The Czech Republic wants to rebrand itself as 'Czechia'
Czechoslovakia may have split into two countries with easier-to-pronounce names (the Czech Republic and Slovakia) in 1993, but Czechs still think calling their country "the Czech Republic" is a mouthful.
And they're actually trying to do something about it — maybe out of the goodness of their hearts, but also maybe because it will be helpful for marketing purposes. From The Guardian:
Provided that the name gets cabinet approval (the president, prime minister, and other government officials have already given it a thumbs up), "Czechia" will be on its way to being recognized by the United Nations as the country's official short name. While the country's official name would still be the Czech Republic, the BBC notes that short names — like France is to the French Republic and Greece is to the Hellenic Republic — are pretty much how most countries are referred to in common parlance.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But while "Czechia" will more easily fit on things like beer labels (one of the country's most delicious exports), not everyone is thrilled with the proposed change. Some people think the name is ugly, while others are concerned that it sounds too similar to Chechnya. Others, still, prefer "Czechlands" or even simply "Czech" as a noun.
And of course, English speakers are already wondering how, exactly, Czechia is pronounced. Go Czechia, however, has no sympathy for the pronunciation argument: "English pronunciation is variable and English speakers simply have to learn the pronunciation of particular words," Go Czechia's website reads. In other words, you got used to Czechoslovakia, so you'll get used to this.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Playful goslings, an exploding snowman, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
What is rock flour and how can it help to fight climate change?
The Explainer Glacier dust to the rescue
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published