Breaking News English Lesson on Czechia

The Czech Republic is about to get a new short name so it has an easier time at home and around the world. It wants to be known by the noun 'Czechia' instead of the adjective 'Czech'. The government says this shorter name will avoid confusion over what to call the country. Czechs are tired of being incorrectly called by names such as Czecho or Czechland. The foreign office said: "Our hope is that this step will overcome the problems we face with distorting the name." It hopes 'Czechia' will soon become general knowledge. The government will seek a formal change at the United Nations.

The Czech Republic said it is following the example of other countries around the world. A spokesman said the Commonwealth of Australia and the Republic of France are usually called Australia and France. The length of the three-word name, 'the Czech Republic,' is already shortened. A leading beer maker has a label that says its product is brewed in 'Czech'. Some national sports teams just put two words on their shirts - 'Czech Republic'. The Czech foreign minister said the name 'Czechia' is not widely popular. He said there seems to be no other alternative.