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Africanization
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<h2 id="africanization-of-names">Africanization of names</h2> <p>Africanization has referred to the modification of placenames and personal names to reflect an "African" identity. In some cases, changes are not only of transliteration but of the European name.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p><p>In many cases during the colonial period, African placenames were <a href="/facts/Anglicisation/0xS2Rc6w">Anglicized</a> or <a href="/facts/Francization/oUYAwCT0">Francized</a>. </p> <h3>Place names</h3> <h4>Country names</h4> <p>Various African countries have undergone name changes during the previous century as the result of consolidations and <a href="/facts/Secession/GLRUtM8m">secessions</a>, territories gaining <a href="/facts/Sovereignty/QnYhTTem">sovereignty</a>, and <a href="/facts/Regime_change/pdzGb0Q2">regime changes</a>. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Previous name</th><th>Year</th><th>Current name</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Republic_of_Dahomey/KN27Hw2D">Dahomey</a>, Republic of</td><td>1975</td><td><a href="/facts/Benin/G98jPhND">Benin</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Bechuanaland/QrGt5622">Bechuanaland</a> Protectorate</td><td>1966</td><td><a href="/facts/Botswana/dGw6g94p">Botswana</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Republic_of_Upper_Volta/pMs8BatR">Upper Volta</a></td><td>1984</td><td><a href="/facts/Burkina_Faso/L3zPAJwx">Burkina Faso</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ubangi-Shari/0txzM2bg">Ubangi-Shari</a></td><td>1958</td><td><a href="/facts/Central_African_Republic/TKMWWr57">Central African Republic</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Zaire/fQ4DIs0j">Zaire</a>, Republic of</td><td>1997</td><td><a href="/facts/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo/E2KmHDdv">Congo</a>, Democratic Republic of the</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Middle_Congo/nMjzmt21">Middle Congo</a></td><td>1960</td><td><a href="/facts/Republic_of_the_Congo/kNLEWqhl">Congo</a>, Republic of the</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/French_Somaliland/nEBHAzLQ">French Somaliland</a> / <a href="/facts/French_Territory_of_the_Afars_and_Issas/hm8yC8rd">Afars and Issas</a></td><td>1977</td><td><a href="/facts/Djibouti/77jY0eII">Djibouti</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Spanish_Guinea/kdRuM6Pp">Spanish Guinea</a></td><td>1968</td><td><a href="/facts/Equatorial_Guinea/ARkq2P4f">Equatorial Guinea</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Swaziland/Mfz58p4W">Swaziland</a>, Kingdom of</td><td>2018</td><td><a href="/facts/Swaziland/Mfz58p4W">Eswatini</a>, Kingdom of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Gold_Coast_(British_colony)/WuxNXI4K">Gold Coast</a></td><td>1957</td><td><a href="/facts/Ghana/IkUw32Ya">Ghana</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/French_Guinea/mknbJk6T">French Guinea</a></td><td>1958</td><td><a href="/facts/Guinea/MaBu4ysQ">Guinea</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Portuguese_Guinea/nFRXlg1W">Portuguese Guinea</a></td><td>1974</td><td><a href="/facts/Guinea-Bissau/YqJjM4Ex">Guinea-Bissau</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Basutoland/xE2G2NNA">Basutoland</a>, Territory of</td><td>1966</td><td><a href="/facts/Lesotho/gYSatY8p">Lesotho</a>, Kingdom of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Nyasaland/5y7IlYHA">Nyasaland</a> Protectorate</td><td>1964</td><td><a href="/facts/Malawi/HTj5q7Wc">Malawi</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/French_Sudan/IlgESQJN">French Sudan</a></td><td>1960</td><td><a href="/facts/Mali/sAaVqV1e">Mali</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/South-West_Africa/xoeFfUSf">South-West Africa</a></td><td>1990</td><td><a href="/facts/Namibia/ahXuaypy">Namibia</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Ruanda-Urundi/zaAj7gCz">Ruanda-Urundi</a></td><td>1962</td><td><a href="/facts/Rwanda/UKR5UdKy">Rwanda</a>, Republic of / <a href="/facts/Burundi/GTNtpIra">Burundi</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/People%2527s_Republic_of_Zanzibar_and_Pemba/pNfSxCoE">Zanzibar</a> / <a href="/facts/Tanganyika_(1961%25E2%2580%25931964)/YcBe7rmn">Tanganyika</a></td><td>1964</td><td><a href="/facts/Tanzania/MJueJ7E4">Tanzania</a>, United Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Northern_Rhodesia/dJzLdIcw">Northern Rhodesia</a></td><td>1964</td><td><a href="/facts/Zambia/lCnlx5a1">Zambia</a>, Republic of</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Southern_Rhodesia/ITApxnuj">Southern Rhodesia</a></td><td>1980</td><td><a href="/facts/Zimbabwe/8Yqt8490">Zimbabwe</a>, Republic of</td></tr></tbody></table> <h4>Other place names</h4> <ul><li>Fernando Po island changed to <a href="/facts/Bioko/KBANaklC">Bioko</a> Island</li> <li>Léopoldville changed to <a href="/facts/Kinshasa/REHVNkdc">Kinshasa</a></li> <li>Salisbury changed to <a href="/facts/Harare/DLq2hWlg">Harare</a></li> <li>Lourenço Marques changed to <a href="/facts/Maputo/EfDH2aPa">Maputo</a></li> <li>Nova Lisboa changed to <a href="/facts/Huambo/syjfeIMw">Huambo</a></li> <li>Fort Lamy changed to <a href="/facts/N%2527Djam%25C3%25A9na/IPQ4SzJm">N'Djaména</a></li> <li>Tananarive changed to <a href="/facts/Antananarivo/BL0GbhWp">Antananarivo</a></li> <li>Bathurst changed to <a href="/facts/Banjul/JbTdSmpe">Banjul</a></li> <li>Santa Isabel/Port Clarence changed to <a href="/facts/Malabo/wvwYy916">Malabo</a></li> <li>Élisabethville changed to <a href="/facts/Lubumbashi/3ahjYfcn">Lubumbashi</a></li> <li>Stanleyville changed to <a href="/facts/Kisangani/JtSXgoVe">Kisangani</a></li> <li>Luluabourg changed to <a href="/facts/Kananga/yM0xcV1o">Kananga</a></li> <li>Ponthierville changed to <a href="/facts/Ubundu/asVxUXgt">Ubundu</a></li> <li>Novo Redondo changed to <a href="/facts/Sumbe/rFGc33s0">Sumbe</a></li> <li>Moçâmedes changed to Namibe, but changed back to <a href="/facts/Mo%25C3%25A7%25C3%25A2medes/w5yanYHt">Moçâmedes</a> in 2016</li> <li>Abercorn changed to <a href="/facts/Mbala%2c_Zambia/vnlBuB7K">Mbala</a></li> <li>Broken Hill changed to <a href="/facts/Kabwe/wcY6IG4Q">Kabwe</a></li> <li>Fort Jameson changed to <a href="/facts/Chipata/E1fsojg9">Chipata</a></li> <li>Hartley changed to <a href="/facts/Chegutu/Cd9xQDPJ">Chegutu</a></li> <li>Fort Victoria changed to <a href="/facts/Masvingo/otlg5nPx">Masvingo</a></li> <li>Many places whose names were of European origin in South Africa have undergone Africanization since 1994; see <a href="/facts/South_African_Geographical_Names_Council/2UsHAax8">South African Geographical Names Council</a>.</li> <li>Port Elizabeth changed to <a href="/facts/Gqeberha/R4h1I1Fc">Gqeberha</a> in 2021.</li></ul> <h3>Personal names</h3> <ul><li>Joseph-Désiré Mobutu changed to <a href="/facts/Mobutu_Sese_Seko/Qq9pprJa">Mobutu Sese Seko</a></li> <li>François Tombalbaye changed to <a href="/facts/N%2527Garta_Tombalbaye/nQawvxrm">N'Garta Tombalbaye</a></li> <li>Étienne Eyadéma changed to <a href="/facts/Gnassingb%25C3%25A9_Eyad%25C3%25A9ma/LtSpIBWW">Gnassingbé Eyadéma</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Francisco_Mac%25C3%25ADas_Nguema/3cmGSS15">Francisco Macías Nguema</a> changed to Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong</li></ul> <p>Sometimes, the name change can be used to reflect a change of faith, most prominently seen in the case of <a href="/facts/Islam/zDLbL45C">Islam</a>. (See <a href="/facts/Islamic_name/c4QE8Xyt">Islamic name</a>.) Examples: </p> <ul><li>Albert-Bernard Bongo changed to <a href="/facts/Omar_Bongo/vhbh4vJX">Omar Bongo</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Dawda_Jawara/hLXsKUmS">Dawda Jawara</a> changed to David Jawara in 1953</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jean-B%25C3%25A9del_Bokassa/Tu3gCoTC">Jean-Bédel Bokassa</a> changed to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa</li></ul> <h2 id="africanization-of-civil-services">Africanization of civil services</h2> <p>In some countries after following their independence, "Africanization" was the name given to <a href="/facts/Racial/cDPnrdXn">racial</a> policies and <a href="/facts/Affirmative_action/Jk96592r">affirmative action</a>, which were intended to increase the number of indigenous Africans in the <a href="/facts/Civil_service/2fqVlLtB">civil service</a>. </p> <h2 id="localization-in-african-languages">Localization in African languages</h2> <p>The term Africanization, abbreviated as the <a href="/facts/Numeronym/hVAE3ps2">numeronym</a> "A12n," has been applied to discussion of <a href="/facts/Internationalization_and_localization/IGkl9VBM">internationalization and localization</a> of software and content in <a href="/facts/African_languages/Nqfy66aE">African languages</a>. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_renamed_places_in_South_Africa/zvfu34jz">List of renamed places in South Africa</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_city_name_changes/xGAjcPsx">List of city name changes</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_renamed_places_in_Namibia/nFuqBm5a">List of renamed places in Namibia</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_renamed_places_in_Zimbabwe/26GRWb0M">List of renamed places in Zimbabwe</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_renamed_places_in_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo/tuvCEzIf">List of renamed places in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</a></li></ul> <ul> <li>Africa portal</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>African Successes Four Public Managers of Kenyan Rural Development David K. Leonard UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Edgar A. Gregersen (1977). Language in Africa: An Introductory Survey. CRC Press. ISBN 0-677-04380-5. <a href="0-677-04380-5" target="_blank">0-677-04380-5</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>