Many cities, states, towns, provinces, and countries in Africa have undergone a name change for a myriad of reasons. Often, this may be done for political/nationalistic reasons — to remove all traces of colonial rule, or to reflect the ideology of the government in power. In other instances, place names have been changed for purely commemorative reasons – perhaps to honour great leaders or important events in the country’s history.

Here is a look at six African countries that have undergone a name change at some point in their recent existence.

1_Benin Republic/Dahomey


Dahomey was the name of a powerful pre-colonial West African kingdom in what is now the Benin Republic. At its peak, the Dahomey kingdom spanned present-day Benin, Togo, and some parts of southwestern Nigeria. Dahomey was famous for its female warriors who were skilled in battle and often served as royal body guards.

In 1975, under the leadership of Mathieu Kerekou, Dahomey changed its name to Benin Republic. This happened 15 years after the nation gained independence from the French colonialists in 1960. The change was liked to the Marxist-Leninist ideals in which its new leader believed.

2_Democratic Republic of Congo/Zaire

The Democratic Republic of Congo used to be known as Leopoldville in the 19th century when it was a colony of the old Belgian monarchy. Between 1908 and 1960, it was known as the Belgian Congo. However, when the nation attained independence in 1960, its leaders renamed it Congo after the Congo River that flows through much of the country.

In 1971, President Mobutu Sese Seko again renamed the country, this time calling it the Republic of Zaire in a dodgy move he described as necessary to shed every ounce of Western colonial influence. Mobutu was deposed as president in 1996 and the new government of Laurent Kabila in 2007 returned the country to its old name.

3_Burkina Faso/Upper Volta


President Thomas Sankara, the young and charismatic leader of what was then known as Upper Volta, officially renamed the country as Burkina Faso on 4 August 1984. He chose the names “Burkina” and “Faso” from the two major languages spoken in the country. The old name Upper Volta had been given by the French colonialists in reference to the Volta River that flowed through the area.

4_Zimbabwe/Rhodesia

Present-day Zimbabwe was known as southern Rhodesia between 1898-1964, named after British colonialist and businessman Cecil Rhodes. As early as 1960, however, African nationalists began to refer to their country as Zimbabwe. They went on to incorporate the name into the official titles of their many pro-independence organisations.

5_Tanzania/Tanganyika

Tanganyika was the name of a sovereign state located between the great African lakes and the Indian Ocean that existed from 1961, when it gained independence from the British Commonwealth. Between 1962 and 1964 the nation referred to itself as the Republic of Tanganyika.

6_Ghana/Gold Coast


Ghana changed its name from the Gold Coast in 1957 to reflect its new status as an independent country after it attained self-rule from the British colonialists. Ghana’s foremost nationalist leader Dr. Kwame Nkrumah renamed the country immediately after independence.

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