The government of Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi used the name “Bharat” as the representative of his country at the G20 Summit, on Saturday, September 9 2023. Apart from that, in the official invitation to dinner guests, Droupadi Murmu was called the President of Bharat, not President of India.
The name Bharat was also displayed on the nameplate at the G20 Summit, giving rise to speculation about the Indian government’s intention to change the name to Bharat. Apart from India, there are several other countries that have also changed their names for various reasons. Following are these countries.
1. Macedonia became North Macedonia
Initially this country was called the Republic of Macedonia. However, in 2019 the name was changed to the Republic of North Macedonia. This was done by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev with the aim of improving relations with Greece. Because previously the name Macedonia had been a source of conflict between the Macedonian government and the Greek government in Athens for decades. To achieve reconciliation, Macedonia decided to change its name after gaining membership in the European Union and Nato with Greece.
2. Burma becomes Myanmar
Now people are familiar with the name Myanmar , but previously this country had the name Burma. This change was made by the military junta in 1989, a year after violence occurred that killed several people in an attempt to suppress a popular uprising. This name change has received recognition from several countries, such as France and Japan as well as the UN.
3. The Czech Republic became Czechia
The Czech Republic is changing its name to step up efforts to market its country’s identity on the international stage. Finally, the Czech Republic changed its name to Czechia in 2016. Using a single name was felt to be easier to promote. The government believes that the Czech Republic is still a new country. In 1993 this country gained independence along with the Slovavian Republic after the split of Czechoslovakia into two countries. Because of this, the government believes that major changes to the country are not something that needs to be avoided.
4. Ceylon became Sri Lanka
Before having the name Sri Lanka, this country was called Ceylon. After 39 years have passed, the Sri Lankan government decided to change the names of institutions that still use British colonial names in 2011. This change was made to achieve a new year’s resolution while eliminating traces of past colonialism.
5. Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Following the independence referendum in 1999, East Timor changed its name to Timor Leste .
Source : Tempo.co
