As the Māori Party here campaigns to officially change the country's name from New Zealand to Aotearoa - Worldwatch thought it appropriate to put together a very brief history lesson - and take a look back at other nations to have done so.
The most recent name change was in 2019 from the Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia.
In 2018, Swaziland changed to Eswatini - officially, the Kingdom of Eswatini.
In 2017, the Czech Republic changed to "Czechia" - simply to make it easier for companies and sports teams to use the name on products and clothing.
In 1980, upon gaining independence, Southern Rhodesia famously changed its name to Zimbabwe - Rhodesia came from the country's former British colonial administrator, Cecil Rhodes.
The name Zimbabwe was locally historic, and might translate as "venerated houses" - typically referencing the homes or graves of chiefs.
And you can go back further - from New Hebrides to Vanuatu thanks to independence, from Ceylon to Sri Lanka in 1972 to again move away from colonialism, or the flipping back and forth from Republic of the Congo after gaining independence from Belgium - to Zaire - back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo - mostly due to the preference of whoever led the country at the time - the Congo River flows through the country.
