© iStock

Australia -

This country was once known as New Holland and New South Wales.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

© Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Myanmar - The Southeast Asian country was once called Burma and this name is still used in some countries.

© iStock

Philippines - This country was once part of the Spanish East Indies. The country earned its independence in 1898, and was named the Philippines.

© iStock

Ethiopia - Before 1974, the land of Ethiopia was combined with Eritrea to form Abyssinia.

© Getty Images

Bangladesh - This South Asian country used to be called Eastern Bengal and Assam, then East Bengal, East Pakistan, and now Bangladesh.

© iStock

Sri Lanka - From the beginning of British colonial rule, this country was known as Ceylon.

© iStock

Lesotho - The enclaved country was once a British Crown colony by the name of Basutoland.

© iStock

Belarus - From 1920 to 1991, this country was known as Byelorussia ("White Russia").

© iStock

Moldova - Historically, the country known as Moldova was named Bessarabia.

© iStock

Iraq - In 1932, this country was granted full independence, and was formally named Iraq. Before that, it was named the British Mandate of Mesopotamia.

© iStock

Belgium - Belgium has had plenty of name changes. It has been previously known as Duchy of Brabant, Burgundian Netherlands, and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

© iStock

Benin - The West African country was previously named Dahomey.

© iStock

Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe is another country that has had several name changes. Previous names include Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia, and Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.

© iStock

Bolivia - Until 1825, this country was named Upper Peru.

© iStock

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Until 1853, this nation was known as Bosnia.

© iStock

Zambia - Up until 1964, this landlocked country was called Northern Rhodesia.

© iStock

Vanuatu - Before it became Vanuatu, this country was known as New Hebrides.

© iStock

Tuvalu - This Polynesian island country was previously known as the Ellice Islands.

© iStock

Suriname - The South American country was once known as Dutch Guiana.

© iStock

Togo - Togo was once part of French Togoland, a colonial League of Nations that lasted from 1916 to 1960.

© iStock

Thailand - This country was known as Siam before it formally became Thailand in 1949.

© iStock

Singapore - Temasek was an early name of Singapore, which got its latter name in 1819.

© iStock

Papua New Guinea - Papua New Guinea has endured a couple of name changes. It has been formerly known as the Territory of Papua and Territory of New Guinea and the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.

© iStock

Netherlands - This nation was previously known as the County of Holland, the Dutch Republic, and the Batavian Republic.

© iStock

Belize - Belize was once named British Honduras.

© iStock

Namibia - Namibia went by German Southwest Africa and Southwest Africa before its last name change in 1990.

© iStock

Mexico - Mexico was once part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain until its iconic name change in 1821, following a war of independence.

© iStock

Mali - Before it was named Mali in 1960, this country was called French Sudan after its European colonizers.

© iStock

Jordan - This area was named the Emirate of Transjordan before it formally became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1949.

© iStock

Iran - Iran was formerly called Persia.

© Getty Images