Easter Egg in GOTM 45?

Is this just for GOTM or has it alway been there?

It's been there for a long time. They were introduced by Cracker around the GOTM20-25 era to celebrate some of the top GOTM players. I don't know if they are all still around, but Greece had a town name based on Qitai, and Spain had towns commemorating Moonsinger and Bamspeedy (Bamrapido).

[EDIT]

Here's a better list:

Greece: Plebos Nexos, Qitaiodea, Brempalonica

Spain: Ciudad de la Luna, Casa del Bamrapido

Vikings: Qitaimjorg, DaveMcWorgborg

More recently, you might have seen an Indian city named Rehenata or an English Military Great Leader named Alan...

Ah! They'd be in COTMs, then

Thanks very much for the reference, I'll have to try to live up to my billing.

I was wondering where Rehenata and Plebos Nexia came from... I usually keep an atlas handy and pick an appropriate city from it to name.