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Nations' Original Names
 (United Nations members)



Peoplese

English

Original Name (language)

     
Afghanistan Afghanistan Afġānistān (Pashto)
Albania Albania Albania (Medieval Latin); Shqipëri (Albanian)
Algeria Algeria (Arabic) الجزائر‎, al-Jazā'ir; ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ, ed-dzayer (Berber); Algérie (French)
Andorra Andorra Principat d'Andorra (Catalan)
Angola Angola Ngola (Kikongo, Kimbundu, Umbundu); Angola (Portuguese)
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda Antigua, Barbuda (Spanish)
Argentina Argentina Argentina (Spanish)
Hayastan Armenia Հայաստան, Hayastan (Armenian); Αρμενια, Armenia (ancient Greek).  The native Armenian name for the country is `Hayk’. The name in the Middle Ages was extended to Hayastan, by addition of the Iranian suffix -stan (place).
Australia Australia Australia (English)
Osterreich Austria Österreich (German)
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Azərbaycan (Azerbaijani)
Bahamas Bahamas, The from "baja mar", shallow sea (Spanish)
Bahrain Bahrain (Arabic) ‏البحرين‎  al-Baḥrayn; (Persian) ‏بحرین‎ Bahreyn
Bangladesh Bangladesh বাংলাদেশ (Bengali)
Barbados Barbados maybe from "Los Barbudos", bearded ones (Spanish)
Belarus Belarus Белару́сь, Bielaruś (Belarusian)
Belgium Belgium België  (Flemish)
Belize Belize probably from "belix" / "beliz" (Mayan), translated as "Belize" (Spanish, year 1677)
Benin Benin name chosen for its neutrality, from Benin empire
Bhutan Bhutan འབྲུག་ཡུལ་ brug-yul (Dzongkha), possibly from Bhoṭa-anta (भोट-अन्त, "end of Tibet" (Sanskrit)
Bolivia Bolivia Bolivia (Spanish)
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina probably from river Bossina (Latin), later renamed river Bosna
Botswana Botswana Lefatshe la Botswana (Tswana)
Brasil Brazil Brasil (Portuguese)
Brunei Brunei Brunei Darussalam (Malay), (Jawi) نڬارا بروني دارالسلام (Arabic) دولة بروناي، دار السلام‎
Bukina Faso Bukina Faso Bukina Faso (French)
Bulgaria Bulgaria България (Bulgarian)
Burundi Burundi Republika y'Uburundi (Kirundi)
Kampuchea Cambodia Kampuchea (Khmer)
Cameroun Cameroon République du Cameroun (French)
Canada Canada Canada (English)
Cape Verde Cape Verde Cabo Verde (Portuguese)
Central African Republic Central African Republic République centrafricaine (French)
Chad Chad (Arabic) تشاد‎  Tšād
Chile Chile Chile (Spanish)
China China 中国  "middle kingdom" (Chinese); zhōng guó (Mandarin Chinese pronunciation)
Colombia Colombia Columbia (Spanish)
Komori Comoros Udzima wa Komori (Comorian)
Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica (Spanish)
Hrvatska Croatia Hrvatska
Cuba Cuba Cuba (Spanish)
Cyprus Cyprus Κύπρος (Greek); Kıbrıs (Turkish)
Czech Republic Czech Republic Česká republika (Czech)
Congo-Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo République démocratique du Congo (French), formerly Zaire
Danmark Denmark Danmark (Danish)
Djibouti Djibouti (Arabic) جيبوتي‎ Jībūtī
Dominica Dominica Dominica (Latin for "Sunday")
Republica Dominicana Dominican Republic República Dominicana (Spanish)
Timor Leste East Timor Timor Leste (Tetum).  Timor, east (Indonesian & Malay) + Leste, east (Portuguese)
Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador (Spanish)
Egypt Egypt مصر‎(Arabic) Miṣr
El Salvador El Salvador El Salvador (Spanish, "the savior")
Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea Guinea Ecuatorial (Spanish)
Eritrea Eritrea Eritrea - the Italian form of the Greek name Ἐρυθραίᾱ (Erythraíā ), meaning "red [land]"
Estonia Estonia Eesti Vabariik (Estonian)
Ethiopia Ethiopia ኢትዮጵያ (Amharic)
Fiji Fiji Viti Levu (main island), pronounced by Tongans "Fisi", which English explorers pronounced "Fiji".
Suomi Finland Suomi (Finnish); Finland (Swedish)
France France France (French)
Gabon Gabon République Gabonaise
Gambia Gambia Gambia (English, from Gambia river)
Sakartvelo Georgia საქართველო Sakartvelo (Georgian)
Deutschland Germany Deutschland (German)
Ghana Ghana Ghana, "warrior king", from the medieval western African Ghanan empire
Greece Greece Ελλάδα (Greek)
Grenada Grenada at the southern end of Grenadines island chain
Guatamala Guatamala Guatamala (Spanish)
Guinea-Conakry Guinea, Guinea-Conakry Guinée (French)
Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau Guiné-Bissau (Portuguese)
Guyana Guyana, French Guiana Guyane française (French)
Haiti Haiti Ayit (Haitian Crole), Haiti (French)
Honduras Honduras Honduras (Spanish)
Magyar Hungary Magyarország (Hungarian)
Iceland Iceland Ísland (Islandic)
India India भारतीय गणराज्य Bhāratiya Gaṇarājya;  भारत Bhārat [short form] (Hindi)
Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia (Greek derived)
Iran Iran ایران (Persian)
Iraq Iraq (Arabic)   al-‘Irāq  العراق‎
Eire Ireland Éire (Irish) - consisting of the entire island west of Great Britian
Italia Italy Italia (Italian)
Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast Côte d'Ivoire (French)
Jamaica Jamaica Xaymaca (Arawakan)
Nihon Japan 日本 (Japanese)
Jordan Jordan (Arabic)  Al-ʾUrdunn  اَلأُرْدُنّ
Kashmir Kashmir (Kashmiri) کٔشِیر / कॅशी [Claimed by both India and Pakistan.]
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Қазақстан Qazaqstan (Kazakh)
Kenya Kenya Kenya (English)
Kiribati Kiribati Kiribati (Gilbertese), from English "Gilbert" islands, name chosen by citizens.
Kosovo Kosovo Kosovë (Albanian); Косово (Serbian)     [Serbia claims it wtihin its sovereign territory.]
Kuwayt Kuwait (Arabic) دولة الكويت‎ Dawlat al-Kuwayt
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Кыргыз Республикасы (Kyrgyz)
Lao Laos ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ  Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao (Lao)
Latvia Latvia Latvija (Latvian)
Libnan Lebanon (Arabic) لبنان‎ Libnān or Lubnān
Lesotho Lesotho Lesotho (Sesotho)
Liberia Liberia Liberia (English, from "liberty", because colonized by freed North American slaves)
Libya Libya (Arabic) ‏ليبيا‎ Lībyā: ⵍⵉⴱⵢⴰ Libya (Berber)
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (German)
Lietuva Lithuania Lietuva (Lithuanian)
Letzebuer Luxembourg Lëtzebuer (Luxembourgish)
Macedonia Macedonia Македонија, Makedonija (Macedonian)
Madagasikara Madagascar Madagasikara (Malagasy)
Malawi Malawi Malaβi (Chewa, also known as Nyanja)
Malaysia Malaysia [name from the Malay kingdoms]
Maldives Maldives mālādvīpa (Sanskrit) or මාල දිවයින Maala Divaina, "Necklace Islands" (Sinhala) => Maldivische (Dutch) => Maldives (English)
Mali Mali Mali (French)
Malta Malta Repubblika ta' Malta (Maltese)
Marshall Islands Marshall Islands Aolepān Aorōkin M̧ajeļ (Marshallese)
Muritania Mauritania (Arabic) موريتانيا‎ Mūrītānyā; Muritanya / Agawej (Berber); Gànnaar (Wolof); Murutaane (Soninke); Moritani (Pulaar); Mauritanie (French)
Maurice Mauritius Maurice (French).  No indigenous peoples; unoccupied when European explorers arrived.
Mexico Mexico México
Micronesia Micronesia μικρός, mikrós, "small" + νῆσος, nēsos, "island" (Greek)
Moldova Moldova Republica Moldova (Moldovan, Romanian), name from Moldova river
Monaco Monaco Principatu de Múnegu (Monégasque), Principauté de Monaco (French)
Mongolia Mongolia Монгол улс  (Mongolian), land of Mongols
Tsrna Gora Montenegro Crna Gora, transliterated Tsrna Gora, "black mountain" (Montenegrin)
Maghrib Morocco (Arabic) المغرب‎ al-Maghrib;  ⴰⵎⵕⵕⵓⴽ or ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ (Berber, Ameṛṛuk or Lmaġrib); Maroc (French)
Mosambique Mozambique Moçambique (Portuguese)
Myanma Myanmar, Burma Myanma (Burmese)
Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետություն Lernayin Gharabaghi Hanrapetut’yun (Armenia).  [Claimed by Azerbaijan.]
Namibia Namibia Namibië (Afrikaans); Namibia (German)
Nauru Nauru Nauru
Nepal Nepal नेपाल Neˈpal (Nepali)
Nederland Netherlands, Holland Nederland (Dutch)
Aotearoa New Zealand Aolearoa, "land of long white cloud" ( Māori)
Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua (Spanish)
Nijer Niger Niger, named after river Niger
Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria, named after river Niger
North Korea North Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 (Korean)
Norway Norway Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk); Nóregr (Old Norse), from norğ vegr (meaning "north way")
Oman Oman (Arabic) سلطنة عُمان‎ Salṭanat ʻUmān
Pakistan Pakistan (Urdu) اِسلامی جُمہُوریۂ پاكِستان‎, Islāmī Jumhūriya-ē Pākistān
Palau Palau Beluu or Belau (Palauan)
Canaan Palestine, Israel Παλαιστίνη, Palaistinē (Greek); Palaestina (Latin);  פלשתינה Palestina (Hebrew)
Panama Panama Panamá  (Spanish)
Papau New Guinea Papau New Guinea Papua Niugini (Tok Pisin)
Paraguay Paraguay Tetã Paraguái (Guaraní)
Peru Peru Perú (Quechua)
Filipinas Philippines Pilipínas (Tagalog)
Polska Poland Polska (Polish)
Portugal Portugal Portugal (Portuguese)
Qatar Qatar (Arabic) قطر‎ Qaṭar
Abkhaza Republic of Abkhazia Аҧсны́ Apsny (Abkhazia).  [Claimed by Georgia / Sakartvelo]
Congo-Brazzaville Republic of the Congo République du Congo (French)
Romania Romania România (Romanan)
Rossiya Russia Россия, Rossiya (Russian)
Rwanda Rwanda Repubulika y'u Rwanda (Kinyarwanda)
Liamulga-Oualie Saint Kitts and Nevis (ethymology confusing and uncertain)
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Sainte-Lucie (French)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (English)
Samoa Samoa Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Sāmoa (Samoan)
San Marino San Marino Repubblica di San Marino (Italian)
Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome and Principe São Tomé and Príncipe (Portuguese)
Arabiyah as Saudiyah Saudi Arabia (Arabic) السعودية‎ as-Su‘ūdiyyah
Senegal Senegal Sénégal (French)
Serbia Serbia Република Србија, Republika Srbija (Serbian)
Seychelles Seychelles Creole: Repiblik Sesel (Creole); République des Seychelles (French)
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Serra Leoa, "lioness mountains" (Portuguese)
Singapore Singapore Malay word Singapura (Malay), from सिंहपुर,"Lion City" (Sanskrit)
Slovakia Slovakia Slovensko (Slovak)
Slovania Slovenia Slovenija (Slovene)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Solomon Islands (English)
Somalia Somalia Soomaaliya (Somali)
Somailand Somaliland Somaliland (Somali)
South Africa South Africa Republic of South Africa (English)
South Korea South Korea Korean: 대한민국 (Korean); 大韓民國 Daehan Minguk (Hanja)
South Sudan South Sudan South Sudan, from (Arabic) السودان‎ as-Sūdā, Sudan
Espanya Spain España (Spanish)
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka ශ්‍රී ලංකාව, śrī laṃkāva (Sinhala), Tamil: இலங்கை, ilaṅkai (Tamil); formerly Ceylon
Sudan Sudan (Arabic) السودان‎ as-Sūdā
Suriname Suriname Republiek Suriname (Dutch)
Swaziland Swaziland Umbuso weSwatini (Swazi)
Sverige Sweden Sverige (Swedish)
Schweizerische Switzerland Schweiz (German), Suisse (French)
Syria Syria Arabic: سوريا‎ / ALA-LC: Sūriyā, or سورية / Sūrīyah; Syriac: ܣܘܪܝܐ; Kurdish: سوریه‌, Sûrî),
Taiwan Taiwan 台湾 (Chinese), tái wān (Mandarin Chinese pronunciation)  [Claimed by China]
Tajikistan Tajikistan Тоҷикистон, Tajikistan, "Land of the Tajiks"
Tanzania Tanzania Tanzania (Swahili)
Thailand Thailand ประเทศไทย, Prathet Thai (Thai)
Togo Togo République Togolaise (French)
Tonga Tonga Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga (Tongan)
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (English).  Etymology uncertain.
Tunisia Tunisia (Arabic) تونس‎ Tūnis
Turkiye Turkey  Türkiye, "Türk  + land of" (Turkish)
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Türkmenistan (Turkmen)
Tuvalu Tuvalu Tuvalu (English)
Uganda Uganda Uganda, name  Buganda kingdom
Ukraine Ukraine Україна, Ukrayina (Ukrainian)
Emerates United Arab Emirates (Arabic) دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة‎ Dawlat al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabiyyah al-Muttaḥidah
Britian United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland Great Britian (English) -  consisting of England, Scotland, Wales, and surrounding tiny islands
USA United States of America United States of America (English)
Uruguay Uruguay República Oriental del Uruguay (Spanish)
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan O‘zbekiston Respublikasi, Ўзбекистон Республикаси (Uzbek).  Uzbekistan:  land of Uzbeks
Vanuatu Vanuatu Ripablik blong Vanuatu (Bislama)
Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela (Spanish)
Vietnam Vietnam Việt Nam (Vietnamese)
Yemen Yemen (Arabic) اليَمَن‎ al-Yaman
Zambia Zambia [named after Zambiya, a former king]
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe [named after the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, 1220-1450 CE]

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