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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 | |
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| Abyssinia | Ethiopia | |
| 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; (until 1975) Dan Ho Me was an ancient Kingdom located in the south of | Benin | |
| French Somaliland | Djibouti | |
| French Sudan | Mali | |
| 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 | |
| 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) | Namibia | |
| 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 | |
| Tanganyika Territory, united with the island Zansibar it became | Tanzania | |
| Togoland (British Togoland), since 1957 part of | 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 | 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 | |
| Spanish Guinea | Equatorial Guinea | |
| 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) Historical Maps of Africa Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection |
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Asia |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
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__Central Asia and Middle East |
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| Abkhazia (Region) | Georgia | |
| Bactria (region) | Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan | |
| Dilmun | Bahrain | |
| Galilee, Galilea (region) | Israel | |
| Judaea, Judäa (region) | Israel, West Bank | |
| Kashmir (region) | India, Pakistan | |
| Kirgizia | Kyrgyzstan | |
| 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, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan | |
| Transjordan | Jordan | |
| Trucial Coast | United Arab Emirates | |
| Turkestan | Kyrgyzstan | |
__Eastern Asia |
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| Choson | Korea | |
| Formosa | Taiwan | |
| Manchuria (region) | China | |
__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 Iran and Afghanistan. | |
| Baluchistan States Union existed between 3rd October 1952 and 14th October 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 | Sri Lanka | |
| Dutch East Indies (Netherlands East Indies) | Indonesia | |
| East Pakistan, a former province of Pakistan from 1955 and 1971. | Bangladesh | |
| Gorkhali (The Nepali Empire (1769) covered an area that was at least a third more than its present confines.) | Nepal | |
| Indo-China (French Indochina) Former federation of states, comprised by | Cochin China, Tonkin, Annam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Cochin China (South), Annam and Tonkin (North) were later united to form Vietnam |
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| Java (island) today part of | Indonesia | |
| Kampuchea | Cambodia | |
| Khmer Republic (1970-1975) | Cambodia | |
| Malay States (Federated Malay States) 1895-1946 | Malaysia | |
| Moluccas (Spice Islands) today part of | Indonesia | |
| Mustang, Kingdom of hereditary dynasty within | 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 (1892) Historical Maps of Asia Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection |
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Australia/Oceania |
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| Former Country Name | Today | |
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| 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 | |
| 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 | |
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| 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 | |
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| 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 | |
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| 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 | |
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| Batavian Republic (Bataafse Republiek) 1795 to 1806 | 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 | |
| Confederatio Helvetica - CH (Latin for: Swiss Confederation) | Switzerland | |
| Czechoslovakia (Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic) on January 1, 1993, it split into the | Czech Republic and Slovakia | |
| East Germany, German Democratic Republic; the formerly Soviet influenced part of the 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, Montenegro, Serbia Slovenia | |
| Moldavia, created in the Middle Ages was a principality of | Romania, its easterly extension now forming the state of Moldova | |
| Prussia, Preussen (former kingdom of the German Empire) | Germany, Poland | |
| Ruthenia (region; former name for Carpatho-Ukraine) | Ukraine | |
| 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 | |
| Yugoslavia (former name for a confederation of states in the western Balkan peninsula) | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, 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: Tuesday, 25-Dec-2007 07:27:12 CET |
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