Why countries change names
Turkey (or Türkiye) is just the latest
NO MORE Turkey? The country has had it with bad jokes likening it to an ugly, gobbling bird. The UN has accepted its request to be officially known as Türkiye in English, as it is in Turkish. The country may be unusual in the reason for changing its name, but it is hardly the only one to have done so. Why do countries change names?
This article appeared in the The Economist explains section of the print edition under the headline “Why countries change names”
From the June 18th 2022 edition
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