As a French colony, present-day Burkina Faso was called Upper Volta for its location north of the Volta River. It joined the French Union as an overseas territory in 1947 before claiming independence in 1960. However, it didn't acquire its current name, which means "Land of Honest Men" until 1984.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's independence, King Mswati III, the absolute monarch of Swaziland, announced that the country would officially be renamed the Kingdom of eSwatini. eSwatini means land of the Swazis in the Swazi language. It is the only country whose name starts with a lowercase letter.

Shortly after gaining its independence from Belgium in 1960, the Central African country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo changed its name to the Republic of Zaire. The change was mandated by Mobutu Sese Seko, the president at the time. Zaire translates to “great river” in the region’s local languages, making reference to the Congo River. After Mobutu was overthrown in 1971, the country’s previous name, Democratic Republic of the Congo, was restored.

The U.S. Virgin Islands — made up of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix — weren’t always an American territory. They were originally home to Indigenous peoples such as the Arawaks and the Caribs, but they were later colonized by the Danes, who called them Danish West Indies. Denmark sold the territory to the U.S. on March 31, 1917.

The British colonial territory of Rhodesia was named for its colonial administrator, Cecil Rhodes. The territory was divided into Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) in the early 20th century. In the 1950s, they joined with Malawi (then known as Nyasaland) to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In 1964, Zambia gained its independence from Britain; Zimbabwe did so in 1980.

The name Macedonia refers to a broad geographic region with a rich history — much of which falls within the borders of Greece today, but also several other Balkan nations. When the Republic of Macedonia emerged from former Yugoslavia, Greece disputed its claim to the Macedonia name. After decades of disagreement, the two countries finally reached a compromise in 2019, and the Republic of Macedonia became known as North Macedonia.

An ongoing series of peace agreements in the 1800s put the "truce" in the Trucial States (also known as the Trucial Coast) and paved the way for the future unification of the United Arab Emirates. The seven city-states of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Fujairah, Ajmanm, and Ra's al-Khaimah formed their official federation in 1971.

Known today as Taiwan, this East Asian nation was formerly called the Republic of Formosa. The name was inspired by 16th-century Portuguese explorers, who called the area “Ilha Formosa,” or “beautiful island.” On May 23, 1895, the island declared its independence from Japan and established the Republic of Formosa. They occupied the island until the end of World War II, after which it became known as Taiwan.

Helvetia is the Latin name for present-day western Switzerland. The Celtic Helvetii people migrated to Switzerland during the reign of the Roman Empire. They were talented craftsmen and belonged to the largest of 11 Celtic tribes that left Germany. Today, you'll see the word "Helvetia" on Swiss currency today, and the lady Helvetia represents the personification of Switzerland, similar to Lady Liberty in the U.S.

The Ethiopian Empire, which covered the northern part of what's now Ethiopia, was also known as Abyssinia. Once the Solomonic dynasty was founded by the Abyssinians in 1270, they ruled until the 20th century. The official switch to Ethiopia happened during World War II. However, some scholars have argued that the country has always been called Ethiopia, and Abyssinia was a name popularized by Arabs.

The name Albion was in use for the island of Great Britain as early as the fourth century BCE. It's also one of the oldest words in the English language and likely came from the Latin word "albus" or "white." The fitting name references the White Cliffs of Dover on the island's southeastern coast.

Many countries have an official long-form name and a more colloquial short one for English speakers. The Czech Republic formed in 1993 when the country formerly known as Czechoslovakia split up into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In an effort to simplify its name for English speakers, the Czech Republic registered “Czechia” as the new alternative name for the country in 2016.

Long before North and South Korea divided, the Korean Peninsula was one kingdom under the name Choson (sometimes transcribed Joseon), after the powerful Choson dynasty. This was the longest-lasting imperial dynasty of Korea, reigning from 1392 until 1910. The capital city of the kingdom was Hanyang, which is modern-day Seoul.

In 1989, the Southeast Asian country of Burma officially changed its name to Myanmar (and also changed the names of many of its cities). Some countries — including the U.S. — did not formally recognize the switch, claiming it was done without the approval of citizens. It’s still common to use the two names interchangeably; however, Myanmar is the official name.

The Emerald Isle once went by a name given to the island by the Romans and Greeks — who never actually encountered the island themselves. Reports were collected from travelers and traders, but Hibernia was never conquered by the Roman Empire. After the empire’s fall, Christian missionaries traveled to the island and began efforts to exert Christian influence over what became known as Ireland.

The South Asian country of Bangladesh has gone through a few name changes in its recent history. Bangladesh makes up the eastern portion of the historical region of Bengal, which was once a province of British India. When India split in 1947, it became a Pakistani province called East Bengal and was then renamed East Pakistan. It was the only Pakistani province located on the opposite side of India. In 1971, the region became the independent country of Bangladesh.

Mesopotamia, which means “Land Between the Rivers,” was the ancient name of modern-day Iraq. This historically significant region gave way to some of humanity’s earliest civilizations, including Babylon and Assyria. The wealthy region has changed hands over the centuries and was once part of the Persian, Greek, and Roman dynasties. Iraq gained its independence from the British Empire in 1932.

The teardrop-shaped island off the southern coast of India was known by early Arab and Persian traders as "Sarandib" (the origin of the word "serendipity"). When the island was colonized by the Portuguese, it became known as Ceilão, later anglicized as Ceylon. Ruled by colonial powers for centuries, the island gained independence from Britain in 1948 and changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.

Gaul, or Gallia in Latin, was the ancient name for the land comprising modern-day France. It also included parts of Belgium, western Germany, and northern Italy. The word Gaul is derived from the name of the Celtic people who lived in the area around the fifth century BCE. Gaul was an important part of Roman culture, and many of the amphitheaters and aqueducts built during Gallic times are still standing today.

Six new European countries resulted from the dissolution of the federated nation of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Turkmenistan, located in Central Asia, was once part of the U.S.S.R.

Before Thailand was known as such, the Southeastern Asian country was called Siam, which comes from a Sanskrit word that Portuguese explorers adopted for the country in the 16th century. The name Thailand has a double meaning in the Thai language: both “Land of the Free” and “Land of the Thai People,” since the Tai are an ethnic group in the country.