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Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by wmf on Sunday April 16, 2017 @01:27AM (#14124487)
Has a nation ever undergone a significant attempt at rebranding?

Siam? Turkey?

Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by niftich on Sunday April 16, 2017 @01:49AM (#14124559)
Lots. In fact, probably more of them than not, considering national consciousness tied statehood that does not always fall along prior ethnic or cultural lines is something all sovereign states try to cultivate to stay together, and define the ingroup and outgroup. It's also used to set ideological lines, and to purge perceived connections to an earlier, now-undesirable administration.

Just considering common names, here's a few:

Burma -> Myanmar

Belgian Congo -> Congo -> ??? -> Zaire -> DRC

Persia -> Iran

South Rhodesia -> Rhodesia -> Zimbabwe

Upper Volta -> Burkina Faso

Yugoslavia -> Serbia and Montenegro

Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by Freak_NL on Sunday April 16, 2017 @05:12AM (#14125039)
> Yugoslavia

That would be the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia specifically. The much larger Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had already fallen apart by that time (1992).

Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by hackuser on Sunday April 16, 2017 @12:23PM (#14126294)
> Yugoslavia -> Serbia and Montenegro

Yugoslavia broke up in a civil war. I wouldn't count it as a 'rebranding' any more than British Empire -> United States.

Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by vorg on Sunday April 16, 2017 @05:01AM (#14125013)
British Empire's American colonies -> The United States of America
Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by andrioni on Sunday April 16, 2017 @05:50PM (#14127731)
>Yugoslavia -> Serbia and Montenegro

And before (soon after WWI) it used to be officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Re:Kazakhstan spells out plans for alphabet swap by rocky1138 on Sunday April 16, 2017 @01:11PM (#14126465)
It's possible that in the near future we'll see Republic of China become Taiwan, officially.