India To Be Renamed As Bharat? Check Out The List Of 11 Countries That Changed Their Names

The formal invitation for the G20 summit dinner at Rashtrapati Bhawan referred to the 'President of Bharat' rather than the 'President of India' has triggered debate around the name change of the country from India to Bharat.

As per the reports, the government might bring a proposal to rename India as Bharat in the forthcoming special session of the Parliament. However, the Centre has not made any formal announcement in this regard, yet.

It is interesting to note that many countries have rechristened themselves in past. Here is the list:

Turkey to Turkiye
In 2022, the United Nations officially recognised Turkey renaming itself Türkiye after the government formally advocated for the new name.

Holland To Netherlands
In 2019, Holland decided to rebrand itself as the Netherlands in order to update its global image. It was also an attempt to present the Netherlands as an open, inventive and inclusive country.

Swaziland to Eswatini
The nation once called the Kingdom of Swaziland, was officially renamed the Kingdom of Eswatini by King Mswati III in 2018.

Czechia - Formerly Czech Republic
In 2016, the Czech government officially changed its name to Czechia. This was an attempt by the government to help people recognise the country easily in sporting events.

Cape Verde to Republic of Cabo Verde
The Republic of Cabo Verde changed its official name from The Republic of Cape Verde on 24 October 2013.

Democratic Republic of Congo
Before adopting its current name in 1997, the Democratic Republic of Congo underwent a series of name changes, including Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo-Leopoldville, Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Zaire.

Cambodia
Cambodia has undergone several name changes throughout its history. From 1953 to 1970, it was known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, followed by the Khmer Republic until 1975. During the communist rule from 1975 to 1979, it was referred to as Democratic Kampuchea. Under the UN transition authority from 1989 to 1993, it adopted the name the State of Cambodia. After the monarchy was restored in 1993, it was renamed the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Burma to Myanmar:
The official English name Burma was changed by the country's government from the "Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989, and still later to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar".

Ceylon to Sri Lanka
In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. In 2011, the country removed all remaining references to its British colonial name Ceylon from state institutions.

Persia To Iran
Iran was known as Persia till 1935. King Reza Shah dropped the old name for all purposes. Nonetheless, cultural exports such as cuisine, art, and literature are still commonly identified as Persian.

Siam To Thailand
Thailand, formerly known as Siam until 1939, briefly reverted to Siam between 1946 and 1948 before adopting the name "Kingdom of Thailand." This new name was selected to underscore the nation's independence and reflect the Thai people's deep sense of national pride.