Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1992 in an amicable divorce, resulting in the two independent countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The Czech Republic soldiered on with its name until six months ago when the country’s leaders adopted the sleeker name of Czechia.
In April, President Milos Zeman and other leading officials introduced the new title. Their plan was that Czechia would replace Czech Republic in everyday use and be more recognisable and attractive to foreign investors and world partners.
Despite efforts to promote the new name, it has not tickled the fancy of either the country’s citizens or indeed its politicians.
Opinion may be divided in this nation of 10 million people, but many have clung to the Czech Republic, deriding Czechia as sounding uninviting or like a dialect or more like an eastern country than a western one. Others believe it is too easily confused the Russian republic of Chechnya.
Czechia has historic legitimacy as it comes from the Slavonic tribe that settled Bohemia in the 6th century and later became the alternative Latin name for the province. Despite this, many believe it won’t take hold.
It has not even found universal use among the body of politicians who introduced it. Authorities continue to use ‘Czech Republic’ on official correspondence, in media interviews and even on the president’s website.
Czechia was entered into the UN’s database. Following this, a few countries, including the UK and the US, have adopted Czechia as a short name while keeping Czech Republic as well.
