What's in a Name? Identity Politics in "Czechia": The Challenge of Identity Politics: How can a Nation Define Itself if Its State Lacks a Concrete Geographical Name Or Geopolitical Identity? (Twenty Years of Democratic Transformation) (Viewpoint Essay‪)‬

The Czech Republic's name contributes to creating distorted and confused perceptions of Czech people and their culture from abroad. Media Distortion of Identity Before we begin, the following discussion necessitates that we first differentiate between "countries" and "states." While it is possible to distance oneself from the international reputation of a government/state, an individual's relationship to his or her country is intrinsic--the term country refers to a nation's specific identity as a unique cultural group. A country's reputation is therefore derived from how its people represent themselves abroad and how the nation is represented in foreign media.