During the upcoming special Parliament session, there might be a proposal to change India's name from 'India, that is Bharat' to just Bharat. Let's explore some examples of countries which changed their names.
Formerly known as Ceylon, the island nation was renamed Sri Lanka to emphasize its cultural roots and remove historical remnants of Portuguese and British rule.
The Netherlands was renamed from Holland with the aim of updating its global image.
The Southeast Asian nation Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989 by the ruling the ruling military junta. The country had long been known as Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group.
Modern-day Iran was historically known as Persia till 1935. The name change was announced by King Reza Shah to mark a new beginning for the country.
Thailand was formerly known as Siam until 1939. It was briefly reverted to Siam between 1946 and 1948 before becoming the Kingdom of Thailand. The new name was chosen to emphasise the country's independence and represent the national pride of the Thai people.
In 2022, Turkey informed the United Nations that it had officially changed its name to Turkiye. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that the name Turkiye represented the country's culture, civilization, and values in the best way.