Research - The Literal Translation of Country Names

Continent Country Language of origin Words in original language
Africa Algeria Arabic Al Jazā᾽ir

Africa Angola Portuguese Ngola
Africa Benin Yoruba Ile–ibinu
Africa Botswana Tswana Bechuanaland
Africa Burkina Faso More/ Dioula Burkina/faso
Africa Burundi Kirundi Burundi
Africa Cameroon Portuguese Camarões
Africa Cape Verde Portuguese Cabo Verde
Africa Central African French République centrafricaine
Africa Republic
Chad Kanuri Tsade
Africa Comoros Arabic ‫جزر القمر‬
Africa Congo Bantu Kongo
Africa Côte d'Ivoire French Côte d'Ivoire
Africa Democratc Republic of Bantu Kongo
Africa the Congo
Djibout Afar Gabouri
Africa Egypt Greek Αἴγυπτος
Africa Equatorial Guinea Portuguese Aguinaw
Africa Eritrea Greek Ἐρυθρά Θάλασσα
Africa Ethiopia Greek Æthiopia
Africa Gabon Portuguese Gabão
Africa Ghana Ghanaian Ghana
Africa Guinea Portuguese Aguinaw
Africa Guinea-Bissau Portuguese (black people) aguinaw +
Bissau
Africa Kenya Kikuyu Nyaga
Africa Lesotho Sesotho Basotho

Africa Liberia Latn Liber
Africa Libya Greek Libyē
Africa Madagascar Arabic Madageiscar
Africa Malawi Bantu Maravi
Africa Mali Malinké and Bamana Mali
Africa Mauritania Latn (Tribe) Mauri + (Land) -itania
Africa Mauritus Dutch Maurice van Nassau

Africa Morocco Arabic Maghrib-al-Aqsa
Africa Mozambique Arabic Musa al Biq
Africa Namibia Nama Namib
Africa Niger Tamasheq Ger-n-ger
Africa Nigeria Tamasheq Ger-n-ger
Africa Rwanda Kinyarwanda Vanyarwanda
Africa Sao Tome and Principe Portuguese/Berber São Tomé and Príncipe
Africa Senegal Wolof Il sunu gaol

Africa Seychelles French Séchelles
Repiblik Sesel (Creole);
République des Seychelles
(French)
Africa Sierra Leone Spanish Sierra Leona
Africa Somalia Somali Somalis
Africa South Africa Afrikaans Suid-Afrika
Africa Sudan Arabic Bilad-al-sudan
Africa Swaziland Swat (Swazi) Umbuso weSwatni
Africa Tanzania Tonga(Tanganyika) and Tanganika and Zanzibar

Arabic(Zanzibar)
Africa The Gambia Portuguese Ba-Dimma
Africa Togo Ewe Togo
Africa Tunisia Berber Tunisia
Africa Uganda Swahili Buganda
Africa Zambia Tonga Great River
Africa Zimbabwe Shona Dzimba-dze-mabwe

English translation of Explanation behind etymology Source 1
name/etymology
The Islands Algeria is the Anglicizaton of the Arabic https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
The Land of Ngola name Al Jazā᾽ir, ‘the islands’. + Latnate
The Portuguese called the Angola area after https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
"country"
the suffix -ia. ttle of the ruler of the
Land of Argument The first
name word mayofbethe derived from the Bini, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Mbundu
Benin’s peopleinhabitants.
original in Ndongo, Ngola a kiluanje.
Alternatvely,
Those Who Went Away Named after the indigenous people, the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Benin
Tswana mayor come fromTheir
baTswana. the Yoruba
name Ile–ibinu,
apparently
Land of Honest Men Burkina
‘Land Faso
of‘those translates
Argument’, to ‘Landreference
a possible of Honestto a https://www.cia.gov/libra
means
Men’, from who went
Mandekan away’ or
Burkina, ‘the or
‘honest’
Home of Rundi Speakers tme when the tribes were
The name comes either from Kirundi, a Bantu
separators’. at war. ry/publications/the-
https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘upright’,
language and
spoken faso, in ‘fatherland’.
Burundi, with Bu, a prefix world-
River of Prawns Cameroon is the Anglicized form of the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
factbook/geos/uv.html
indicatng
Portuguese the country,
Camarões. or
The from
area the
was namenamed of
Green Cape The Rundi
the name people.of the country stems from the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Rio
nearby dos Cap-Vert,
Camarões,on‘River the of Prawns’, coast.
Senegalese by In
Republic in the Centre of Africa The country’s
Portuguese name is a reference to the fact https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
explorers.
1444
that Portuguese
it lies at the explorers
centre had named that
Land of the Large Lake The nameas
landmark is taken
Cabo from of
Verde, the
a
Africa.
Lakeyears
few
Its previous
Chad, which https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
before
name,
in turn Oubangui-Chari,
takes its name comes
from the from
Bornu thetsade,
Moons they
Name ou,
Bantu discovered
derives‘land’, the
fromand islands
the Arabic
bangi, (Verde is
designaton
‘rapid’, and from https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
‘lake’,
Portuguese
"Juzur itself
al Qamar"from
forthe the
"green").
meaningArabic tŝād, ‘large
"Islands of thelake’.
Kingdom of Mountains aThereference to river Chari.
Congo got its name from the river Kongo, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Moon"
which is named after the Kongo
Ivory Coast The Cote d’Ivoire, or Ivory Coast people
in English, whois https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
founded
so called the
becauseKongo kingdom.
the French Kong or kongo
Democratic Republic of the Mountains The
is Congo
a Bantu got its
word forname from and
‘mountains’.
Portuguese
the river Kongo, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
confined
which is themselves
named after to
the the coast
Kongo to trade in
Plate The
ivory name
in probably comes
pre-colonial tmes. from an Afarwho
people word https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
founded
gabouri, the Kongo
‘plate’ kingdom.It Kong
or 'plateau.' or kongo
Temple of the Soul of Ptah The
is a ancient
Bantu wordGreek for and Romanmay
‘mountains’. names refer to https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
the fact
Aiguptos that
and the city
Ægyptus is on
are the coastal
derived from plain
the
(Equatorial) Land of the Black Men Guinea
and was givenbyitsflat
surrounded namedesert.by the Portuguese https://blog.oxforddicto
Egyptan
after a hūt-kā-ptah,
Berber word, ‘Temple
aguinaw, of the Soul
meaning of
‘black
Land of the Red Sea Eritrea
Ptah’, was hūt,
from named by theand
‘temple’, Italians,
kā, fromand
‘soul’, the naries.com/2016/05/17
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
man’, or akal
Italianized n-iguinamen,
version of the meaning
Latn Mare ‘Land of /country-name-origins/
Land of Burnt Faces the god
The Black
the Greeks Ptah. The Latn name
named the country Aithiops,
Men’. Ægyptus is said http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/t
Erythraeum,
to mean
‘(Land of) ‘The
Burnt ‘Red
Land Sea’,
below
Faces’, from
from thethe ancient
Aegean
aithō, ‘I Sea’,
burn’,
Hooded Cloak The
Greek
from country
erythros,
aigaiou adopted
‘red’. the+name
hyptos. from the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
and opsis,
Portuguese, ‘appearance’.
who came up Latnate
with the "country"
name
The King's Land Ghana-ia.
suffix perhaps means ‘king’ or ‘sovereign’ https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Gabão,
and may ‘hooded
be given
derived cloak’, for thettle Gabon
Land of the Black Men Guinea was
Estuary, so called itsfrom
becausenamethe byits
of the assumed https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Portuguese
shape.
by
afterthe tribal
a Berber chieftain
word, of the
aguinaw, old Ghanaian
meaning ‘black
Black Bissau The name
empire that Guinea
was remains
located toameaning
thesource
northof of of https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
man’,
debate; or akal n-iguinamen,
it is perhaps a corrupton of an ‘Land
modern
the BlackGhana.Men’. word meaning “land of the
Amazigh (Berber)
blacks.” The country also uses the name of its
capital, Bissau, to distnguish it from Guinea,
its neighbour to the east and south.
Mountain of Whiteness Kenya is a shortened version of the Kikuyu https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

name, Kirinyaga, a corrupton of the Swahili
kere nyaga, ‘Mountain of Whiteness’.
Land of the Sotho Lesotho translates approximately into ‘the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

land of the Sotho’.
Free Country Liberia is from the Latn liber ‘free’ – the https://www.cia.gov/libr
same root of the word liberty – and is so ary/publicatons/the-
called because it was founded in 1822 as a world-
settlement for freed slaves from the US, and factbook/geos/li.html
proclaimed independent in 1847. + Latnate
"country" suffix -ia.
Land of the Libu The name Libya comes from the Greek name https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
given to Northwest Africa; Libya was the
daughter of Epaphus and Memphis in Greek
mythology. Name is of unknown origin.
Holy Land The name Madageiscar originated with https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

explorer Marco Polo in the 13th century as a
result of hearsay and misunderstanding. He
never visited the island and mistook the
Italian version of the Arab name for
Mogadishu, Mogadiscio, on the Somali coast
to refer to the island which he called
Madeigascar.
Land of Flames Malawi comes from Maravi people. Their https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton

name means ‘flames’, which may be taken
from their habit of burning off dead grass to
prepare the land for cultvaton.
Hippopotamus Mali may come from the Malinké people, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

also known as the Mandinka, who are closely
related to other Mande-speaking peoples
who trace their ancestry to the Mali Empire.
It has also been suggested that the name
comes from the Mande word for
‘hippopotamus’.
Land of the Mauri The name comes from the country’s biggest https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
ethnic group, the Mauri. + Latnate "country"
suffix -ia.
Land of Governor van Nassau Mauritus had various name changes before https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
being named, in 1598, after the Dutch Prince
Maurice van Nassau.
The Far West from Italian, from Berber Marrakesh https://www.cia.gov/libr
(properly the name of the city of Marrakesh), ary/publicatons/the-
from Arabic Maghrib-al-Aqsa "Extreme world-
West." Compare French Maroc, German factbook/geos/mo.html
Marokko. In English, the first vowel has been
altered, apparently by influence of Moor.
Related: Moroccan.
Land of Musa al Biq Mozambique is said to have come from a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

ruling Arab Shaikh, Musa al Biq and the town
which developed here was known to
medieval Arab geographers as Musanbīh and
in Swahili as Musambiki.
The Vast Place Named for the coastal Namib Desert; the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
name "namib" means "vast place" in the
Nama/Damara language
River of Rivers named for the river Niger, probably an https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

alteraton (by influence of Latn niger "black")
of a local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen,
from egereou "big river, sea" + n-igereouen,
plural of that word. Translated in Arabic as
nahr al-anhur "river of rivers."
Land of the Niger River Nigeria is named after the Niger River; The https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
river’s name, may come from the Berber
phrase ger-n-ger, ‘river of rivers’. + Latnate
"country" suffix -ia.
Land of the Rwandans The country takes its name from its https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
indigenous people, the Vanyarwanda. Name
is of unknown origin.
Saint Thomas and Prince São Tomé and Príncipe translates from https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Portuguese as ‘St Thomas and Prince’.
Our Canoe An explorer pointed to the Senegal River and https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

asked what its name was.
Another theory is that the country is named

for the river through it, perhaps from a local
word meaning "navigable."
Republic of Seychelles The French laid claim to the islands in 1756 https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
and named them after Jean Moreau de
Séchelles (1690–1761), the French controller-
general of finance. The name was later
changed by the Britsh to Seychelles
Lion Mountains Sierra Leone means ‘Lion Mountains’ from https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton

the Portuguese sierra, ‘mountain chain’, and
leão, ‘lion’. However, there are no lions here,
even if there once were.
Land of Soma Somalia is named after its indigenous https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

inhabitants, the Somalis, or Soomaali, who
may have taken their name from a legendary
ancestor, Soma or Samale; it has also been
suggested that their name may come from so
‘go’ and mal ‘milk’, a reference to their
pastoral lifestyle. + Latnate "country" suffix
-ia.
Beautiful Southern Land South Africa is, of course, the southernmost https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
country in Africa; the word Africa may come
from the Berber word afar, ‘dust’, or perhaps
the ancient Egyptan root n’fr, meaning
‘good’, ‘beautful’, or ‘perfect’.
Country of the Blacks From Arabic Bilad-al-sudan, literally "country https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton

of the blacks" (originally the stretch of Africa
between the Sahara and the equator), from
sud, plural of aswad (fem. sauda) "black." In
early use also Soudan, from French. Related:
Sudanese.
Kingdom of Swaziland The country is named after King Mswat II. https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
The Swazis were a Nguni clan, taking their
name from Ngwane III, who led them to this
region of southern Africa.
Land of Tanganika and Zanzibar Tanzania is formed by merging the names of https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
its consttuent parts, Tanganyika and
Zanzibar, which were united in 1964. +
Latnate "country" suffix -ia.
The River The country takes its name from the Gambia https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
River, itself named by the Portuguese after
the local name, Ba-Dimma, ‘The River’. +
Latnate "country" suffix -ia.
Land by the Water Derived from the Ewe words "to" (water) and https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
"go" (shore) to give the sense of "by the
water"; originally, this designaton applied to
the town of Togo (now Togoville) on the
northern shore of Lake Togo, but the name
was eventually extended to the entre naton
Land of Tunis Tunisia is named after the city of Tunis with https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
the suffix -ia adapted from the French name
for the protectorate, Tunisie.
Land of the Ganda People Uganda means ‘Land of the Ganda (People)’ https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
from the Swahili u ‘land’ and ganda, the root
word and adjectve for Buganda, the principle
province.
Land of the Great River The country is named after the Zambezi https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
which forms its southern border with
Zimbabwe. + Latnate "country" suffix -ia.
Stone Enclosure Zimbabwe means ‘stone enclosure’ or ‘stone https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

dwelling’ from the Bantu zimba, ‘houses’,
and mabwe, ‘stones’.
Source 2 Source 3
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Algeria
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Angola
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Yoruba
https://www.britannica.com/place/Botswana
https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/2016/05/17/country-name-origins/
https://www.britannica.com/place/Burkina-Faso
https://www.britannica.com/place/Burundi
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Cameroon
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cabo-Verde
http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191751394.001.0001/acref-9780191751394
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Chad
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Congo
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Congo
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Egypt
http://www.refworld.org/cgi-
bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Eritrea
page=country&category=&pub
lisher=&type=COUNTRYPROF& http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191751394.001.0001/acref-978019
coi=GIN&rid=456d621e2&doci
d=4954ce60c&skip=0
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Ghana
http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=country&category=&publisher=&type=COUNTRYPROF&coi=GIN&rid
https://www.britannica.com/place/Guinea-Bissau
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Guinea
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Kenya
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Liberia
http://self.gutenberg.org/artcles/eng/Ancient_Libya
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Libya
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Mogadishu
https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/History
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maravi
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Mali
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Ruritanian
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mauritania
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mauritus#ref4723
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Morocco
https://web.archive.org/web/20100630040028/http://www.ilhademo.net/history.html
https://www.britannica.com/place/Namibia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Niger
https://www.worldatlas.com/artcles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-niger.html
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Nigeria
https://www.worldatlas.com/artcles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-niger.html
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Rwanda
https://www.britannica.com/place/Rwanda/Land#toc40762
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Senegal
https://www.britannica.com/place/Senegal
https://www.britannica.com/place/Seychelles
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Seychelles
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sierra%20Leone
https://www.britannica.com/place/Somalia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/South%20Africa
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sudan
https://www.britannica.com/place/Swaziland
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Tanzania
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Gambia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Uganda
https://www.britannica.com/place/Zambia/Climate#toc44122
https://www.britannica.com/place/Zambezi-River
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Zimbabwe
Asia Afghanistan Sanskrit Ab-bar-Gan
Asia Armenia Armenian Armenia
Asia Bahrain Arabic (‫ااالبحرين‬
Asia Bangladesh Bengali Bangladesh
Asia Bhutan Bhutan Dzongkha
Asia Brunei Sansktrit Bhūmi
Asia Cambodia Sansktrit Nagara
Asia China Sanskrit Cina-s
Asia Georgia Arabic and Persian Gurgan
Asia India Greek Ινδία,
Asia Indonesia Greek Ινδoνησία
Asia Iran Old Persian Aryānam
Asia Iraq Arabic Al-‘irāq
Asia Israel Greek Yisra'el
Asia Japan Chinese Cipangu
Asia Jordan Hebrew and Canaanite ‫ ירד‬yrd
Asia Korea (North and Chinese Koryŏ
Asia South)
Kuwait Arabic kut
Asia Kyrgyzstan East-Turkic/Persian Steppe gizmek
Asia Laos Lao ລາວ
Asia Lebanon Semetc Lavan
Asia Malaysia Tamali Malai Ur
Asia Maldives Sanskrit ममलददव
Asia Mongolia Mongolian монгол
Asia Myanmar Burmese Mranma

Asia Nepal Sanskrit Nipat
Asia Oman Arabic ōˈmän
Asia Pakistan Iranian/Persian Pakstan
Asia Philippines Spanish Felipinas
Asia Qatar Arabic Qatara

Asia Russia Greek Rōs
Asia Saudi Arabia Arabic sa'di Arabia
Asia Singapore Sanskrit Singapura
Asia Sri Lanka Sanskrit Sri shrī
Asia State of Palestne Hebrew Pelesheth
Asia Syria Ancient Greek Syrioi
Asia Tajikistan Persian Tadzhikistan
Asia Thailand Thai Thai

Asia Timor-Leste Malay Timur
Asia Turkmenistan Sogdian Turkmenistan
Asia United Arab Emirates Arabic United Arab Emir
Asia Uzbekistan Turkic Uzbekstan
Asia Vietnam Vietnamese Việt Nam
Asia Yemen Arabic yaman

name/etymology
Mountainous Country While some sources claim that Afghan may https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Land of Hayk come from the Sanskrit
The Armenians call themselvesAvagana, itself
‘the Hayk’ https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
perhaps
after Noah’s derived from the
great-great-grandson Sumerian name of
from
The Two Seas Means
the ‘Two Seas’,
Badakshan region,fromAb-bar-Gan,
baḥrayn, the plural https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
whom
of baḥr. the
It Armenians
is a reference claim
to descent.
the facttothatThe
Land of the Bengalis ‘Mountainous
Means ‘Land
Armenian name Country’,
of the
thus meansaccording
Bengalis’, from
the a ofthe
deś,
‘Land ‘land’ https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
kingdom
Persian
or hasThe ‘seas’
translaton,
‘country’. to the take
Afghan
Bengalis east
meansand ‘wailing’
their west.
name
Land of the Thunder Dragon Hayk’.
Named Dzongkha in the language of Bhutan, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
or ‘moaning’.
from Banga, the‘Land
chiefofofthe theThunder
Dravidian-
Land from Druk-Yul,
DerivatonBang of the name is unclear; Dragon’, https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
according
speaking
often also tribe.
translated as ‘Land of the Peaceful
City to legend, Muhammad
Cambodia is the Latnized Shah,form who would
of the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Dragon’.
become the first sultan of Brunei, upon
Sanskrit
English name Kambuja, derives which from in turn
the Qin is derived
(Chin) https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Middle Kingdom discovering
from Sanskrit what would
nagara, become
‘city’ or 'town.' Brunei
Land of the Wolves rulers
exclaimedof the 3rd
"Baru century
nah,"
The Western name may derive from the B.C.,
which who
roughly comprised https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
the firstdesignaton
translates
Persian imperial
as "there" dynasty of ancient
or "that's
"gurgan" it" China;
meaning "Land
Country of the River Indus IndiaChinese
the is a Greek name andZhongguo
Latn term for ‘the as
translates https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
of the Wolves";
country of the the natve
River Indus’, name
with Indus
Indian Islands "Central
The name means
"Sak'art'velo"Naton" means(also translated
‘Indian Islands’,of thefromas Middle
Greek https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
probably
Kingdom).
Indos Nesos. coming from"Land the Sanskrit word
Land of the Aryans Kartvelians"
Derived ‘the
sindhu, and
fromsea’. refers to the core central
the Old Persian aryānam, the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Georgian
genitve region
plural of Kartli
Beside the Water Iraq’s name is aofreference
arya, ‘noble’
to itsinlocaton
the sense of https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘high-born’.
astride It means
the Euphrates ‘(Land of) the Aryans’.
He that striveth with God Old English Israel, "theand Tigris
Jewish Rivers.
people, It
the https://www.etymonline.com/word/Isra
comes
Hebrew from
naton," the Arabic
from al-‘irāq,
Latn ‘the
Israel, (river)
from
Land of the Rising Sun The
bank’ English
orfrom wordthe
‘beside forwater’.
Japan comes via the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Greek,
Chinese name Hebrew
for the yisra'el
country "he that striveth
"Cipangu."
Descend to the Sea Named
with God" after the River
(Genesis Jordan,symbolic
xxxii.28), from theproper https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Both
Hebrew Nihon root andyrd, Nippon
‘descend mean(into "where
theKoryŏ the
Dead
High and Beautiful name
Korea
sun conferred
is the Western
originates" on
and Jacob
name
are and extended
for the
frequently to
translated https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Sea)’.
his
dynasty The
descendants,river’s
(918–1392). name,
from It however,
sara
can "he
be could
fought,
translated mean
as
The Fortress as "Land
Takes
‘River its of
name
of Dan’, the Rising
from
with Sun"
a small
Dan being fortress.
one of It is sons
the a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
contended"
‘high and + El
beautful’. "God."
Land of the Wanderers diminutve
of Jacob. of the Arabic kūt, meaning ‘fort’.
Means ‘Land of the Kyrgyz’ and comes from https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Kingdom of Three Laos the
KnownTurkic kir, ‘steppe’,
as ‘Pathét and gizmek,
Lao’ (‘Lao state’) in ‘tothe Lao https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
wander’.
language, Laos
White Peaks comes from thewasSemitc the nameword given
lavan to unite https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
meaning
the three
‘white’ Lao
orcomes kingdoms
‘whitsh’, probably in 1893.
referring
Mountain City Probably from the Tamil words to malaithe https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
snowy
(mountain)peaks of
and ur Mount (city). Lebanon.
Garland of Islands Probably comes from the Sanskrit mālādvīpa https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘garland of islands’ from mālā ‘garland’ or
‘necklace’ and dvīpa.
Land of the Mongols Named after the Mongols who took their https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
name from mong ‘brave’ or ‘undefeated’.
Swift and Strong Name is taken from Mranma, the local name https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
for the Burmese people and their language.
Myan means ‘swift’ and ma ‘strong’.
The country looked after by Ne History and traditons say that a Hundu sage https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bR
named Ne established himself in the
Kathmandu valley during prehistoric tmes.
The word Nepal is thought to be derived
from the place protected ("pala" in Sanskrit)
by the sage, Ne. Thus, Nepal means "the
country looked after by Ne."
Land of Oman Supposedly named for its founder. https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Pure country Pakistan is an acronym deriving from Punjab, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Afghan Fronter, Kashmir, and Baluchistan:
regions envisioned as forming the new state,
which also made a play on Iranian pak
"pure". And -stan is a place-name element
from Persian -stan "country," from Indo-
Iranian *stanam "place," literally "where one
stands,"
Land of Prince Philip of Asturias The Philippines were named after Philip II, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
King of Spain in the 16th century; Philippines
is an Anglicizaton of Filipinas.
Land of Tar There is no certainty as to the origin of the https://www.etymonline.com/word/qat

name. Qatara means ‘to fall’, ‘drip’, or
‘trickle’, or ‘to line up camels in single file and
connect them with halters’, while qutr means
‘region’ and qutra ‘drop’. Thus the name
could have been inspired by the presence of
well-water or a camel park.
Other sources say it could be from Arabic
word katran, which means "tar" or "resin," in
reference to the country's petroleum.
Land of the Rus Russia comes from ‘Land of the Rus’’; it has https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
been suggested that Rus’ comes from Ruotsi,
the Finnish word for the Swedes, and
therefore means ‘Swedish Vikings’; or that it
is a Viking word meaning ‘oarsman’.
Land of Good Fortune Saudi refers to the name of the dynasty https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
whose eponym is Sa’ūd ibn Muhammad ibn
Muqrin, while Arabia refers to the geographic
region, principally the Arabian Peninsula. The
word Saudi is from Arabic sa'd "good fortune,
happiness." With common Semitc natonal
designaton suffix -i.
Lion City Singapore is derived from the Sanskrit https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Simm hapura meaning ‘Lion City’, from simm ha,
‘lion’, and pur, ‘city’.
Blessed Island Sri Lanka means ‘Blessed Island’ (also https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

sometmes translated as ‘Resplendent
Island’), and may be derived from the
Sanskrit shrī, ‘holiness’, ‘happiness’,
‘prosperity’, or ‘honoured’, and lak diga, ‘land
mass’.
Land of the Philistines from Latn Palestna (name of a Roman https://www.etymonline.com/word/Pal

province), from Greek Palaistne (Herodotus),
from Hebrew Pelesheth "Philista, land of the
Philistnes." Revived as an official politcal
territorial name 1920 with the Britsh
mandate.
Land of the Syrians The origin of the name Syria is not known, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
but it may be associated with the ancient
Kingdom of Assyria, although this lay mainly
in modern Iraq.
Home of the Tajiks Tajikistan takes its name from its indigenous https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
people, the Tajiks, with the additonal stan.
The Tajiks get their name from an Arab tribal
name, Taiy or Tayyi, a name widely used to
describe the Arabs in pre-Islamic tmes.
Land of the Free The country is named after the Thais whose https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
name means ‘Free (People)’ from fra, ‘to be
free’.
Land in the East Timor-Leste, also known as ‘East Timor', https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
takes Timor from the Malay tmur, ‘east’ –
thus East Timor means ‘East East’
Land of the Turkmen Turkmenistan simply means ‘Land of the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Turkmen’ from the Oğuz Turks and stan.
Their name may mean ‘Turk-like’ from the
Persian Tork and the root of mandan ‘to
resemble’ or the suffix men may indicate
strength.
United Arab Kingdom Abu Dhabi, ‘Ajmān, Dubai, al-Fujairah, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Sharjah (ash-Shāriqah), and Umm al
Qaywayn – and Ra’s al-Khaymah joined in
1972.
Land of the Free A combinaton of the Turkic words "uz" (self) https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
and "bek" (master) with the Persian suffix "-
stan" (country) to give the meaning "Land of
the Free"
Viets of the South Viet is the Vietnamese pronunciaton of a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Chinese character meaning ‘beyond’ or ‘far’
and referred to the peoples living in the
southern reaches of the Chinese Empire and
the Red River delta.
Country of the South The meaning of Yemen is disputed. https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Southwestern region of Arabia, from Arabic
Yemen, literally "the country of the south."
Some say that it comes from the Arabic
yamīn ‘on the right-hand side’ of the Ka’bah
in Mecca or to the right of the Red Sea;
others that it comes from yumn ‘good fortune’
or ‘prosperity’; yet others that it is named
after Yamin bin Qahtan, a grandson of Noah
and progenitor of the South Arabian tribes, or
that it is simply al-Yaman ‘the South’.
Source 2 Source 3
https://www.etymonline.com/word/-stan
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Bahrain
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Bangladesh
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Bhutan
https://www.chinatravel.com/facts/origin-of-the-name-of-china.htm
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Georgia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/India
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Indonesia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Iran
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Iraq
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Japan
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Korea
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Kuwait
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Laos
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Lebanon
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Maldives
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Myanmar
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Oman
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Pakistan
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Philippines
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Russia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Saudi
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Singapore
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sri%20Lanka
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Syria
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Thai
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Timor
https://www.britannica.com/place/East-Timor
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Vietnam
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Yemen
Australia Australia New Latn Terra Australis Incognita
Australia Fiji Polynesian/Fijian Vit
Australia Kiribat I-Kiribat Kir-a-bas
Australia Marshall Islands Marshallese Majeļ
Australia Micronesia Greek Micro and nesos
Australia Nauru Nauruan Anáoero
Australia New Zealand Dutch Zeeland
Australia Palau Palauan Belau
Australia Papua New Guinea Malay Papuah
Australia Samoa Samoan Samoa
Australia Solomon Islands Spanish Solomon Islands
Australia Tonga Samoan Tonga
Australia Tuvalu Tuvaluan Tuvalu
Australia Vanuatu Vanuatuan Vanuatu
name/etymology
Southern Land Imagining the existence of a land located in https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Great Fiji the
The Southern
meaning of hemisphere,
Fiji is not known,the Greeksbut itcame
takes https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
up
its with
name the
from name its Terra
largest Australis
island, VitIncognita,
Levu,
Gilbert Islands Previously
meaning called Gilbert
‘Unknown Islands, ‘Kiribat’ is https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
meaning
the natve ‘Great Fiji’. Southern
pronunciaton of
Land’.
Gilbert and is
Island of John Marshall Named after the Britsh explorer John https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
pronounced
Marshall, who ‘Kir-a-bas’.
explored them in 1788.
Small Island translates from the Greek for ‘small’ + https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
I go to the beach ‘island’.
The island’s name may be derived from https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
New Sea Land anáoero, ‘I go to the beach’.
Comes from the Dutch province of Zeeland, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
The Island Village ‘sea
Fromland’.
the Palauan name for the islands, https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Frizzy-haired Men Belau, which likely derives
The word "papua" derives from the Malay from the Palauan https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
word
"papuah""beluu" meaning
describing the "village"
frizzy hair of the
Sacred Center said to mean ‘Sacred Centre’ because, https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Melanesians;
according to Spanishthis
legend, explorer
is Ynigo
where ORTIZ
Tagaloalagi
King Soloman Islands Named
de RETEZ byapplied
the Spaniard Àlvaro de Mendaña https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
created
de Neira the world.the
(1542–95),
term
Itinspired
may, "Nueva
however,
by Inca
Guinea"
mean the
stories
Island to the South to the
simplyof
‘Place island
means
the of New
‘south’.
Moa’, Guinea
an It in
is named
extnct 1545
bird,inof after
inrelaton
the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
of islands
notng
to Samoa.the 600 leagues
resemblance toofthethewest
locals Peru
to the
Eight Standing Together Samoan
Means
that hadoflanguage.
‘eight
been standing together’ from the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
peoples the the source
Guinea coastof the gold that
of Africa
Our Land Forever Tuvaluan
adorned‘our
Means tu ‘to
thelandcourtstand up’
of Kingfrom
forever’, and valu
Solomon.
the ‘eight’. The https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
eight were the eight
Polynesian/Fijian vanua,islands and atolls
‘land’.
inhabited (of nine currently) when the first
Europeans arrived in the 16th century.
Source 2 Source 3
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Australia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Fiji
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kiribat
https://blog.oxforddictonaries
.com/2016/05/17/country-
name-origins/
https://www.etymonline.com/word/New%20Zealand
Europe Albania Latn Shqipëri
Europe Andorra Navarrese Andurrial
Europe Austria Österreich Österreich
Europe Azerbaijan Persian Āzarbāydjān
Europe Belarus Belarusian Belaya Rus
Europe Belgium Latn Belgic Gaul
Europe Bosnia and Latn/Old Serbian Bosna + (Old Serbian) Herceg
Europe Herzegovina
Bulgaria Turkic Bulģha
Europe Croata Persian Choroatos
Europe Cyprus Greek Kypros
Europe Czech Republic Czech Češi
Europe Denmark Old English Denamearc
Europe England Old English England
Europe Estonia Latn Esthonia
Europe Finland Swedish Finland
Europe France Late Latn Francia
Europe Germany Old High German Deutschland
Europe Greece Persian Yunanistan
Europe Hungary Turkic On-ogur
Europe Iceland Old Norse Snæland
Europe Ireland Gaelic Iar-en-land
Europe Italy Latn Vitulus or witaloi
Europe Kazakhstan Turkic qazaq or quzzaq
Europe Kosovo Serbian Kosovo Polje
Europe Latvia Latvian Latvis
Europe Liechtenstein German Liechtenstein

Europe Lithuania Latn Lithuania
Europe Luxembourg Celtc Lucilemburg
Europe Macedonia Greek Makedones
Europe Malta Latn Melita
Europe Moldova Gothic melh
Europe Monaco Greek Monoikos
Europe Montenegro Italian Mount Lovćen
Europe Netherlands Latn Inferior terra
Europe Norway Old Norse norðr
Europe Poland Polish Polska
Europe Portugal Latn Portus Cale

Europe Romania Latn Romani
Europe Russia English/Russian Rosia/Rossiya
Europe San Marino Italian San Marino
Europe Scotland English Kingdom of Scotland
Europe Serbia Slavic Man
Europe Slovakia Slavic Slavs
Europe Slovenia Slovene Solvenia
Europe Spain Punic Span or Tepan
Europe Sweden Old English Svear

Europe Switzerland Alemannic Schwyz
Europe Turkey Latn/Arabic Turchia/Turkiyye
Europe Ukraine Russian Okraina
Europe Wales Old English Wielisc
Europe Vatcan City Italian Città del Vatcano

name/etymology
Land of Eagles Medieval Latn name of the country called by https://www.etymonline.com/word/Alb
Shrub-covered Land its inhabitants
Probably takenShqipëri
from indigenous(literally "land of
(Navarrese) https://www.etymonline.com/word/and
eagles,"
andurrial. from shqiponje "eagle"), from
East Mark Derived
Medievalfrom Greek theAlbania,
fact thatpossiblythe region frombecame
a pre- https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Protected by Fire aIE military
word *alb district
"hill" on
(alsothe
May take its name from Persian general eastern
proposed border
as the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
called
source
Atropates,Ostmark.
of Alps) who or
tookfrom his the
name PIEfrom
root *albho-
the
White Ruthenia Shortening
"white" of Belaya Rus, meaning ‘White https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Greek
Ruthenia’ atropatan, ‘protected by fire’.
Land of the Belgae Named after the Belgae, a confederaton of https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
River Bosna + Property of a Duke tribes
Namedthat after lived
thebetween
River Bosna, the Rivers
while the Rhinename https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
and Loire
Herzegovina in Roman
comes tmes.
from the Old Serbian
Mixed Tribes From the Turkic bulga, ‘mixed’, Bulgaria is https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Herceg,
named ‘duke’,
after the ov,Bulgars,
to make a the genitve
mix of Turkic case
and
On the Mountain Ridge Either
of hercegderived fromtothe Persian choroatos,and https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Slav tribes.in
‘nomads’, from
order
the
indicate
Caucasus,
possession,
or from the
Island of Copper ina, ‘property’.
It is believed that the island’s abundant https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Serbo-Croat
deposits of hrbat,
copper ‘mountain
led to the ridge’.
Greeks naming
Land of the Czechs Name derives from the Czechs, a West Slavic https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
it Kypros.
tribe who rosefrom to prominence
Home of Warriors Took its name the Danes,inpossibly the late 9th https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
century
meaning A.D.
‘warrior’
Land of the Angles Old English Engla land, literally "the land of https://www.etymonline.c
Waterside Dwellers the Angles".
Named after its inhabitants, the Eest. It is om/word/england
https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Land of the Finns unclear where the word
Perhaps derived from the Germanic (or eest comes from, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
perhaps
Teutonic from a natve name
Scandinavian) finna, meaning
‘fish scale’. It
Land of the Fierce Takes its name
"waterside from a coaliton of Germanic https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
dwellers.
may
tribes,bethea reference
Franks. to the type of clothing
Land of the People The
worn Gauls
by the (Celts)
primitveofThe name
Western
Finnish
Frank
Europe
tribes.
either
may https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
comes
have from
referred theto Old
the German
newly word
arriving franka,
Germanic
Land of the Ionians The Turkish
meaning nameorfor
‘fierce’ the country, via Persian, https://www.etymonline.com/word/Gre
tribes
is who
Yunanistan, settled in‘brave’,
literally neighboring
"Land of theareas east
Ionians."
10 Arrows Comes
of the from On
Rhine duringOgur, the ‘Ten
first Arrows’,
centuries theB.C.
name asin https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Ionia
of a also yielded
group of tribes the nameMagyar
(seven for theand country
three
Snow Land "Germani,"
Originally
Arabic andcalled a term
Hindi the
Snæland,
(Yunan Romans adopted
‘Snow Land’, as https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Kavar) living
"Germania."
Iceland’s presentalong
The natve the north
name shore
designaton
comes from ofthe
the
Land in the West The
Black name
Sea is
beforea form they of moved
Iar-en-land, ‘Land in https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
"Deutsch"
Norse
the settlers
West’
comes
from whothe
from
renamed
Gaelic
the Old
iar,itto modern
High
with
‘west’
German
the
Sons of the Bull Hungary
"diutsc"
Believed to
intenton during
meaning
tocome the
deter from"of 9ththe
visitors century.
people."
thefrom Vitalicoming
tribe whoseto the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Place Where One Stands name
island. may be connected
From stan and the Turkic kazak (qazaq or to Latn vitulus, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-sta
‘calf’,
quzzaq),or witaloi,
‘Horsemen’ ‘sonsor of‘Riders
the bull’. of the
Steppe’. However, kazak is more commonly
translated as ‘adventurer’, ‘outlaw’, ‘raider’,
or ‘free, or independent, man’.
Field of the Blackbirds The name Kosovo is derived from a Serbian https://www.britannica.com/place/Koso
place-name Kossovo meaning “field of
blackbirds.” A battle was fought at Kosovo
Polje ("Field of the Blackbirds") between the
armies of the Serbian prince Lazar and the
Turkish forces of the Ottoman sultan Murad I
Forest Clearer Derived from what the Latvians call https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

themselves, Latvis.
Bright Stone Named after the Liechtenstein family from https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria. The
name means ‘bright stone’.
Shoreland Meaning not known, although it has been https://www.etymonline.com/word/Lith
suggested that it may be derived from the
Latn litus ‘shore’, a reference to the Baltc
coast or from the small River Letavka.
Little Castle Originally found as Luciliburhuc, meaning https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

‘little castle’.
Land of Tall People Comes from the ancient Greek root mak, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘tall, high’, possibly describing tall people
living there.
Place of Refuge Mediterranean island, from Latn Melite, https://www.etymonline.com/word/Ma

perhaps from Phoenician melita, literally
"place of refuge," from malat "he escaped."
Dark River Named for the river through it, probably https://www.etymonline.com/word/Mo
from a PIE word meaning "dark, darkish
color, soiled, black"
Single House Founded by the Phocaeans in the 6th century https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

bc as Monoikos, a Greek word meaning
‘single house’ or ‘single temple’, signifying a
place to rest.
Land of the Black Mountain Said to be a reference to the dark https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

appearance of Mt Lovćen at various tmes of
the year and the surrounding heavily wooded
areas.
Lowlands Literal English translaton of Nederlanden, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

itself a translaton from the Latn inferior
terra.
Northern Way The name means ‘The Way North’ or ‘The https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Northern Way’ from the Old Norse
Norrevegr, a reference to one of the routes
taken by the Vikings.
People of the Fields The country is named after the Polanie https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘People of the Fields, or Plain’ from pole
‘field’.
Warm Port Derived from the Latn portus cale, ‘warm https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
harbour’, which referred to a Roman
settlement, now Oporto, at the mouth of the
River Douro and the fact that the port was
never ice-bound.
People from Rome comes from the Romans – as some members https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
of the Roman legions settled in Dacia.
Swedish Vikings It has been suggested that Rus’ comes from https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Ruotsi, the Finnish word for the Swedes, and
therefore means ‘Swedish Vikings’; or that it
is a Viking word meaning ‘oarsman’.
Land of Saint Marinus Named after a Christan stonemason and https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

later saint, Marinus.
Land of the Scots Named for the Scots, who settled there from https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sco
Ireland 5c.-6c.; their name is of unknown
origin (see Scot).
Land of the Men Named after the Serbs; it declared https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

independence in 2006, having previously
been part of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. The word Serb derives from a
root meaning "man"
Land of the Slovaci Named after the Slovaks, a Slav tribe which https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
probably came from Silesia in the 6th or 7th
century.
Land of the Slavs Named after its indigenous inhabitants, the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Slovenes.
Land of Many Rabbits May come from the Punic span or tsepan, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘rabbit’, which were numerous in the
peninsula, or from the Punic sphan,‘north’,
since it was north of Carthage – or it may
come from the Basque ezpaña, ‘lip’ or
‘extremity’, a reference to this south-western
area of Europe.
Land of the Svear Named after Germanic people, the Svear or https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Suiones (the Roman name), who inhabited
the area around Lake Mälaren.
Land of the Swiss Takes its name from Schwyz, a German- https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
speaking forest community that joined with
Uri and Unterwalden in signing a agreement
of mutual assistance as the Everlastng
League.
Land of Strength Came from the word Turks, Said to mean https://www.etymonline.com/word/Tur
"strength" in Turkish. In Persian, turk, in
additon to the natonal name, also could
mean "a beautful youth," "a barbarian," "a
robber."
Land on the Edge Derived from the Russian okraina ‘(land) on https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
the edge’.
Land of the Foreigners The origin of the word Wales is a strange https://www.etymonline.com/word/We
one. It is a variaton on a common word used
hundreds of years ago by the Anglo Saxons to
mean foreigners or outsiders.
Papal Palace on the Hill from Latn mons Vatcanus, Roman hill on https://en.wikipedia.org/
which Papal palace stands. Said to be an wiki/List_of_country-
Etruscan loan-word, not related to vates name_etymologies#y
"sooth-sayer."
Source 2 Source 3
https://blog.oxforddictonaries
.com/2016/05/17/country-
name-origins/
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Austria
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Azerbaijan
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Belgium
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Bosnia+and+Herzegovina
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Bulgaria
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Croata
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Czech
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Estonia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Frank
https://www.etymonline.com/word/France
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Germany
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Iceland
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Ireland
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Italy
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Kosovo-1389-Balkans
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Latvia
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Liechtenstein
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Luxembourg
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Macedonia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Montenegro
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Netherlands
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Norway
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Portugal
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Romania
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Russia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Serb
https://www.britannica.com/place/Serbia/Government-and-society#ref43564
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Slovak
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sweden
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Turk
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Ukraine
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/culture/sites/aboutwales/pages/history.shtml
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Vatcan
North America Antgua and Barbuda Spanish Antgua - Antego. Barbuda -
North America Bahamas Spanish Barbado
Boo de las Bahamas
North America Barbados Portuguese As Barbadas
North America Belize Spanish Belize
North America Canada Iroquoian Kanada
North America Costa Rica Spanish Costa Rica
North America Cuba Taíno Cubanacan
North America Dominica Latn diēs Dominicus
North America Dominican Republic Latn Dominican Republic
North America El Salvador Spanish El Salvador
North America Grenada French La Grenade
North America Guatemala Nahuatl Quauhtemallan
North America Hait Taíno/Arawak Hayit
North America Honduras Spanish Honduras
North America Jamaica Taíno/Arawak Indian Xaymaca or Hamaica
North America Mexico Nahuatl Metztlixihtlico
North America Nicaragua Spanish Nicarao
North America Panama Cueva Panama
North America Saint Kitts and Nevis Spanish St. Kitts and Nuestra Señora
North America Saint Lucia Latn de lasLucia
Saint Nieves,
North America Saint Vincent and the Spanish Saint Vincent and the
North America Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago Spanish Grenadines
La Isla de la trinidad
North America United States of English United States of America
America
name/etymology
The Bearded Ancient Land Christopher Columbus named Antgua after https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Land of Shallow Sea the
It is Church
not entrely of Santa
clearMariawhere dethe la Antgua,
Bahamas‘St got https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Mary
their the
name, Ancient’,
but it in
is Seville,
said to Spain.
mean The
‘Shallow
Land of the Bearded Ones Barbados
origin of theis aname
Spanish word meaning
Barbuda is not clear, but it https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Sea’ from
‘bearded’ the‘the
or Spanish
bearded bajaones’.
mar. It has been https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Muddy-watered Land has
May be named for the Belize derived
been suggested that it is River, from
whose
speculated
the
name Spanish
possibly that Barbuda
barbados,
derives got
‘bearded’.
fromderived its name
the Maya from
word
The Village Canada’s
the same name
root. is"muddy-watered"
perhaps from the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
"belix," meaning
Huron-Iroquois word kanata, meaning
Rich Coast Costa Rica means ‘rich coast’. The name was https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘village’
chosen or Christopher
by ‘settlement’.
Centre Place Cuba may have adaptedColumbus, its name from who maythe https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
have
Taino believed
word that
Cubanacan, gold would
‘centre be found
place’.
Day of the Lord Discovered by Christopher Columbus and
there. https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Saint Dominic's Island named after the ‘Lord’s Day’, Dies Dominica,
The country name derives from the capital https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
or
city‘Sunday’,
of Santo in Latn. (Saint Dominic).
Land of the Savior Meaning ‘TheDomingo
Saviour’, the country takes its https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Place of Pomegranates name from a
Probably named for the Spanish fortSpanish
locatedcity on ofthe https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
present
Granada; site
in of the
Spanish capital
"granada" San Salvador.
means
Land of Many Trees The origin of the name Guatemala is not https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
"pomegranate"
entrely clear, but it from
has been suggested that
Land of Mountains Hait took its name the Arawak name of https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
it comes
Ayt, from an name
the original Aztec for word, the island now
Deep Water The name
Quauhtemallan, meansmeaning ‘Deep Water’ ‘Land fromof Many the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
shared
Spanish by Hait
hondura, and a the Dominican
possible reference Republic.
to the
Land of Wood and Water Trees’
From
Ayt or ‘Land
the
means Arawak of oftheMountains’.
name Eagle’.
of Xaymaca or https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
depth
Yamaya the‘Land
ofmeaning coastal‘Land waters.
of Wood and Water’.
In the Navel of the Moon México is the simplified Spanish version of a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Land by the Water Nahuatl
Nicaragua namemayfor come thefromAztecthe capital,
name of a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Metztlixihtlico,
local 16th-century said to
chief,mean ‘In the
Nicarao, and Navel
agua, of
Place of Abundant Fish Panama
the Moon’ is named
from mētztliafter the‘moon’,capital, xictliPanama https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
‘water’
City, whichin Spanish.
is said toAlternatvely,
mean ‘(Place has‘navel’
it with) been
an
St. Christopher's Land of Snows or ‘centre’,
St Kitts is an
suggested and the
abbreviaton
that some suffix -co
Spaniards ‘place’
of St Christopher,
heard – to
the give https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Abundance
‘Place
chosen at the of Fish’.
Centre
by Christopher of the Moon’.
Land of Saint Lucy name Nicaragua,
Saint Lucia is thoughtperhaps toColumbus
meaning
have been after his
‘Here, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
patron
near the
discovered saint.
Lake’.
by Nevis also
Christopher comes from
Columbus,
Isle of Saint Vincent The island of
Columbus, St Vincent
thoughtwas discovered by https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
possibly
Christopher onwho 13 December,
Columbus on
that
22
the
theJanuary
feast island’s
day of St
1498,
Island of the Holy Trinity and Tobacco summit, often wreathed
Trinidad was named by Christopher
Lucy. in cloud, looked like https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
the
las feast day
nieves,
Columbus ‘the
in ofsnows’.
1498,St Vincent
after the ofthree
Saragossa,
peaks athat
United States of America Americawho
martyr – that diedwas from firsttorture
applied into304.South https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
surrounded
America in 1507 the southern
by Martnbay. Tobago
Waldseemüller either
comes from the Haitan
(c.1470–c.1521), a German tambaku,
geographer ‘pipe’,andor
from the local word tabaco,
cartographer, in honour of an Italian explorer, a reference to its
crops.
Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512). Vespucci had
made exploratons that he’d initally thought
to be the east coast of Asia, but later realized
he had been to a ‘New World’.
Source 2 Source 3
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Antgua
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Bahamas
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Barbados
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Canada
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Cuba
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Dominican
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Dominican
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Guatemala
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Hait
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Honduras
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Jamaica
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Panama
South America Argentna Spanish La Argentna
South America Bolivia New Latn Bolivia
South America Brazil Portuguese Terra do Brasil
South America Chile Chilean Chile
South America Colombia Spanish Colombia
South America Ecuador Spanish Ecuador
South America Guyana Arawak guiana
South America Paraguay Guarani Paraguay
South America Peru Natve Peruvian Biru
South America Suriname Dutch Surinen
South America Uruguay Spanish Uruguay
South America Venezuela Spanish Venezuola
name/etymology
Land Beside the Silvery River Originally the area was referred to as Tierra https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Bolivar's Land Argentna,
Bolivia takes i.e.,
its"Land
namebesidefrom Simón the Silvery
Bolívar, a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
River"
natonal or "silvery
hero who land,"
led which
the referredagainst
revolutons to the
Red Dyewood Named
massive after
estuarythein indigenous
the east ofpeople,
the the
country, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Spanish
Tswana rule
or in South Their
baTswana. America. name apparently
Where the Land Ends the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver); over tme
Derivaton of the name is unclear, but it may https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
means
the
come name ‘those
from thewho
shortened went
Mapuche away’
to simply or
word Argentna‘the or
"chilli,"
Land of Columbus Previously
separators’.
"silvery" called New Granada after the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
meaning
Granada "limit
in Spain,of the earth" (or
Colombia’s "where
present the
name
The Equator The name
land ends"), means
or ‘Equator’ in Spanish, a https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
was adapted
reference to in from
the 1863 the
equator
Quechua
in honour
running
"chiri,"
ofthrough the
Land of Many Waters meaning "cold."
The name is Columbus.
Christopher derived from Guiana, the https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
northern
original part of
name forthe
the country.
region that included
People Born Along the River The country takes its name from the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
Britsh
Paraguay Guiana,
River Dutch
whose Guiana,
name and French
comes from para
Land of the River Exact meaning
Guiana. is obscure, butisthe namefrom may https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
(‘river’
derive orUltmately,
from ‘water’)
a natve
theguay
andword
word
"biru"
derived
(‘born’). This
meaning
Land of the Surinens an
nameindigenous
The namemay Suriname Amerindian
be connected is said language
withto come and
from a https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
the Payaguá
"river"
means
local "Land
tribe ofmeaning
called Many
the Waters"
Surinas or (referring
Surinen, to
its
River of Shellfish tribe,
Uruguay perhaps
may have come ‘(People)
fromand born
uruguä, the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201
the area's
earliest
(along) the multtude
inhabitants.
River’. of rivers streams)
Little Venice Guaraní for a species of mussel,
Venezuela, ‘Little Venice’, was named thus ‘River of https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton
Shellfish’,
because itor from uru,the
reminded a type of birdAlonso
Spaniards that de
lived
Ojedanearand the river, gua
Amerigo ‘to proceed
Vespucci from’,
of the Italian
and
city. y ‘water’.
Source 2 Source 3
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Argentna
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Bolivia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Brazil
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Chile
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Colombia
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Ecuador
https://www.britannica.com/place/Guyana
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Paraguay
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Peru
https://www.britannica.com/place/Suriname/History
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Uruguay
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Venezuela

Research - The Literal Translation of Country Names

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Titolo originale

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Research - The Literal Translation of Country Names

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Continent Country Language of origin Words in original language

Africa Algeria Arabic Al Jazā᾽ir

Africa Kenya Kikuyu Nyaga

Africa Lesotho Sesotho Basotho

Africa Libya Greek Libyē

Africa Madagascar Arabic Madageiscar

Africa Malawi Bantu Maravi

Africa Mali Malinké and Bamana Mali

Africa Mauritania Latn (Tribe) Mauri + (Land) -itania

Africa Mauritus Dutch Maurice van Nassau

Africa Mozambique Arabic Musa al Biq

Africa Namibia Nama Namib

Africa Niger Tamasheq Ger-n-ger

Africa Nigeria Tamasheq Ger-n-ger

Africa Rwanda Kinyarwanda Vanyarwanda

Africa Senegal Wolof Il sunu gaol

Africa Sierra Leone Spanish Sierra Leona

Africa Somalia Somali Somalis

Africa South Africa Afrikaans Suid-Afrika

Africa Sudan Arabic Bilad-al-sudan

Africa Swaziland Swat (Swazi) Umbuso weSwatni

Africa Tanzania Tonga(Tanganyika) and Tanganika and Zanzibar

Africa Togo Ewe Togo

Africa Tunisia Berber Tunisia

Africa Uganda Swahili Buganda

Africa Zambia Tonga Great River

Africa Zimbabwe Shona Dzimba-dze-mabwe

Mountain of Whiteness Kenya is a shortened version of the Kikuyu https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Land of the Sotho Lesotho translates approximately into ‘the https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Holy Land The name Madageiscar originated with https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Land of Flames Malawi comes from Maravi people. Their https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton

Hippopotamus Mali may come from the Malinké people, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Land of Musa al Biq Mozambique is said to have come from a https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

River of Rivers named for the river Niger, probably an https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Our Canoe An explorer pointed to the Senegal River and https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Another theory is that the country is named

Lion Mountains Sierra Leone means ‘Lion Mountains’ from https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton

Land of Soma Somalia is named after its indigenous https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Country of the Blacks From Arabic Bilad-al-sudan, literally "country https://www.cia.gov/library/publicaton

Stone Enclosure Zimbabwe means ‘stone enclosure’ or ‘stone https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Asia Mongolia Mongolian монгол

Asia Myanmar Burmese Mranma

Asia Oman Arabic ōˈmän

Asia Pakistan Iranian/Persian Pakstan

Asia Philippines Spanish Felipinas

Asia Qatar Arabic Qatara

Asia Saudi Arabia Arabic sa'di Arabia

Asia Singapore Sanskrit Singapura

Asia Sri Lanka Sanskrit Sri shrī

Asia State of Palestne Hebrew Pelesheth

Asia Syria Ancient Greek Syrioi

Asia Tajikistan Persian Tadzhikistan

Asia Thailand Thai Thai

Asia Turkmenistan Sogdian Turkmenistan

Asia United Arab Emirates Arabic United Arab Emir

Asia Uzbekistan Turkic Uzbekstan

Asia Vietnam Vietnamese Việt Nam

Asia Yemen Arabic yaman

Land of Oman Supposedly named for its founder. https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Pure country Pakistan is an acronym deriving from Punjab, https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Land of Tar There is no certainty as to the origin of the https://www.etymonline.com/word/qat

Lion City Singapore is derived from the Sanskrit https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201

Blessed Island Sri Lanka means ‘Blessed Island’ (also https://blog.oxforddictonaries.com/201