Chronological Countries Trivia Quiz

In 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi, founder of the Pahlavi dynasty and Shah of Iran, requested that foreign governments use the country's native name, 'Iran', in formal correspondence instead of 'Persia', to modernise the nation's image and reconnect it with its ancient roots.

The name Persia is derived from Parsa, the name of the people from the southwestern region of modern Iran. It originated with the Greeks, who used it to describe the empire of Cyrus the Great. Over time, Western nations continued to use 'Persia' to describe the country, even though locals had long referred to it as Iran.

'Iran' comes from the ancient Avestan term airyānąm, meaning 'land of the Aryans' (referring to ancient Indo-Iranian peoples). The name had been used domestically for centuries in Iranian languages and Zoroastrian texts dating back to around 1000 BC, appearing in writing and literature as early as the 4th century BC.

On 24 June 1939, Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram officially renamed the country from Siam to Thailand, to highlight the shared identity of the Tai-speaking peoples across the region and to emphasise Thailand's identity as the 'land of the free' (Thai meaning 'free' in Thai), as Thailand was the only Southeast Asian nation never colonised by Europeans.

Siam had been the internationally recognised name for centuries. It's thought to have derived from the Sanskrit word Śyāma (meaning 'dark' or 'brown') and was adopted by Portuguese traders in the 16th century, though locals also used Thai or Mueang Thai domestically.

The name change to Thailand aligned with Phibun's nationalist reforms to modernise and centralise the state, symbolising a modern nation-state distinct from colonial influences. The name briefly reverted to Siam in 1945 following Phibun's fall from power after World War II, but upon his return in 1949, it was permanently restored to Thailand, reaffirming the nationalist vision.

After gaining independence from British colonial rule on March 6, 1957, Ghana changed its name from the Gold Coast. This was led by Kwame Nkrumah and his nationalist movement, the Convention People's Party (CPP). He became the first Prime Minister (and later President).

The name 'Gold Coast' was a European exonym tied to resource exploitation, as the region had vast deposits of gold, timber, and later cocoa, which attracted European traders. When Portuguese explorers reached the area in 1471, they found abundant gold between the Ankobra and Volta rivers. They named the region Costa do Ouro ('Coast of Gold').

From the 15th century onward, the Portuguese, Dutch, Danes, and British all established forts and trading posts. Control of the area shifted among these powers until Britain consolidated it in the 19th century.

The name 'Ghana' comes from the ancient Ghana Empire, which flourished in West Africa from approximately the 6th to 13th centuries. Though the ancient empire was located in present-day Mali and Mauritania (not modern Ghana's territory), the name was chosen to evoke African heritage and the legacy of pre-colonial African civilisation.

In 1958, French Sudan voted to join the French Community as the autonomous Sudanese Republic. In 1959, it briefly joined Senegal to form the Mali Federation, but the union collapsed in 1960 when Senegal withdrew. On 22 September 1960, the Sudanese Republic declared full independence and renamed itself the Republic of Mali, with Modibo Keïta as its first president.

The Mali Empire was one of the richest and most powerful empires in African history, flourishing from the 13th to 16th centuries. It succeeded the earlier Ghana Empire and was founded by Sundiata Keita around 1235, with the Mandinka people playing a central role. The empire grew wealthy through control of trans-Saharan trade routes, particularly gold and salt.

The region was colonised by France in the late 19th century. French Sudan (Soudan français) was then established as part of French West Africa, with Bamako as its capital. The French exploited the region for raw materials like cotton and peanuts, building railways and imposing taxes, but invested little in local development.

The name change from French Sudan to Mali was a declaration of independence, a reclaiming of African heritage, and a symbol of pride in one of history's most influential empires.

On 22 May 1972, Ceylon adopted a new constitution, declared itself a Republic, and officially changed its name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka, as it wanted to shed its colonial name in favour of one rooted in local heritage and Ceylon was seen as a reminder of foreign domination. Sri Lanka means 'Resplendent Island' in Sanskrit (Sri = resplendent, Lanka = island). The change was part of a larger effort to assert national identity and move away from colonial legacies.

In the 6th century BC, Sri Lanka was known as Silam and became Saylan from the 9th century. The name Ceylon was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century, derived from earlier forms like Ceilão (Portuguese), Zeilan (Dutch), and Ceylon (English). All of these came from the ancient Sanskrit word Sinhala or Sri Lanka, but filtered through European tongues. Under British rule (1796-1948), the island was officially called Ceylon, and it kept that name even after independence in 1948.

In 1978, the name was reaffirmed in the constitution as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, which remains the official title today.' Ceylon still lingers in some institutions and brands (e.g., Bank of Ceylon, Ceylon Tea), as those names carry global recognition.

In 1980, Rhodesia changed its name to Zimbabwe when the country gained independence from Britain and ended white minority rule. It was done to mark independence, majority rule, and a return to African identity. The name change honoured the ancient Great Zimbabwe civilisation, symbolising African heritage, freedom, and a break from colonial identity.

Rhodesia was named after Cecil Rhodes, the British imperialist whose company colonised the territory in the late 19th century. It was officially called Southern Rhodesia under British rule, and after a unilateral declaration of independence in 1965, Ian Smith's white minority government ruled without international recognition. While most African nations gained independence in the 1960s, Rhodesia resisted majority rule.

In 1979, after years of guerrilla war and negotiations, the Lancaster House Agreement was signed in London, setting the stage for majority rule. Britain briefly resumed control to oversee the transition. On 18 April 1980, the country officially became independent as the Republic of Zimbabwe. 'Zimbabwe' comes from Great Zimbabwe, the ruins of a powerful medieval African kingdom (11th-15th century).

In 1964, self-government was granted to British Honduras under a new constitution, giving local leaders greater autonomy while Britain retained control over defence and foreign affairs. It officially renamed itself Belize on June 1, 1973, to shed its colonial name and assert a national identity rooted in local heritage. Full independence was achieved on 21 September 1981.

The territory was first settled by the Maya civilisation, long before Europeans arrived. In the 17th century, British buccaneers and loggers began settling the area, clashing with Spain, which also claimed the land. By 1862, Britain formally declared the area a Crown Colony under the name British Honduras, reflecting its colonial status and geographic link to neighbouring Honduras.

The origin of the name Belize is debated, but popular theories are that it was derived from the Maya word 'Belix', meaning 'muddy waters', referring to the Belize River, or that it came from Peter Wallace, a Scottish buccaneer who settled in the area in the 17th century, with 'Wallace' evolving into 'Belize'. The name Belize was chosen to reflect indigenous and local roots, rather than a colonial label.

Upper Volta gained independence from France on 5 August 1960, keeping the colonial name at first. On 4 August 1984, President Thomas Sankara announced the official renaming of the country to Burkina Faso. He wanted the name to reflect national pride, unity, and a break from colonial identity. His government promoted self-reliance, anti-imperialism, and cultural pride.

Upper Volta was colonised by France in the late 19th century and named Upper Volta in 1919, after the Volta River (which has three branches: Black, White, and Red Volta). The name was purely geographical, chosen by the French to describe the river system, with no cultural or historical connection to the people.

Burkina Faso combines words from two major local languages: 'Burkina' (from Moore) meaning 'upright' or 'honest' and 'Faso' (from Dioula) meaning 'fatherland' or 'homeland'. Together, the name means 'Land of Upright People' or 'Land of Honest Men'.

Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989 by the country's military government to distance the nation from its colonial past and adopt a name rooted in local language and heritage. The ruling military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), announced that the country's official English name would change from Burma to Myanmar. In Burmese, both forms had long existed: 'Bama' was the colloquial, spoken form, while 'Myanmar' (Myanma) was the formal, literary version. The change made the formal term official internationally.

Burma was the country's English name used during British colonial rule (1824-1948). It came from 'Bamar', the largest ethnic group in the country, but was anglicised through Portuguese and English usage. After independence in 1948, the country was officially called the Union of Burma in English, though in Burmese the formal name had always been closer to Myanmar.

However, the name change was controversial internationally. Many democratic governments and the pro-democracy movement, including Aung San Suu Kyi, initially refused to recognise 'Myanmar' because the military junta that imposed it lacked democratic legitimacy. The United States and United Kingdom continued using 'Burma' for many years, though international usage gradually shifted toward 'Myanmar' in the 21st century.

On 19 April 2018, during celebrations of the 50th anniversary of independence from Britain and his own 50th birthday, King Mswati III declared that Swaziland would henceforth be known as the Kingdom of Eswatini to restore its pre-colonial name and assert national identity.

The new name means 'land of the Swazis' in the local language. The King explained that many African countries had reverted to their traditional names after independence, and Eswatini was following that path, emphasising that the colonial name 'Swaziland' was imposed by outsiders.

The name Swaziland was a colonial-era anglicisation of the Swazi people's name. Locally, the country had long been referred to as eSwatini, but the colonial name persisted internationally. King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch, wanted to align the official name with indigenous usage and heritage.