List of alternative country names

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Jump to: navigation, search Most countries of the world have alternative names. Some countries have also undergone name changes for political or other reasons. This article attempts to give all known alternative names and initialisms for all nations, countries and sovereign states, in English and any predominant or official languages of the country in question. Countries are listed alphabetically by their description, the most common name or term that is politically neutral and unambiguous. This may followed by a note as to the status of the description used.

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1A 2B 3C 4D 5E 6F 7G 8H 9I 10 J 11 K 12 L 13 M 14 N 15 P 16 R

17 S 18 T 19 U 20 V 21 Z 22 See also 23 References

[edit] A
Description Albania (common, English) Algeria (common, English) Armenia (common, English) Australia (common, English) Austria (common, English) Other name(s) or older name(s) Republic of Albania (official, English), Shqipria (common, Albanian) Republika e Shqipris (official, Albanian) People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (official, English), al-Jazir (common, Arabic), al Jumhuriyya al Jazaa'iriyya ad-Dmuqriyya ash Sha'biyya (official, Arabic) Hayastan (transliterated Armenian, original: ) Commonwealth of Australia (official, English), New Holland (former name, English) Republic of Austria (official, English), Republik sterreich (official, German), sterreich (common, German)

[edit] B
Description Bangladesh (common, English) Belarus (common, English) Benin (common, English) Other name(s) or older name(s) East Pakistan, East Bengal (former names, English), People's Republic of Bangladesh (official, English) Republic of Belarus (official, English), Gudija (Lithuanian), Byelorussia (former name), White Russia (outdated) Dahomey (former name), Republic of Benin (official, English), Rpublique du Bnin (official, French)

Botswana (common, English) Brazil (common, English) Burkina Faso (official, English and French)

Bechuanaland (former, English), Republic of Botswana (official, English) Pindorama (native, pre-colonization, Tupi-Guaran), Terra de Santa Cruz (early Portuguese colonization), United States of Brazil (former, English), Federative Republic of Brazil (official, English) Upper Volta (former name, English), Haute-Volta (former name, French), Bourkina-Fasso (unofficial French form in the first few days after the 1984 change from Upper Volta until the government clarified the official spelling)

[edit] C
Description Cambodia (common, English) Canada (official, English and French) Central African Republic (official, English) Chile (official, English) Other name(s) or older name(s) Kingdom of Cambodia (official, English), Royaume du Cambodge (official, French), Kampuchea (former officially-sanctioned common name in the English language and transliteration from Khmer language), Khmer Republic (former official), Democratic Kampuchea (former official), People's Republic of Kampuchea (former official), State of Cambodia (former official) Dominion of Canada (historical long form, English), Dominion du Canada (historical long form, French) Oubangui-Chari (former, French), Ubangi-Shari (English), Rpublique Centrafricaine (official, French), Empire Centrafricain (former official, French), Central African Empire (English) Chilli (Aymara), Chili (Quechua), Reyno de Chile (colonial Spanish), Capitania general de Chile (colonial Spanish)

China/ (common, ambiguous), (official, Chinese), PRC (initialism), Communist China (colloquial, mainly used by Western countries), People's Red China (colloquial, mainly derogatory), (colloquial and mainly Republic of derogatory, mainly used by the ROC with a cognate used in Vietnam), China Mainland China/ / (colloquial, refers to the area that the PRC (official, Government administers since the end of the Chinese Civil War), New China/ English) (colloquial, pro-Communist), Shenzhou/ , Ch'in Empire, Cathay (obsolete, now mainly used poetically) Zaire (former official name, 1971 to 1997; still occasionally used to distinguish Democratic it from Republic of the Congo), DRC (initialism), Congo Kinshasa (used in Republic of the contrast to "Congo Brazzaville"), Belgian Congo (former name during Belgian Congo colonization, 1908 to 1960, English), Congo belge (former name, French), (official, Congo Free State (former name, 1885 to 1908), Republic of the Congo English) (former name, 1960 to 1964, during which time both Congos had identical official names) Republic of the Congo (common), Congo Brazzaville (used in contrast to "Congo Kinshasa"),

Congo (official, English) Cte d'Ivoire (common, French and official, English) Croatia (official, English) Czech Republic (official, English)

French Congo (former name during French colonization, 1880 to 1910, English) Ivory Coast (common, English), the Republic of Cte d'Ivoire has asked that the French name be used in all languages Hrvatska (official, Croatian; also in Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin), Hrvaka (Slovenian) esk republika (official, Czech, Slovak), esko (common, Czech, Slovak), Czechia (abbreviated, English), Bohemia (former, English)

[edit] D
Description Djibouti (common) Denmark (common, English) Other name(s) or older name(s) French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, French Somaliland, Obock Territory (former names, English), Territoire franais des Afars et des Issas, Cte franaise des Somalis, Territoire d'Obock (former names, French), Republic of Djibouti (official, English), Rpublique de Djibouti (official, French) Danmark (common, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian)

[edit] E
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Egypt Mir (formal shortened, Arabic), Mer (common, Arabic), Aegypt (former, Latin), (common) Kmi (Coptic) Estonia Eesti (common, Estonian), Viru (poetic, Estonian) (common) Ethiopia Abyssinia (former), Habeshastan (Turkish), Federal Democratic Republic of (common) Ethiopia (official, English), Ethiopi (common, Dutch), Al-Habasha (Arabic)

[edit] F
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Republic of Finland (common, English and Swedish), Suomi (common, Finnish), Suomen Finland tasavalta (official, Finnish), Republiken Finland (official, Swedish), Soome (official, (common, Estonian) English)

French Republic (official, English)

France (common, English and French), Rpublique Franaise (official, French), L'Hexagone (often journalistic, colloquial French), Gaul (former name, English), Gaule (former name, French)

[edit] G
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Georgia Iberia (former, English, East Georgia), Colchis (former, English, West (official, Georgia), Iveria (usually used as Christian name), Republic of Georgia English) (former, before the 1995 Constitution), Sakartvelo (in their own language) Federal Germany (common, English), Deutschland (common, German), Republic of Bundesrepublik Deutschland (official, German; formerly meant only West Germany Germany), Duitsland (common, Dutch) BRD (German initialism), East (official, Germany, German Democratic Republic, GDR, Deutsche Demokratische English) Republik or DDR Greece Hellas (official and common name), ("Hellada" common name in (official English Greek), ("Hellas" official description in Greek), Hellenic Republic description) (official name of Greek state, English) Portuguese Guinea (former, English), Republic of Guinea-Bissau (official, Guinea-Bissau English), Guin-Bissao (archaic, Portuguese), Guinea (shorthand, used when (common, context clearly distinguishes Guinea-Bissau from the neighboring Republic of English) Guinea)

[edit] H
Description Hungary (common, English) Other name(s) or older name(s) Republic of Hungary (official, English), Magyar Kztrsasg (official, Hungarian), Magyarorszg (common, Hungarian)

[edit] I
Description Iceland Other name(s) or older name(s) Iceland (official English name), Republic of Iceland (official English description), sland (official Icelandic name), Lveldi sland (official Icelandic description), Fold (poetic name), Thule (Latin name, also poetic), Frn, safold (both poetic) Bhrat (official name in Hindi), Bhrat Gaarjya (official long form in Hindi), Republic of India (official long form in English), Union of India, Hindustan (unofficial name in Hindi/Urdu), (Al-)Hind (name in Arabic/Persian/Urdu), Aryavarta (name in Sanskrit) Nusantara (dating back from Hindu era), Insulinde (from the Colonial era), Indunesia (suggestion for Dutch East Indies' modern name), Indonesi (common, Dutch)

India

Indonesia

Iran Iraq Ireland

Israel Italy

Persia was coined by ancient Greeks referring to Iran, which has always been the local name. Use of the Greek name continued in the west until 1932, when upon Iran's request, the local name of Iran became the internationally legal name, replacing Persia. Though both still remain in use today, outside of legal sphere. Mesopotamia (former name) ire (official Irish name), Ireland (official English name), Irish Free State (1922 1937), Poblacht na hireann (official Irish description), Republic of Ireland (official English description), Saorstt ireann (Irish 1922-1937), Erin, Banba, Fodla (three poetic names), Hibernia (Latin name, also poetic) State of Israel (official English name), Medinat Yisra'el (official Hebrew name), Dawlat Isra'il (official Arabic name), the Jewish State (unofficial), the Hebrew State (unofficial), State of the Jews (unofficial), Palestine of '48 (Arabic, indicates non-recognition), the Zionist Entity (English) Repubblica Italiana (official Italian name)

[edit] J
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Jamaica Xamayca (Spanish version of Taino name) Nippon ( ?) (official name in Japanese), Nihon (alternate, more common reading of in Japanese), Yamato (?) or (historic, ancient Japan), yashima ( Japan ? ) (meaning the country of eight great islands, historic), Cipangu/Zipangu or Gipangu (appeared in The Travels of Marco Polo in the 13th century) Jordan Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (official, English)

[edit] K
Description Kazakhstan (common, English) Kenya (conventional short form) Other name(s) or older name(s) Republic of Kazakhstan (official English long name), Kazakhstan (English passport short name), Republic of Kazakhstan (English passport long name), (official Kazakh short name), (official Kazakh long name), Qazaqstan (Kazakh short name in Latin script), Alash / / Ala (former name, also poetic) Republic of Kenya (official, English), Jamhuri ya Kenya (official, Swahili), British East Africa Protectorate (former name when held in protectorate status prior to becoming a colony starting in the 1880s until 1920), Kenya Colony (former name during British colonization, from the 1920 until 1963)

[edit] L
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Latvia Latvija (common, Latvian) (common, English)

Lesotho Basutoland (former, English), Kingdom of Lesotho (official, English) (common, English) Lithuania Lietuva (common, Lithuanian), (Litva) (common, Russian) (common, English)

[edit] M
Description Malawi (common) Other name(s) or older name(s) Nyasaland (former, English), Republic of Malawi (official, English)

Persekutuan Malaysia (official long form, Malay), Federation of Malaysia (official long form, English), Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak (former, English Malaysia names of the various components), Tanah Melayu or Malay Land (former, (official) Malay), / Mlixy (common, Mandarin), / Malesiya (common, Tamil) Mauritania Islamic Republic of Mauritania (official, English), Rpublique Islamique de (common) Mauritanie (official, French) United Mexican States (official), Estados Unidos Mexicanos (official, Mexico Spanish), Mxico (Spanish short form), Repblica Mexicana (Only heard in (shortened form) Mexico, colloquial, Spanish), Mjico (Spanish variant), MEX (initialism), MX (initialism) Republic of Macedonia (official Macedonian), Macedonia, MKD (official) Republic of Moldova (official), Republica Moldova (official, Moldovan), Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (former Soviet name, English), (former Soviet name, Moldova Moldovan), Bessarabia, Bassarabia(historic name, still used by irredentists), Bodan ('Land of Voyvoda I. Bogdan', former common and official name during Ottoman Empire, Turkish) Montenegro (official, English Crna Gora (official, Montenegrin, Serbian and Croatian), Mali i Zi (official, and other Albanian) languages)

[edit] N
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Nederland (Dutch), het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (official Dutch), Netherlands[1] Kingdom of Holland (former official name, English), Holland (common, (official, English, Dutch and other languages), Bataafse Republiek (former official name, English) Dutch), Batavian Republic (former official name, English), Republiek der Zeven Vereenigde Nederlanden (former long official name, Dutch), Republic

New Zealand (official, English) Norway (common, English)

of the Seven United Netherlands (former long official name, English), Dutch Republic (former short official name, English), United Provinces (former common name), Seventeen Provinces or Low Countries (a former official name when united with Belgium and Luxembourg, English) Aotearoa (official, Maori), Realm of New Zealand (official English name including Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and Ross Dependency), Dominion of New Zealand (former official, English) Norge (common, Norwegian Bokml, Danish, Swedish), Noreg (common, Norwegian Nynorsk), Kingdom of Norway (official, English), Kongeriket Norge (official, Norwegian Bokml), Kongeriket Noreg (official, Norwegian Nynorsk)

[edit] P
Description Pakistan (common, English) Palau (common, English) Other name(s) or older name(s) Islamic Republic of Pakistan (official and constitutional, English), Federation of Pakistan (alternate official name, English), Dominion of Pakistan (historic official name, English), West Pakistan (common and later official name for the area now covering Pakistan, used when discussing the polity before the secession of Bangladesh), (unofficial historical names) Sindhustan and Indosyncthia Republic of Palau (official, English), Belau (common, Palauan; was also sometimes used by English speakers who supported Palauan independence before it was gained in 1994) Republic of Poland (official, English), Rzeczpospolita Polska (official, Polish), Polska (common, Polish), RP (often journalistic, Polish), People's Republic of Poland (former Communist name, English), Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa (former Communist name, Polish), Rzeczpospolita (historic common name, Polish), Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (historic official name, English), Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodw (historic official name, Polish), United Commonwealth of the Two Nations (historic official name, English) Portuguese Republic (official, English), Lusitania (official, Latin), GalaicoPortuguese nation and Portucale from the Gallaeci tribe (Celtic Gale and roman-celtic Portus Cale) and Galician-Portuguese (ethnic term derived from the original language); Ophiussa also spelled Ophiusa (the ancient Greek name of what is now the Portuguese territory. It means Land of Serpents); Portugalliae and Lusitaniae (Latin); Regno Portugalensium and Portugalis (Latin, Medieval); Portugalliae et Algarbiae; Purtugall (Middle Ages); Burtughl is the word for Portugal and orange in Arabic (Portuguese influence and expansion); Portingall or Portingal (common classical English and other late medieval Germanic languages); Ocidental Praia Lusitana (Western Lusitanian Beach) and Ptria Lusitana (Lusitanian Fatherland) from the national poem Os Lusadas and from all Epic Poetry and Chronicles of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Luxitania and Portugraal (Port of Grail) in Esotericism and metaphysical literature.

Poland (common, English)

Portugal

Philippines (official, English) Puerto Rico (common, English and Spanish)

Islas de San Lasarus (former named by Ferdinand Magellan), Las Islas Felipenas (named by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos), Republika ng Pilipinas, Pilipinas, Pinas (Colloquial), RP (English, Official) Filipina (Malay, common) Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico (official, Spanish), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (official, English), Porto Rico (archaic, English), Associated Free State of Puerto Rico (non-official literal translation to English of the official Spanish name), Borikn, Borinquen, or Borinken (former Tano name also used colloquially and among nationalists)

[edit] R
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Russian Federation (official English description), (official Russian), Russia, (official and common name, ambiguous, English), (old Russian Rossiya, modern Russian Rassiya) (common, Russian), RF (initialism), Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (former name), RSFSR (former name initialism), Rus (poetic or obsolete name, ambiguous), Great Russia (obsolete name) Romnia (official, Romanian), Rumania or Roumania (archaic, English), Kingdom of Romania (name under monarchy, English), Regatul Romniei (name under monarchy, Romanian), Romanian People's Republic (former Communist name, English), Republica Popular Romn (former Communist name, Romanian), Socialist Republic of Romania (former Communist name, English), Republica Socialist Romnia (former Communist name, Romanian) Republic of Rwanda (official, English), Rpublique du Rwanda (official, French), Repubulika y'u Rwanda (official, Kinyarwanda), "Pays des mille collines" (poetic, French), Ruanda (former colonial name)

Russia

Romania

Rwanda

[edit] S
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (co-official, English), Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis (co-official, English), Saint Christopher and Nevis (alternate short-form, English), Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (former official, English), Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla (former common, English), Saint Kitts or Saint Christopher (shorthand, English), Liamuiga and Oualie (former indigenous names of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, respectively) Saudi Arabia (common, English), KSA (initialism), Saudia (former in English, common in Arabic) Al Mumlaka Al-Arribiyyah As-saudiyyah (official name in Arabic) Serbia (common, English), Servia (archaic, English), Srbija (common, Serbian), Republika Srbija (official, Serbian), Serbia and Montenegro

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (official, English) Republic of Serbia

(official, English) Republic of Singapore (official, English) South Africa (common, English)

(former common, English), Yugoslavia (former common, English) Singapore (common, English), Singapura (common, Malay), Sinhapura (Sanskrit, i.e., Land of Lions), Xnjip/ (common, Chinese), Cikappr/ (common, Tamil), Pulau Ujong (historical, ancient), Shnan-t/ (former, Japanese occupation), little red dot (colloquial; originally derogatory) Azania, Mzansi (Xhosa, for South), Suid-Afrika (official, Afrikaans), ZuidAfrika (former official, Dutch) Espaa (common, Spanish), Reino de Espaa (official, Spanish), Espanya (common, Catalan), Espainia (common, Euskera), Spanish State (former name, also used now with political nuances), la piel de toro (Spanish) / la pell de brau (Catalan) ("the bull hide", metaphoric name after the shape of the Iberian Peninsula), Las Batuecas (derogatory name in the works of Mariano Jos de Larra) Ceylon (former, English), Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (official, English), Heladiva (Land of Sinhalese) (former, Sinhala), Ratnadeepa (Island of Gems) (former, Sinhala), elangai (official, Tamil), Taprobane (one of the medieval names of Sri Lanka) Republic of Sudan (official, English), The Sudan (alternate English), AngloEgyptian Sudan (colonial name, English), Mahdist State (former English unofficial), Nubia (ancient name, also poetic) Dutch Guiana (former, English), Netherlands Guiana (former official, English), Republic of Suriname (official, English), Republiek Suriname (official, Dutch), Surinam (English name until 1978) Sverige (common, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian), Konungariket Sverige (official, Swedish), Kingdom of Sweden (official, English), Svea Rike (possibly former/poetical, Swedish), Thule (Latin name, also poetic), Svitjod (Old Norse) Switzerland (common, English), Schweiz (common, German, Danish, Swedish), Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (official, German), Suisse (common, French), Confdration suisse (official, French), Svizzera (common, Italian), Confederazione Svizzera (official, Italian), Svizra (common, Romansh), Confederaziun Svizra (official, Romansh), Confoederatio Helvetica, Helvetia (Latin, sometimes used officially), CH (initialism)

Spain

Sri Lanka (common, Sanskrit, English) Sudan Suriname (common, English) Sweden (common, English) Swiss Confederation (official, English)

[edit] T
Description Taiwan Other name(s) or older name(s) Republic of China (official, English), (official, Chinese), (common, Chinese), ROC (initialism), Chinese Taipei/ (international designation), Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu/ (international designation), Taipei, China (designation used by

China to imply that Taiwan is part of China), Taiwan, Province of China (UN designation), Nationalist China (obsolete), Free China (obsolete, pro-Nationalist), Formosa (former, English) United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar (former, English), United Tanzania Republic of Tanzania (official, English). Deutsch-Ostafrika, together with (common, Ruanda and Urundi (= German East Africa, colonial name until 1918). The country English) is named after Tanganyika, its mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off its east coast. Thailand Siam (former name), Kingdom of Thailand (official, English) Pridnestrovie (official shortform name), Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Transnistria Respublica (official, longform) (official, Arabic)(common, French, English) Tunisia Tunisia (official shortform name), Republic of Tunisia (official, longform), , (official, Arabic) Republic of Turkey (official, English), Trkiye Cumhuriyeti (official, Turkish), Asia Minor (geographical, English), Anatolia (geographical, English), Ottoman Turkey Empire (former, English), Turkish Empire (former unofficial, English), Porte or Sublime Porte (English descriptions of the former Ottoman state) Tuvalu (short- and long-form name, English and Tuvaluan), Ellice Islands Tuvalu (colonial name, English)

[edit] U
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) United States United States of America (official), America (colloquial), the States (shortened (colloquial), US, U.S., USA, Usa, U.S.A. (initialism), Columbia (Latin, poetic) form) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (official, English), United Britain (colloquial), Great Britain (colloquial), UK (initialism), United Kingdom Kingdom (short form), Albion (poetic, Latin), Perfidious Albion if you are an (shortened old enemy of this country (mainly humorous today), Anglia (poetic, Latin, form) England), Alba (Scottish, Gaelic), Caledonia (poetic, Latin), Cymru (official, Welsh), Ulster (colloquial, Northern Ireland) United Arab United Arab Emirates (English), Trucial States (English, prior to 1971) Al Emirates Emirat Al Arrabbiyah Al Mutahidah (official, Arabic) UAE (English (shortened initialism) form)

[edit] V
Description Vanuatu (common) Other name(s) or older name(s) New Hebrides (former name under British and French condominium rule from 19061980, Niuhebridis (Bislama), Nouvelles Hebrides (former official name in French), Rpublique de Vanuatu (French), Ripablik blong Vanuatu (Bislama),

Vietnam (common)

Vanuatri (jocular name used in humour)[citation needed] Champa (Sanskrit), French Indochina (former name under French colonization when united with Laos and Cambodia, English), Socialist Republic of Vietnam (official, English), parted in North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) from 1954 to 1975, Cng ha X hi Ch ngha Vit Nam (official, Vietnamese), Vit Nam (short form, Vietnamese)

[edit] Z
Description Other name(s) or older name(s) Zambia Northern Rhodesia (former, English), Republic of Zambia (official, English) (common) Zimbabwe Rhodesia or Republic of Rhodesia (former names, English), Republic of (common) Zimbabwe (official, English), Southern Rhodesia (former, English)