by Rachel Ogbu

Mexico as we know it might be no more if the Mexican President; Felipe Calderon succeeds in changing its name.

The president recently sent a bill to congress to change the official name of the country.

Currently known as the United States of Mexico just like the United States of America, the president said it wanted it changed to just Mexico now.

Adopted in 1824, the official name was intended to emulate its northern neighbour but President Calderon, who leaves office on December 1, said Mexico no longer needed to copy any foreign power.

The name United States of Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) came to be after independence from Spain. It is used mostly on official documents, money and other government material.

“The name of our country no longer needs to emulate that of other nations,” Calderon who first suggested the name change as a congressman in 2003 told a news conference.

“Forgive me for the expression, but Mexico’s name is Mexico.”

The BBc reprts:
The BBC’s Will Grant in Mexico says if the reaction on Twitter is anything to go by few Mexicans see this as a serious issue.

Suggestions flooded in for a new name for Mexico, many of them mocking Mr Calderon, such as “Fraud-land” in reference to widespread corruption, our correspondent says.

The constitutional reform Mr Calderon proposes needs to be approved by both houses of Congress and a majority of Mexico’s 31 state legislatures.

Coming with just a week to go before Mr Calderon leaves office, the president’s critics see this as a symbolic gesture.

Mr Calderon will hand over to president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party.