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Historical Country Names        |
___ Historical Country Nameskeywords: geography, historical country names, former country names, history, place name changes, historical maps |
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| List of formerly used country names Name changes of countries, dependencies, geographical and other regions of particular geopolitical interest. |
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Africa :: Asia :: Australia/Oceania :: Europe Central America and the Caribbean :: North America :: South America Additional Links |
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Africa |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
| Abyssinia |
Ethiopia |
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| Afars and Issas Territory | Djibouti | |
| Basutoland; formerly a British protectorate became
independent in 1966 as the |
Kingdom of Lesotho | |
| Bechuanaland, formerly a British protectorate became
independent in 1966 as |
Republic of Botswana | |
| Belgian Congo (1908 - 1960) |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Benadir (region; former name of Italian Somaliland) |
Somalia | |
| Biafra, Republic of (named after the Bight of Biafra)
today part of |
Nigeria | |
| Bophuthatswana - nominal republic and homeland for
Tswana-speaking people, 1949 reincorporated into |
South Africa | |
| Bourbon Island |
Reunion Island | |
| British Bechuanaland (region) incorporated into
the Cape Colony (1895) |
South Africa | |
| British East Africa, British protectorate from1890
until 1920 |
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda | |
| Cape Colony, 1795-1797 British colony, 1803-1806
colony of the Batavian Republic (Netherlands),
since 1910 part of |
South Africa | |
| Central African Empire |
Central African Republic | |
| Ciskei (Republic of Ciskei) - homeland for Xhosa-speaking
people, 1994 reincorporated into |
South Africa | |
| Dahomey; (the Republic of Dahomey; in French: République du Dahomey), was a former French colony and part of French West Africa until independence in 1960, in 1975 the Republic of Dahomey changed its name in Benin. Dan Ho Me was an ancient Kingdom located in the south of today Benin. |
Benin | |
| French Guinea was a French protectorate in West Africa, after independence from France in 1958 it became today | Guinea | |
| French Somaliland |
Djibouti | |
| French Sudan |
Mali | |
| French West Africa, was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia and Niger, French Sudan, French Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Upper Volta and Dahomey. | Mauritania, The Gambia, Senegal, Niger, Mali, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Benin. | |
| German Southwest Africa |
Namibia | |
| Gold Coast |
Ghana | |
| Grain Coast |
Liberia | |
| Hausaland, consisted of seven independent city-states:
Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zaria. |
Niger, Nigeria | |
| Italian East Africa (former name for Italian possessions in eastern Africa) | Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia |
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| Kaffraria, former name for Transkei |
South Africa | |
| Katanga - 1960, Belgium granted independence to
the Congolese province of the |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Malagasy Republic |
Madagascar | |
| Mali Federation, was a country in West Africa 1959-1960, formed by a union between |
Senegal and Mali | |
| Nubia (region) |
Sudan, Egypt | |
| Nyasaland |
Malawi | |
| Portuguese East Africa |
Mozambique | |
| Rhodesia, Northern |
Zambia | |
| Rhodesia, Southern |
Zimbabwe | |
| Rio de Oro (region) |
Western Sahara | |
| Ruanda |
Rwanda | |
| Sahara Occidental, Spanish name for |
Western Sahara | |
| Sahel (region) | Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal | |
| Senegambia (region; former name of the confederation
of Senegal and Gambia) |
The Gambia, Senegal | |
| Songhay (Songhai), in the 16th century a major empire
of the Western Sudan, in the region of |
Mali, Mauritania | |
| South-West Africa (SWA, German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika), a German colony from 1884-1915 |
Namibia | |
| Spanish Guinea |
Equatorial Guinea | |
| Spanish Sahara |
Western Sahara | |
| Spanish West Africa (former name for Ifni and Spanish
Sahara) |
Morocco, Western Sahara | |
| Stellaland, Republic of; annexed by the Boers later
British Bechuanaland, incorporated into the Cape Colony (1895) |
South Africa | |
| Sudanese Republic | Mali | |
| Tanganyika Territory, united with the island Zansibar
it became |
Tanzania | |
| Togoland (British Togoland), since 1957 part of
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Ghana | |
| Transkei (former Kaffraria
and one of ten "black homelands" and nominal republic, in Southeast of ) |
South Africa | |
| Transvaal or ZAR - Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek;
today the Province Limpopo of |
South Africa | |
| Ubangi-Shari (Oubangui-Chari) a former French territory
in central Africa, whith independence on 13 August 1960 the country became the
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Central African Republic | |
| Union of South Africa, formed on 31 May 1910 as
a parliamentary union of the four self-governing British colonies: the Cape of
Good Hope Province (Cape Province; previously Cape Colony), Natal Province (Natal
Colony), the Orange Free State Province (Oranje Vrij Staat/Orange River Colony)
and the Transvaal Province (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek/Transvaal Colony). |
South Africa | |
| United Arab Republic (UAR) (former name for a federation between Egypt and Syria) |
Egypt, Syria | |
| Upper Volta, Burkina, today |
Burkina Faso | |
| Urundi |
Burundi | |
| Zaire, changed its name in 1997 to |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Zanzibar (island) united with Tanganyika today it
is |
Tanzania | |
| Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) or Transvaal colony;
today the Limpopo province of |
South Africa | |
| Historical
Map of Africa (1855) Annotated Map of Africa at the end of the 19th century. More Historical Maps of Africa Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection |
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Asia |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
__Central Asia and Middle East |
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| Abkhazia (Region) |
Georgia | |
| Alashiya, state during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, it is the ancient name of |
Cyprus | |
| Bactria, historical region of Greater Iran, located between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya river today part of |
Afghanistan (north), Turkmenistan (east), Uzbekistan (south east) and Tajikistan (west) | |
| Dilmun, mentioned in ancient texts as a trade partner of Mesopotamia, although the exact location of Dilmun is unclear, it is associated with |
Bahrain, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and nearby coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. | |
| East Turkestan; Eastern Turkestan; Chinese Turkestan | Part of western China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region ) | |
| Galilee, Galilea, large region in northern |
Israel | |
| Judaea, Judäa (region) |
Israel, West Bank | |
| Kashmir (region) |
India, Pakistan | |
| Kirgizia |
Kyrgyzstan | |
| Mesopotamia, geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, largely corresponding to modern |
Iraq, southeastern Turkey, and the Khūzestān Province of southwestern Iran | |
| Mishmahig (islands) |
Bahrain | |
| Muscat and Oman, Sultanate of Muscat and Oman until
1970 |
Oman | |
| Palestine (region) |
Israel, West Bank & Gaza Strip | |
| Pashtunistan (region) |
Afghanistan, Pakistan | |
| Persia, name for |
Iran | |
| Socotra (island) |
Yemen (Republic of) | |
| Soviet Union (former name of a large Eurasian empire, roughly coequal with the former Russian Empire) | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan | |
| Transjordan |
Jordan | |
| Trucial Coast |
United Arab Emirates | |
| Turkestan, ("Land of the Turks") a region in Central Asia largely inhabited by Turkic peoples like the Oghuz Turks (Turkmens), Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Khazars, Kyrgyz and Uyghurs are some of the Turkic inhabitants. | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and parts of Western China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) | |
| Tylos, was referred by the Greeks to today |
Bahrain | |
__Eastern Asia |
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| Cathay, (English) Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" the name used for northern China, and an alternative name for: |
China | |
| Choson, Chosen |
the Korean peninsula today split into Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) | |
| Formosa |
Taiwan | |
| Manchuria historical vast geographic region in northeast Asia, ommonly referred to as Northeast China. See also: Chinese Imperial Dynasties |
China, (Russia) | |
__Southeast Asia |
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| Amarapura (Land of Immortality) |
Myanmar (Burma) | |
| Annam, Anam (1883-1954) French protectorate in |
Central Vietnam | |
| Ayutthaya, Kingdom of; (Siam) | covered Thailand, half of Cambodia, most of Laos and large areas of present day Myanmar (Burma) | |
| Bengal, region in the northeast of South Asia | today divided between Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), and the Indian federal state West Bengal. | |
| Balochistan or Baluchistan a region on in the Iranian Plateau in Southwest Asia, named after the local Baloch tribes of Persian origin. | part of the region is now the province Balochistan in Pakistan, other areas of the region were part of today's Iran and Afghanistan. | |
| Baluchistan States Union existed between 1952 and 1955 in southwest |
Pakistan | |
| British North Borneo, former British protectorate
and crown colony, occupies the northern tip of the island of Borneo. |
Malaysia | |
| Burma, changed its name in 1989 to |
Myanmar | |
| Cochin-China, French colony, | the southern part of Vietnam, Capital: Saigon, today Ho Chi Minh City. | |
| Celebes (island) |
Sulawesi, part of Indonesia | |
| Ceylon, in 1972 the name of the country was changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka", in 1978 the name was changed to "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka" |
Sri Lanka | |
| Dutch East Indies (Netherlands East Indies) |
Indonesia | |
| East Pakistan, a former province of Pakistan from 1955 and 1971. |
Bangladesh | |
| Federation of Malaya, (31 Jan. 1948 - 16 Sept. 1963) a federation of 11 states comprising the nine Malay states of Peninsular Malaysia and the British settlements of Penang and Malacca | Malaysia | |
| Gorkhali (The Nepali Empire (1769) covered an area
that was at least a third more than its present confines.) |
Nepal | |
| Hindoostan, Hindustan the name was used to refere to the Indian Subcontinent, including the present-day nations of | India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh | |
| Indo-China (French Indochina) former federation of states comprised of | Cochin China, Tonkin, Annam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Cochin China (in south), Annam (central) and Tonkin (in north) were later united to form today Vietnam |
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| Java (island) today part of |
Indonesia | |
| Kampuchea, state (1975 - 1979), that was the government of present-day |
Cambodia | |
| Khmer Republic (1970-1975) |
Cambodia | |
| Malay States (Federated Malay States) 1895-1946 |
Malaysia | |
| Moluccas (Spice Islands) today part of |
Indonesia | |
| Mustang, Kingdom of; was once an independent kingdom, a hereditary dynasty which survived as the Kingdom of Lo in Upper (northern) Mustang (Nepal), bordering Tibet Autonomous Region (China), to which it is closely tied by language and culture. The Kingdom was abolished by Nepali government on 7th October 2008. |
Nepal | |
| Netherlands East Indies |
Indonesia | |
| New Territories (mainland region) |
Hong Kong | |
| Portuguese Timor (former name for East Timor) |
Timor-Leste | |
| Serendib, former name for |
Sri Lanka | |
| Siam, the Kingdom of Siam |
Thailand | |
| Sikkim, Kingdom of; today a state of |
India | |
| Straits Settlements (British Settlements on the
Malay Peninsula at the Strait of Malacca: Penang, Malacca, and Singapore.) |
Malaysia, Singapore | |
| Tonkin (French protectorate, later North Vietnam
with the Capital Hanoi) |
Vietnam | |
| West Pakistan official (1955–1970) name of the western wing of today |
Pakistan | |
| Historical
Map of Asia (1914) Annotated Map of Asia with international borders as of the year 1914, with a short description of the countries of that time. Historical Map of Asia (1892) Historical Maps of Asia Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection |
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Australia/Oceania |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
| Ellice Islands |
Tuvalu | |
| Friendly Islands |
Tonga | |
| Gilbert Islands |
Kiribati | |
| Harvey Islands |
Cook Islands | |
| Navigator's Islands; 1899-1914, German protectorate
of |
Samoa (Western Samoa) | |
| New Holland (1, see also New
Holland in South America), from about 1600 until the middle of the
nineteenth century the Dutch name for the |
Australian continent | |
| New Guinea (island) divided into parts of |
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea | |
| New Hebrides |
Vanuatu | |
| Northern Solomon Islands today part of |
Papua New Guinea | |
| Papua Territory |
Papua New Guinea | |
| Savage Island |
Niue | |
| Van Diemen’s Land, (Anthoonij van Diemenslandt) was the name used by Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. | Australia | |
| Western Samoa |
Independent State of Samoa | |
Historical Maps of Australia/Oceania UT Library - Perry-Castañeda Library, Collection of historical maps of Australia and the Pacific Region. |
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
| British Honduras |
Belize | |
| British West Indies - the colonies of the British
in the Caribbean: today the term refers to the British Caribbean overseas territories which are: |
Antigua and Barbuda, The
Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica,
Grenada, Jamaica, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad
and Tobago Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands |
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| Danish West Indies |
US Virgin Islands | |
| French West Indies, the French overseas departments | Guadeloupe and Martinique, as well as the French Caribbean Départments d'Outre Mer, include the Guadeloupe dependencies of the French part of the island St. Martin and the islands Saint-Barthélemy, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade. | |
| Haiti, the Arawaks name for the island of Hispaniola |
Dominican Republic and Haiti | |
| New Spain (Nueva España) colonial territories
of the Spanish Empire in North and Central America, including |
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and parts of South-West USA | |
| Somers Islands |
Bermuda | |
| United Provinces of Central America - UPCA (1823 to approximately 1840) | UPCA consisted of the states of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica | |
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North America |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
| Newfoundland (island, with mainland area, and a
province of) |
Canada | |
| New Spain (Nueva España) colonial territories
of the Spanish Empire in North and Central America, including |
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and parts of South-West USA | |
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South America |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
| British Guiana |
Guyana | |
| Dutch Guiana (Netherlands Guiana) |
Suriname | |
| Gran Colombia (1819-1830), former republic consists
of the countries: |
Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela | |
| Inini, an inland territory of |
French Guiana | |
| New Holland (2), Nieuw
Holland, former dutch colony northeast coast of Brazil 1630 - 1654 |
Province of Pernambuco, Brazil | |
Historical Maps of The Americas UT Library - Perry-Castañeda Library, Collection of historical maps of The Americas. |
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Europe |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
| Albion, is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. | United Kingdom | |
| Batavian Republic
(Bataafse Republiek) 1795 to 1806, was the successor of the Dutch Republic and the precursor of the Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) |
Netherlands | |
| Bessarabia - historic region comprising most of
current-day |
Moldova and districts of Ukraine | |
| Bohemia, prior 1918 the term "Bohemia" was traditionally
used for today's |
Czech Republic | |
| Britain, the name Britain is derived from the Latin name Britannia used by the Romans for the Roman province on the island of Great Britain (the portion south of Hadrian's wall). | United Kingdom | |
| Confederatio Helvetica - CH (Latin for: Swiss Confederation) |
Switzerland | |
| Czechoslovakia (Chechoslovakia) Czechoslovak Socialist Republic; on 1 January 1993, it split into the |
Czech Republic and Slovakia | |
| East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR); the formerly Soviet influenced eastern part of then in two parts divided Germany, from 1945 - 1990. |
Germany | |
| Fortunate Islands |
Canary Islands (Spain) | |
| Helvetia - Latin name for |
Switzerland | |
| Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 1918-1929 renamed to Yugoslawia, since 1991 the countries of |
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Rep. of, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia | |
| Moldavia, created in the Middle Ages was a principality of | Romania, its easterly extension now forming the state of Moldova. | |
| Moravia (in German: Mähren) historical region in central Europe in the east of today |
Czech Republic | |
| Prussia, Preussen (former kingdom of the German Empire) |
Germany, Poland | |
| Ruthenia (region; former name for Carpatho-Ukraine) |
Ukraine | |
| Silesia, (in German: Schlesien) historical region of Central Europe located in today |
Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. | |
| Soviet Union - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics = USSR (since December 1991 also known as the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S.) (former name of a large Eurasian empire, roughly coequal with the former Russian Empire) |
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation (Russia), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan | |
| Scotland, the former independent kingdom is today one of four constituent nations which form the |
United Kingdom | |
| Spitzbergen |
Svalbard | |
| Transcarpathia (region; alternate name for Carpatho-Ukraine) |
Ukraine | |
| Transylvania (region) |
Romania | |
| West Germany, was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; 1949-1990) to distinguish it from East Germany, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) |
Germany | |
| Yugoslavia (former name for a confederation of states in the western Balkan peninsula) |
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia | |
External Links Historical Maps of Europe Perry-Castañeda Library, Collection of historical maps of Europe. The Origin of African Country Names African Country Names and what they mean, page from ClickAfrique. Aboriginal Place Names (Canada) Many of the Canadian earliest place names draw on Aboriginal sources. Origin of Baltic country names List of country name etymologies Wikipedias list of country names meanings. |
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| The Historical Country Names page was last modified on: Monday, 26-Oct-2009 00:36:43 CET |
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