Country name In 35 editions of 36.

conventional long form:

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

conventional short form:

Algeria

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah

local short form:

Al Jaza'ir

etymology:

the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers

conventional long form:

Republic of Angola

conventional short form:

Angola

local long form:

Republica de Angola

local short form:

Angola

former:

People's Republic of Angola

etymology:

in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers derived the name from the title "N'gola," which was held by kings of the Ndongo

conventional long form:

Republic of Benin

conventional short form:

Benin

local long form:

République du Benin

local short form:

Benin

former:

Dahomey, People's Republic of Benin

etymology:

the current name comes from a local ethnic group, the Bini, whose name may be related to the Arabic word bani , meaning "sons;" the former name, Dahomey, comes from a previous kingdom in the area called Dan Homé

conventional long form:

Republic of Botswana

conventional short form:

Botswana

local long form:

Republic of Botswana

local short form:

Botswana

former:

Bechuanaland

etymology:

the name Botswana means "Land of the Tswana," referring to the country's largest ethnic group

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Burkina Faso

local long form:

none

local short form:

Burkina Faso

former:

Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

etymology:

name translates as "Land of the Worthy Men," from the Dyula words burkina , or "worthy," and faso , which means "land" or literally "father village," from fa , or "father," and so , or "village"

conventional long form:

Republic of Burundi

conventional short form:

Burundi

local long form:

République du Burundi (French)/ Republika y'u Burundi (Kirundi)

local short form:

Burundi

former:

• Urundi,
• German East Africa,
• Ruanda-Urundi,
• Kingdom of Burundi

etymology:

• name dates from 1966 and is derived from the name of the local Bantu people, the Rundi or Barundi;
• ba - is the prefix for the people, and bu - is the prefix for the country;
• the former name, Urundi, is the Swahili version

conventional long form:

Republic of Cabo Verde

conventional short form:

Cabo Verde

local long form:

Republica de Cabo Verde

local short form:

Cabo Verde

etymology:

the name derives from the Cape Verde (Green Cape) peninsula on the Senegalese coast, the westernmost point of Africa and the nearest mainland to the islands

conventional long form:

Republic of Cameroon

conventional short form:

Cameroon

local long form:

République du Cameroun (French)/Republic of Cameroon (English)

local short form:

Cameroun/Cameroon

former:

• Kamerun,
• French Cameroon,
• British Cameroon,
• Federal Republic of Cameroon,
• United Republic of Cameroon

etymology:

• in the 16th century, Portuguese explorers named an estuary near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water;
• the name Camaroes evolved into "Cameroon"

conventional long form:

Central African Republic

conventional short form:

none

local long form:

République centrafricaine

local short form:

none

former:

Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

abbreviation:

CAR

etymology:

• self-descriptive name specifying the country's location on the continent;
• "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia, "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

conventional long form:

Republic of Chad

conventional short form:

Chad

local long form:

République du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad

local short form:

Tchad/Tshad

etymology:

named for Lake Chad, which lies along the country's western border; taken from a local word meaning "large body of water" or "lake"

note: the only country whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel

conventional long form:

Union of the Comoros

conventional short form:

Comoros

local long form:

Udzima wa Komori (Comorian)/Union des Comores (French)/Al Ittihad al Qumuri (Arabic)

local short form:

Komori (Comorian)/Les Comores (French)/Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)

former:

Comorian State, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

etymology:

name derives from the Arabic al qamar , meaning "the moon"

conventional long form:

Democratic Republic of the Congo

conventional short form:

DRC

local long form:

République démocratique du Congo

local short form:

RDC

former:

• Congo Free State,
• Belgian Congo,
• Congo/Leopoldville,
• Congo/Kinshasa,
• Zaire

abbreviation:

DRC (or DROC)

etymology:

• named for the Congo River,
• most of which lies within the DRC;
• the river name derives from Kongo,
• a Bantu kingdom in the area

conventional long form:

Republic of the Congo

conventional short form:

Congo (Brazzaville)

local long form:

République du Congo

local short form:

Congo

former:

• French Congo,
• Middle Congo,
• People's Republic of the Congo,
• Congo/Brazzaville

etymology:

• named for the Congo River,
• which makes up much of the country's eastern border;
• the river name derives from Kongo,
• a Bantu kingdom in the area

conventional long form:

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

conventional short form:

Côte d'Ivoire

local long form:

République de Côte d'Ivoire

local short form:

Cote d'Ivoire

former:

Ivory Coast

etymology:

• name, which means "Ivory Coast" in French, reflects the ivory trade in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries;
• the French version of the name has been used internationally since 1986, at the country's request

note: pronounced coat-div-whar

conventional long form:

Republic of Djibouti

conventional short form:

Djibouti

local long form:

République de Djibouti (French)/ Jumhuriyat Jibuti (Arabic)

local short form:

Djibouti (French)/ Jibuti (Arabic)

former:

French Somaliland, French Territory of the Afars and Issas

etymology:

the country name derives from the capital city of Djibouti

conventional long form:

Arab Republic of Egypt

conventional short form:

Egypt

local long form:

Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah

local short form:

Misr

former:

United Arab Republic (short-lived unification with Syria)

etymology:

the English name Egypt derives from the ancient Greek name for the country, "Aguptos," and the ancient Roman name, "Aegyptus," with the Greek form coming from the words aia gupos , or "land of the vulture;" the Arabic name for the country, Misr, can be traced to the Assyrian word misir , meaning "fort"

conventional long form:

Republic of Equatorial Guinea

conventional short form:

Equatorial Guinea

local long form:

Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial (Spanish)/ République de Guinée équatoriale (French)

local short form:

Guinea Ecuatorial (Spanish)/Guinée équatoriale (French)

former:

Spanish Guinea

etymology:

• the country is named for the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel;
• the "equatorial" refers to the fact that the country lies just north of the Equator

conventional long form:

State of Eritrea

conventional short form:

Eritrea

local long form:

Hagere Ertra

local short form:

Ertra

former:

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

etymology:

the country name derives from the ancient Greek name Erythra Thalassa , meaning "Red Sea," the body of water that borders the country

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Eswatini

conventional short form:

Eswatini

local long form:

Umbuso weSwatini

local short form:

eSwatini

former:

Swaziland

etymology:

the country name derives from 19th century King MSWATI II, under whose rule Swati territory was expanded and unified

note: pronounced ay-swatini or eh-swatini

conventional long form:

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

conventional short form:

Ethiopia

local long form:

YeItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik

local short form:

Ityop'iya

former:

Abyssinia, Italian East Africa

abbreviation:

FDRE

etymology:

the country name derives from the ancient Greek word used to describe the inhabitants, aithiops , meaning "burnt appearance"

conventional long form:

Gabonese Republic

conventional short form:

Gabon

local long form:

République Gabonaise

local short form:

Gabon

etymology:

name originates from the Portuguese word gabão, meaning "cloak," possibly used by early explorers to describe the shape of the Komo River estuary

conventional long form:

Republic of The Gambia

conventional short form:

The Gambia

etymology:

• named for the Gambia River that flows through the country;
• Portuguese explorers in the 15th century derived the name for the river from its local name, Ba-Dimma, meaning "the river"

conventional long form:

Republic of Ghana

conventional short form:

Ghana

former:

Gold Coast

etymology:

• named for a tribal chieftain who ruled a large part of the region prior to the 13th century, even though his territory was northwest of modern-day Ghana;
• the former name, Gold Coast, came from the gold that Portuguese explorers discovered in the region in the late 15th century

conventional long form:

Republic of Guinea

conventional short form:

Guinea

local long form:

République de Guinée

local short form:

Guinée

former:

French Guinea

etymology:

the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea, but the name itself derives from the Tuareg word aginaw , meaning "black people"

conventional long form:

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

conventional short form:

Guinea-Bissau

local long form:

Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form:

Guine-Bissau

former:

Portuguese Guinea

etymology:

• the country is partly named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea;
• the name itself is derived from the Tuareg word aginaw , meaning "black people;" Bissau, the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea and is derived from the local Bijuga people

conventional long form:

Republic of Kenya

conventional short form:

Kenya

local long form:

Republic of Kenya (English)/ Jamhuri ya Kenya (Swahili)

local short form:

Kenya

former:

British East Africa

etymology:

named for Mount Kenya; the mountain's name may derive from the Kikuyu word kere nyaga , or "white mountain"

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form:

Lesotho

local long form:

Kingdom of Lesotho

local short form:

Lesotho

former:

Basutoland

etymology:

• the name comes from the Sotho people, whose name means "dark-skinned;" Le - is a singular noun prefix;
• the former name, Basutoland, uses the plural noun prefix, Ba -

conventional long form:

Republic of Liberia

conventional short form:

Liberia

etymology:

name derives from the Latin word liber, meaning "free;" so named because the nation was created as a homeland for liberated African-American slaves

conventional long form:

State of Libya

conventional short form:

Libya

local long form:

Dawlat Libiya

local short form:

Libiya

etymology:

• the name probably derives from the Libu, a North African tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.;
• the ancient Greeks and Romans used the name for the entire North African coast west of Egypt

conventional long form:

Republic of Madagascar

conventional short form:

Madagascar

local long form:

République de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara

local short form:

Madagascar/Madagasikara

former:

Malagasy Republic

etymology:

• a variant of the name was first used by 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco POLO when he confused the island with the Somali port of Mogadishu;
• the transliteration was later adopted as the official name

conventional long form:

Republic of Malawi

conventional short form:

Malawi

local long form:

Dziko la Malawi

local short form:

Malawi

former:

• British Central African Protectorate,
• Nyasaland Protectorate,
• Nyasaland

etymology:

named for the Maravi people who inhabited the area since the 14th century; the word maravi means "flames"

conventional long form:

Republic of Mali

conventional short form:

Mali

local long form:

République de Mali

local short form:

Mali

former:

• French Sudan,
• Sudanese Republic,
• Mali Federation

etymology:

• name derives from the Mali Empire of the 13th to 16th centuries A.D.;
• the Mali name may come from a local ethnic group, the Malinke, whose name is derived from the words ma , meaning "mother," and dink , meaning "child" -- a reference to the matrilinear descent of Malinke families

conventional long form:

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

conventional short form:

Mauritania

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

local short form:

Muritaniyah

etymology:

named for the ancient kingdom of Mauretania (3rd century B.C. to 1st century A.D.); its name derives from the Mauri (Moors) of northwest Africa

conventional long form:

Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form:

Mauritius

local long form:

Republic of Mauritius

local short form:

Mauritius

etymology:

named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder (governor) of the Dutch Republic, in 1598

note: pronounced mahr-ish-us

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Morocco

conventional short form:

Morocco

local long form:

Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah

local short form:

Al Maghrib

former:

• French Protectorate in Morocco,
• Spanish Protectorate in Morocco,
• Ifni,
• Spanish Sahara,
• Western Sahara

etymology:

• the English name of Morocco derives from, respectively, the Spanish and Portuguese names Marruecos and Marrocos, which stem from Marrakesh, the Latin name for the former capital of ancient Morocco;
• the Arabic name, Al Maghrib, translates as "The West"

conventional long form:

Republic of Mozambique

conventional short form:

Mozambique

local long form:

Republica de Mocambique

local short form:

Mocambique

former:

Portuguese East Africa, People's Republic of Mozambique

etymology:

named for an offshore island; the island was named after Mussa bin BIQUE (or Mussa Ibn MALIK), an influential Arab slave trader who set himself up as sultan on the island in the 15th century

conventional long form:

Republic of Namibia

conventional short form:

Namibia

local long form:

Republic of Namibia

local short form:

Namibia

former:

German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Suedwestafrika), South-West Africa

etymology:

named for the coastal Namib Desert; the word namib comes from the local Nama language and means "an area where there is nothing"

conventional long form:

Republic of Niger

conventional short form:

Niger

local long form:

République du Niger

local short form:

Niger

etymology:

• named for the Niger River that passes through the southwest of the country;
• the name of the river probably comes from the local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen (big rivers)

note: pronounced nee-ZHAIR

conventional long form:

Federal Republic of Nigeria

conventional short form:

Nigeria

etymology:

• named for the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean;
• the name of the river probably comes from the local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen (big rivers)

conventional long form:

Republic of Rwanda

conventional short form:

Rwanda

local long form:

Republika y'u Rwanda

local short form:

Rwanda

former:

• Kingdom of Rwanda,
• Ruanda,
• German East Africa

etymology:

the country is named for a local people, but the meaning of their own name is obscure

conventional long form:

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

conventional short form:

none

etymology:

• on the feast day of Saint Helena in 1502, Spanish navigator Joao da NOVA (sailing for Portugal) sighted and named the island that now bears the saint's name;
• da NOVA originally named Ascension "Conception Island" in honor of the Virgin Mary, but Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE later found the island on the feast day of the Ascension in 1508 and renamed it;
• Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA sighted the third island in 1506 and named it after himself (the name was later anglicized)

conventional long form:

Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

conventional short form:

Sao Tome and Principe

local long form:

Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe

local short form:

Sao Tome e Principe

etymology:

• Sao Tome was named after Saint THOMAS the Apostle by the Portuguese who discovered the island on 21 December 1470 (or 1471), the saint's feast day;
• Principe is a shortening of the original Portuguese name of "Ilha do Principe" (Isle of the Prince), referring to Prince ALPHONSO of Portugal

conventional long form:

Republic of Senegal

conventional short form:

Senegal

local long form:

République du Sénégal

local short form:

Sénégal

former:

Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation

etymology:

• named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country;
• the river's name may derive from "Azenegue," the Portuguese name for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river, or it could come from a local word meaning "navigable"

conventional long form:

Republic of Seychelles

conventional short form:

Seychelles

local long form:

Republic of Seychelles

local short form:

Seychelles

etymology:

• named by French Captain Corneille Nicholas MORPHEY after Jean Moreau de SÉCHELLES, the finance minister of France, in 1756;
• the British changed the spelling of the name in 1815 when they acquired the islands

conventional long form:

Republic of Sierra Leone

conventional short form:

Sierra Leone

local long form:

Republic of Sierra Leone

local short form:

Sierra Leone

etymology:

Portuguese explorer Pedro de SINTRA is usually credited with naming the country "Serra da Leao" (Lion Mountains) in 1462, but Venetian explorer Alvise CA' DA MOSTO recorded the name as "Serre-Lionne" in 1457, referring to the rumbling of thunder over the mountains

conventional long form:

Federal Republic of Somalia

conventional short form:

Somalia

local long form:

Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Somali)/ Jumhuriyat as Sumal al Fidiraliyah (Arabic)

local short form:

Soomaaliya (Somali)/ As Sumal (Arabic)

former:

• British Somaliland,
• Italian Somaliland,
• Somali Republic,
• Somali Democratic Republic

etymology:

• the name means "Land of the Somali," a local ethnic group;
• the origin of the group's name is unclear but may come from 1) a Cushitic word meaning "dark," 2) the local phrase soo mal , meaning "go and milk" (referring to offering guests milk), 3) the name of a local chief, or 4) the Arabic zamla , meaning "cattle"

conventional long form:

Republic of South Africa

conventional short form:

South Africa

former:

Union of South Africa

abbreviation:

RSA

etymology:

• self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent;
• "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

conventional long form:

Republic of South Sudan

conventional short form:

South Sudan

etymology:

• self-descriptive name from the country's geographic position within Sudan prior to independence;
• the name Sudan derives from the Arabic balad-as-sudan , meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"

conventional long form:

Republic of the Sudan

conventional short form:

Sudan

local long form:

Jumhuriyat as-Sudan

local short form:

As-Sudan

former:

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Sudan

etymology:

the name derives from the Arabic balad-as-sudan , meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"

conventional long form:

United Republic of Tanzania

conventional short form:

Tanzania

local long form:

Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania

local short form:

Tanzania

former:

• German East Africa,
• Trust Territory of Tanganyika,
• Republic of Tanganyika,
• People's Republic of Zanzibar,
• United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

etymology:

the country's name is a combination of the first letters of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the two states that merged to form Tanzania in 1964

conventional long form:

Togolese Republic

conventional short form:

Togo

local long form:

République Togolaise

local short form:

none

former:

French Togoland

etymology:

• the name derives from the town of Togodo (now Togoville) on the northern shore of Lake Togo;
• the town's name probably comes from the lake's name, which is composed of the Ewe words to ("water") and go ("shore")

conventional long form:

Republic of Tunisia

conventional short form:

Tunisia

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

local short form:

Tunis

etymology:

the country name derives from the capital city of Tunis

conventional long form:

Republic of Uganda

conventional short form:

Uganda

etymology:

the name is derived from the Swahili word u , meaning "land" or "country," and the Ganda people; the origin of the Ganda name is unclear

conventional long form:

Republic of Zambia

conventional short form:

Zambia

former:

Northern Rhodesia

etymology:

name is derived from the Zambezi River, which flows through the western part of the country and forms the southern border with Zimbabwe

conventional long form:

Republic of Zimbabwe

conventional short form:

Zimbabwe

former:

• Southern Rhodesia,
• Rhodesia,
• Zimbabwe-Rhodesia

etymology:

• takes its name from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe (13th-15th century) and its capital of Great Zimbabwe, which was built of stone;
• the name Zimbabwe comes from the Bantu phrase zimba we bahwe , meaning "houses of stones;" the former name, Rhodesia, was derived from the name of British colonial administrator Cecil RHODES

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Antarctica

etymology:

• name derived from two Greek words,
• anti and arktikos ,
• meaning "opposite to the Arctic" or "opposite to the north"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Bouvet Island

etymology:

named after the French naval officer Jean-Baptiste Charles BOUVET who discovered the island in 1739

note: pronounced boo-vay i-land

conventional long form:

Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

conventional short form:

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

local long form:

Terres australes et antarctiques françaises

local short form:

Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises

abbreviation:

TAAF

etymology:

self-descriptive name specifying the territories' affiliation and location in the Southern Hemisphere

conventional long form:

Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands

conventional short form:

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

abbreviation:

HIMI

etymology:

named after US Captain John HEARD, who sighted the island on 25 November 1853, and US Captain William McDONALD, who discovered the islands on 4 January 1854

conventional long form:

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

conventional short form:

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

abbreviation:

SGSSI

etymology:

• Captain James COOK originally named it "the Isle of Georgia" in 1775 in honor of British King GEORGE III;
• the word "South" was later added to distinguish these islands from the other Sandwich Islands, now known as the Hawaiian Islands

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Greenland

local long form:

none

local short form:

Kalaallit Nunaat

etymology:

• named by Norse navigator Erik THORVALDSSON (Erik the Red) in A.D. 985 to attract settlers to the island;
• the original Greenlandic name, Kalaallit Nunaat, means "land of the people"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Iceland

local long form:

none

local short form:

Island

etymology:

Floki VILGERDARSON, an early Norse explorer of the island in the 10th century, applied the name "Land of Ice," from the local words ís (ice) and land (land)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Jan Mayen

etymology:

named after Dutch Captain Jan Jacobszoon MAY, one of the first explorers to reach the island in 1614

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago)

etymology:

• the archipelago was traditionally known as Spitsbergen, a Dutch name meaning "jagged peaks," but Norway renamed it Svalbard in the 1920s when it assumed sovereignty of the islands, from the Norwegian sval (cold) and bard (shore);
• the Norwegian name may have been used during the Norse era for other locations

conventional long form:

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021); current country name disputed

conventional short form:

Afghanistan

local long form:

Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021; current country name is disputed)

local short form:

Afghanistan

etymology:

• the name "Afghan" originally referred to the Pashtun people, but today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups;
• the suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so Afghanistan literally means the "Land of the Afghans"

conventional long form:

Republic of Armenia

conventional short form:

Armenia

local long form:

Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun

local short form:

Hayastan

former:

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Armenian Republic

etymology:

• the etymology of the country's name remains obscure;
• according to tradition, the local name for the country, Hayastan, comes from Hayk, the legendary patriarch of the Armenians and the great-great-grandson of Noah;
• the name Armenia was first recorded in a rock inscription from A.D. 521 in modern-day Iran

conventional long form:

Republic of Azerbaijan

conventional short form:

Azerbaijan

local long form:

Azarbaycan Respublikasi

local short form:

Azarbaycan

former:

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

the name can be translated as "Fire Keeper" or "The Land of Fire," from the local word azer , or "fire," and baydjan , a word derived from the Iranian word baykan , or "guardian;" may refer to fire worshippers who lived in the region

conventional long form:

People's Republic of Bangladesh

conventional short form:

Bangladesh

local long form:

Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh

local short form:

Bangladesh

former:

East Bengal, East Pakistan

etymology:

the name is a compound of the Bengali words Bangla (Bengali) and desh (country)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form:

Bhutan

local long form:

Druk Gyalkhap

local short form:

Druk Yul

etymology:

• name may derive from the Sanskrit words bhoṭa , the name for Tibet, and anta , meaning "end" -- a reference to Bhutan's location at the southernmost end of Tibet;
• the local Dzongkha name Druk Yul means "Land of the Dragon"

conventional long form:

British Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form:

none

abbreviation:

BIOT

etymology:

self-descriptive name specifying the territory's affiliation and location

conventional long form:

People's Republic of China

conventional short form:

China

local long form:

Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

local short form:

Zhongguo

abbreviation:

PRC

etymology:

• English name could be derived from the Qin (Chin, Ts'in) rulers in the 3rd century B.C., or from the province of Shaanxi (Shensi) with its capital of Xi'an (Sian);
• the Chinese name Zhongguo translates as "Central Nation" or "Middle Country"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Georgia

local long form:

Republic of Georgia

local short form:

Sak'art'velo

former:

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

• the Western name probably derives from the name of the local people, the Gurz, whose name origin is uncertain;
• the native name "Sak'art'velo" means "Land of the Kartvelians" and refers to the core central Georgian region of Kartli

conventional long form:

Republic of India

conventional short form:

India

local long form:

Republic of India (English)/ Bharatiya Ganarajya (Hindi)

local short form:

India (English)/ Bharat (Hindi)

etymology:

• the English name derives from the Indus River;
• the Indian name, Bharat, may derive from the Bharatas tribe mentioned in the Sanskrit Vedas (Hindu religious texts);
• the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of India

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Japan

local long form:

Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku

local short form:

Nihon/Nippon

etymology:

• the English word for Japan comes from the Chinese name for the country, Cipangu;
• both Nihon and Nippon come from the Japanese words nichi , or "sun," and hon , or "origin," which is frequently translated as "Land of the Rising Sun"

conventional long form:

Republic of Kazakhstan

conventional short form:

Kazakhstan

local long form:

Qazaqstan Respublikasy

local short form:

Qazaqstan

former:

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

the name may derive from the Turkic word kazak, meaning "nomad;" the Persian suffix - stan means "place of" or "country"

conventional long form:

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

conventional short form:

North Korea

local long form:

Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk

local short form:

Choson

abbreviation:

DPRK

etymology:

• derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.;
• the North Korean name "Choson" means "[Land of the] Morning Calm"

conventional long form:

Republic of Korea

conventional short form:

South Korea

local long form:

Taehan-min'guk

local short form:

Han'guk

abbreviation:

ROK

etymology:

• derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.;
• the South Korean name "Han'guk" derives from the long form, "Taehan-min'guk," which is itself a derivation from "Daehan-je'guk," which means "the Great Han Empire"

conventional long form:

Kyrgyz Republic

conventional short form:

Kyrgyzstan

local long form:

Kyrgyz Respublikasy

local short form:

Kyrgyzstan

etymology:

named for the local Kyrgyz people, with "-stan" coming from the Persian word ostan , meaning "country;" the Kyrgyz name may derive from the Turkic root words kir , or "steppe," and gismek , "to wander;" the name is traditionally said to come from a combination of the Turkic words kyrg (forty) and - is (hundred), based on a tale about two tribes and the number of their tents

conventional long form:

Republic of Maldives

conventional short form:

Maldives

local long form:

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

local short form:

Dhivehi Raajje

etymology:

the origin of the name is obscure but may derive from the Sanskrit word maladvipa , meaning "garland of islands;" the local name, Dhivehi Raajje, means "land of the Dhivehi people" in the local language

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Mongolia

local long form:

none

local short form:

Mongol Uls

former:

Outer Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic

etymology:

name comes from the Mongol people, whose name derives from the Mongol root word mengu or mongu , meaning "brave" or "unconquered;" the Mongolian name Mongol Uls translates as "Mongol State"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Nepal

local long form:

none

local short form:

Nepal

etymology:

the name probably comes from the Sanskrit term nepala , from the words for "fly down" and "house," which would refer to the villages at the base of the mountains

conventional long form:

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

conventional short form:

Pakistan

local long form:

Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan

local short form:

Pakistan

former:

West Pakistan

etymology:

• the name is said to have been proposed in the early 1930s by Muslim students at Cambridge University, created from the initials of Punjab, Afghanistan, and Kashmir;
• the word pak also means "pure" in Persian or Pashto, and the Persian suffix - stan means "place of" or "country," so Pakistan literally means "Land of the Pure"

conventional long form:

Russian Federation

conventional short form:

Russia

local long form:

Rossiyskaya Federatsiya

local short form:

Rossiya

former:

Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

etymology:

• Russian lands were referred to as Muscovy until PETER I declared the Empire of All Russias in 1721;
• the new name aimed at identifying the new Russia with European political tradition;
• "Rus" was the Old Finnish name given to Varangians (eastern Vikings) who entered the area in the 9th century

conventional long form:

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

conventional short form:

Sri Lanka

local long form:

Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sinhala)/ Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu (Tamil)

local short form:

Shri Lanka (Sinhala)/ Ilankai (Tamil)

former:

Serendib, Ceylon

etymology:

• the name is composed of the Sanskrit words shri (happiness or holiness) and lanka (island);
• the former name Serendib was an Arabic derivation of the Sanskrit word simhaladvipa , or "island of the place of lions;" the former name Ceylon came from the Sanskrit simha , or "lion"

conventional long form:

Republic of Tajikistan

conventional short form:

Tajikistan

local long form:

Jumhurii Tojikiston

local short form:

Tojikiston

former:

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

the Persian suffix - ostan means "land," so the country name means "Land of the Tajik [people];" the name Tajik comes from the Sanskrit tajika , a name originally used to distinguish Arabs from Turks and derived from the Tay, an Arab people

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Turkmenistan

local long form:

none

local short form:

Turkmenistan

former:

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

the suffix - stan means "land," so the country name means the "Land of the Turkmen [people];" the people's name means "Turk-like," from the Persian words tork and mandan , referring to their formerly nomadic lifestyle that differed from the settled Turks of Turkey

conventional long form:

Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form:

Uzbekistan

local long form:

O'zbekiston Respublikasi

local short form:

O'zbekiston

former:

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

• the name comes from the local people, the Uzbeks, whose name is said to have originated with Mongol leader Ghiyath ad-Din Muhammad UZBEK;
• the Persian suffix - stan means "country"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Anguilla

etymology:

in 1493, Christopher COLUMBUS named the island Anguilla, meaning "eel" in Spanish, because of the island's elongated shape

conventional long form:

Antigua and Barbuda

conventional short form:

Antigua and Barbuda

etymology:

• antiguo is Spanish for "ancient" or "old;" Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in 1493, after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville, Spain;
• barbuda is Spanish for "bearded" and may refer to the island's lichen-covered fig trees

conventional long form:

Country of Aruba

conventional short form:

Aruba

local long form:

Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)

local short form:

Aruba

etymology:

• the origin of the island's name is unclear;
• according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase oro hubo ("there was gold"), but no gold was ever found on the island;
• other possible sources are either the local word oruba ("well-situated") or a combination of two Carib Indian words, ora and oubao ("shell" and "island," respectively)

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

conventional short form:

The Bahamas

etymology:

• name may be derived from the Spanish baha mar , meaning "low sea," which describes the shallow waters of the Bahama Banks;
• alternatively, it may be a form of the local name Guanahani, which is of unknown origin and meaning

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Barbados

etymology:

the name is the plural of the Spanish word barbado and means "the bearded ones," which could refer either to the beard-like leaves of the island's fig trees or to the beards of Carib inhabitants

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Belize

former:

British Honduras

etymology:

• traditionally believed to be derived from the Spanish pronunciation of the last name of Scottish explorer Peter Wallace, who settled in the area in 1638;
• alternatively, may be named for the Belize River, whose name possibly derives from the Maya word "belix," meaning "muddy-watered"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

British Virgin Islands

abbreviation:

BVI

etymology:

the islets, cays, and rocks surrounding the major islands reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time was shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Cayman Islands

etymology:

Spanish explorers named the islands in the early 16th century, using the Carib word for marine crocodiles, caiman

conventional long form:

Republic of Costa Rica

conventional short form:

Costa Rica

local long form:

República de Costa Rica

local short form:

Costa Rica

etymology:

the name means "rich coast" in Spanish; Christopher COLUMBUS named it in 1502, referring to the region's abundant vegetation and water

conventional long form:

Republic of Cuba

conventional short form:

Cuba

local long form:

República de Cuba

local short form:

Cuba

etymology:

• the origin of the name is disputed;
• it could be derived from a local Taino word,
• either cubao ,
• meaning "where fertile land is abundant," or coabana,
• meaning "great place"

conventional long form:

Country of Curacao

conventional short form:

Curacao

local long form:

Land Curacao (Dutch)/ Pais Korsou (Papiamento)

local short form:

Curacao (Dutch)/ Korsou (Papiamento)

former:

Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

etymology:

the origin of the name is disputed; many historians now agree that the name derives from a similar-sounding word the original inhabitants used to describe themselves

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of Dominica

conventional short form:

Dominica

etymology:

the island was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS for the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday ( Domingo in Spanish, dominica dies in Latin), 3 November 1493

conventional long form:

Dominican Republic

conventional short form:

The Dominican

local long form:

República Dominicana

local short form:

La Dominicana

former:

Santo Domingo (the capital city's name formerly applied to the entire country)

etymology:

the name is a latinized form of the Spanish term Santo Domingo , meaning "holy Sunday;" Spanish explorers originally settled the island on a Sunday in 1496, and the name was first given to the island of Hispaniola as a whole in 1697

conventional long form:

Republic of El Salvador

conventional short form:

El Salvador

local long form:

República de El Salvador

local short form:

El Salvador

etymology:

• means "the Savior" in Spanish and is a shortened form of "the Divine Savior of the World" (el Divino Salvador del Mundo), referring to Jesus Christ;
• 16th-century Spanish colonists gave the name "San Salvador" to the fort located where the country's capital of San Salvador now stands, and the name was later used for the city and the surrounding region;
• the country was officially named El Salvador in 1824

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Grenada

etymology:

• origin of the name remains obscure;
• some sources attribute the designation to Spanish influence (most likely named for the Spanish city of Granada);
• in Spanish granada means "pomegranate"

conventional long form:

Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form:

Guatemala

local long form:

República de Guatemala

local short form:

Guatemala

etymology:

the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

conventional long form:

Republic of Haiti

conventional short form:

Haiti

local long form:

République d'Haïti (French)/Repiblik d Ayiti (Haitian Creole)

local short form:

Haïti (French)/ Ayiti (Haitian Creole)

etymology:

derived from the Arawak name Ayti, meaning "Land of Mountains," that was originally applied to the entire island of Hispaniola

conventional long form:

Republic of Honduras

conventional short form:

Honduras

local long form:

República de Honduras

local short form:

Honduras

etymology:

the name means "depths" in Spanish and refers to the deep anchorage in the northern Bay of Trujillo

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Jamaica

etymology:

from the Arawak word xaymaca , meaning "Land of Wood and Water" or possibly "Land of Springs"

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Montserrat

etymology:

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in 1493 after the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Navassa Island

etymology:

• the flat island was named "Navaza" by sailors with the Christopher COLUMBUS expedition in 1504;
• the name derives from the Spanish word nava , meaning "flat land or level ground"

conventional long form:

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form:

Nicaragua

local long form:

República de Nicaragua

local short form:

Nicaragua

etymology:

16th-century Spanish explorer Gil GONZALEZ Davila is said to have combined the name of a local chieftain, Nicarao, with the Spanish word agua (water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua)

conventional long form:

Republic of Panama

conventional short form:

Panama

local long form:

República de Panama

local short form:

Panama

etymology:

origin is unclear; may come from a Guarani word meaning "place of many fish"

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

conventional short form:

Puerto Rico

abbreviation:

PR

etymology:

• Christopher COLUMBUS originally named the island San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist) and the capital city and main port Cuidad de Puerto Rico (Rich Port City);
• over time, the names were shortened and transposed

conventional long form:

Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy

conventional short form:

Saint Barthelemy

local long form:

Collectivité d'outre mer de Saint-Barthélemy

local short form:

Saint-Barthélemy

abbreviation:

Saint-Barth (French)/ St. Barts or St. Barths (English)

etymology:

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in honor of his brother Bartolomeo in 1493

conventional long form:

Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

conventional short form:

Saint Kitts and Nevis

former:

Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

etymology:

• explorer Christopher COLUMBUS visited the islands in 1493 and named one for his own patron saint;
• a common nickname for Christopher during the following centuries was Kit or Kitt, and Saint Kitts is still referred to as Saint Christopher;
• the name of Nevis is said to derive from the original Spanish name "Las Nieves" (The Snows) and refers to its cloud-topped mountain

note: Nevis is pronounced NEE-vis

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Saint Lucia

etymology:

believed to be named after Saint LUCY (Sainte ALOUSIE) of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day

note: pronounced saynt-LOO-shuh

conventional long form:

Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin

conventional short form:

Saint Martin

local long form:

Collectivité d'outre mer de Saint-Martin

local short form:

Saint-Martin

etymology:

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint MARTIN of Tours during a visit on 11 November 1493, the saint's feast day

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

etymology:

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because 22 January 1498, the day of discovery, was the saint's feast day

conventional long form:

Country of Sint Maarten

conventional short form:

Sint Maarten

local long form:

Land Sint Maarten (Dutch)/ Country of Sint Maarten (English)

local short form:

Sint Maarten (Dutch and English)

former:

Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

etymology:

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in 1493 after Saint MARTIN of Tours because he visited on 11 November, the saint's feast day

conventional long form:

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

conventional short form:

Trinidad and Tobago

etymology:

• explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) in 1498, possibly because of the three mountain peaks on the island;
• COLUMBUS may have gotten the name Tobago, spelled "tobaco" in Spanish, from the tobacco grown and smoked locally, or from its elongated cigar shape

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Turks and Caicos Islands

abbreviation:

TCA

etymology:

• the Turks Islands are named after the Turk's cap cactus, which is native to the islands and appears on the flag and coat of arms;
• the name Caicos may derive from caya hico , a phrase meaning “string of islands” in the Lucayan (Arawak) language, or from the Spanish word cayo , meaning "rock"