It’s Official: Welcome to Czechia

Government officials approve shorthand name, notify UN; country could be promoted as “Czechia” at 2016 Olympics

Dave Park

Written by Dave Park Published on 15.04.2016 15:14:12 (updated on 15.04.2016) Reading time: 1 minute

A few days ago, we wrote about the Czech government convening to agree on an official shorthand English name for the country.

Yesterday, it became official: “Czechia” has been approved for submission to the United Nations for inclusion in their database of geographical names.

This morning, news of the name has hit international press.

“Czech Republic, in Market for New Name, Looks to Buy Vowels to Become Czechia,” writes the New York Times.

“Czech Republic officials say country would like to be called ‘Czechia’ instead,” headlines an article on The Guardian

“Czech Republic: Call us Czechia,” claims CNN

The Daily Mail: “Check this out: Czech Republic to be renamed Czechia to make it sound catchier.”

While foreign minister Lubomír Zaorálek had hoped to see the name used at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, he was “dismayed to learn that uniforms emblazoned with “Czech Republic” had already been designed,” writes the Times.

Not everyone is a fan of the name Czechia. Politician Karel Schwarzenberg reportedly preferred the use of “Bohemia” in this context, while provocateur artist David Černý has said that Czechia “is neither sexy nor rock & roll.”

Meanwhile, a new website from the Czechia Initiative called Go Czechia has put together 16 myths about usage of the shorthand name.

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