[MarkSheppard]

You CAN change the nation's names if you're willing to hex edit the game executable.
The Nation Names are right there in plain ASCII text in the executable.

I've found that you can change the names with no ill effects
as long as you:

Keep the string size similar; no changing BLUE into GRENADA,
because that will crash the game; but BLUE can be changed to
IRAQ for example for effect. (I Know Iraq's already in the
game, but I was just using it as an example of a 4-letter
nation name.