I think people are catching on that it is just not polite to be misspelling the names of other countries.
On my recent Rand McNally atlas, a special effort has been made to print up the maps with the names of the countries as they are actually called. They have anglicized (or spelled phonetically) some names, as some countries do not have the same alphabet.
I can see how it can be disturbing. I am always in awe when I see Canada spelled with a K. Yet I am guilty of having called Australia Australie, when speaking in French because this was the name I was taught.
I always, and I mean always, make sure I spell a customer's name correctly. If I am not sure, I will even call someone in his/her office to confirm. I think it is elementary politeness. Hmmm, I wonder how it would go over if I spelled the names of countries correctly. In the immortal words of Drew Barrimore in Ever After "I shall try."
