fatherland" in local languages.
The military junta ruling Burma in 1989 changed the country's name to Myanmar. The name change was part of a broader effort to consolidate their power and establish a new national identity.
In 2018, King Mswati III of Swaziland announced that the country would henceforth be known as eSwatini. The name eSwatini means "land of the Swazis".
In 2019, Greece and the Republic of Macedonia reached a historic agreement to resolve a long-standing naming dispute. The Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its name to North Macedonia to address Greek concerns about territorial claims.
The Netherlands has always been the official name of the country. However, the term "Holland" was often used interchangeably. In recent years, the Dutch government has encouraged the use of "Netherlands" to promote a more unified national image.