The Top 10: Countries Now in a Different Place

Nation states that aren’t where they used to be

Cart pushers and vendors work in a crowded market in Cotonou, Benin (AFP via Getty Images)

Thanks to James Dawson for this one. In no particular order ...

1. Benin is named after the Bight of Benin which is named after the kingdom of Benin which was in present-day Nigeria. Nominated by James Dawson, Simon Cook, Paul T Horgan and Tom Grundman.

2. Mauritania. Takes its name from the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania, in present-day Morocco and Algeria. One of James Dawson’s opening nominations, along with Kongo which was mostly in modern Angola.

3. Ghana. Named after the empire of ancient Ghana, also known as Wagadou, which was inland and hundreds of miles to the north of modern Ghana. Thanks to James Dawson and Michael Alexander Kearsley.

4. Holy Roman Empire. Didn’t even notionally include Rome after the 12th century. Thanks to Tom Freeman. The eastern bit also called itself the Roman Empire long after the fall of Rome. And Thomas Bell nominated Romania, another legacy of the original.

5. England. There is still an Anglia or Angeln in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, by the border with Denmark, whence the Angles are thought to have come. Thanks to Michael Alexander Kearsley.

6. New England. I could have taken the American one, but I prefer Mark Wallace’s all-time favourite: a colony of English exiles who fled the Norman conquest and made their way via Constantinople to 11th-century Crimea. An amazing and possibly partly true story.

7. Scotland. Scotia was originally a Roman name for Ireland, and it transferred when the Scoti invaded Caledonia in the 5th and 6th centuries. Thanks to Robert Gould and David Gentle. Alba, the Gaelic name for modern Scotland, comes from the same root, meaning white, as Albion, which refers to Great Britain.

8. France. Modern France includes only a sliver of the historic Kingdom of the Franks (which was on the Rhine and its capital Tournai is now in Belgium), said Gareth Simkins.

9. Macedonia. I was going to rule this out of order because I thought current North Macedonia was part of the original Macedon kingdom of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. But no one is sure of its borders, and Philippopolis, its capital, is now Plovdiv in Bulgaria, so I’ll take it. Nominated by Steven Fogel, James Dawson and Elliot Kane.

10. Bulgaria. “Old Great Bulgaria” was in southern Ukraine and Crimea until the Khazars drove out the Bulgars, who were led by Khan Asparuh into the Balkans in the 7th century. Thanks to Philip Redhair and Neil Ghani.

Several nominations for Poland, which has moved about a bit, but is still roughly where it used to be. And Cole Davis wins the “there’s always one” award for pointing out that Bejam is now Iceland.

Next week: Historical figures undeservedly rescued by fiction, such as Thomas More, hardly the principled paragon depicted in A Man for All Seasons.

Coming soon: Silliest policies ever proposed, after the idea of a bank holiday if England won the Euros.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk