Google Maps Changes Czech Republic to Czechia

The Czech government convened last year to put forth the “catchier” Czechia as the official English shorthand for the country formerly known to the English-speaking world as the Czech Republic; the initiative passed last April to widespread criticism.

Over in the pro-Czechia camp, a website from the Czechia Initiative called Go Czechia put together 16 myths about usage of the shorthand name.

‘Czechia’ was entered alongside ‘Czech Republic’ in the official UN Database of Geographical Names in July.

News server Aktualne.cz reached out to Google in the Czech Republic for details behind the change on its English-language version of the European map which likely occurred sometime last month (the publication was acting on a reader tip).

As the world’s most used search tool for geographic facts, competing only with Wikipedia or OpenStreetMap, the change could signify a wider acceptance of the name, despite the anti-Czechia pushback.