List of alternative country names
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 a description, that is, 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.
Contents |
[edit] B
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh (common, English) |
East Pakistan, East Bengal (former names, English), People's Republic of Bangladesh (official, English) |
| Benin (common, English) |
Dahomey (former name), Republic of Benin (official, English), République du Bénin (official, French) |
| Botswana (common, English) |
Bechuanaland (former, English), Republic of Botswana (official, English) |
| Brazil (common, English) |
Pindorama (native, pre-colonization, Tupi-Guarani), Terra de Santa Cruz (early portuguese colonization) |
| Burkina Faso (official, English and French) |
Upper Volta (former name, English), Haute-Volta (former name, French) |
[edit] C
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Canada (official, English and French) |
Dominion of Canada (historical long form, English), Dominion du Canada (historical long form, French) |
| Central African Republic (official, English) |
Oubangui-Chari (former, French), Ubangi-Shari (English), République Centrafricaine (official, French) |
| People's Republic of China (official, English) |
China/中国 (common, ambiguous), 中华人民共和国 (official, Chinese), PRC (initialism), Communist China (colloquial, mainly used by Western countries), Red China (colloquial, mainly derogatory), 中共 (colloquial, mainly used by the ROC), Mainland China/中国大陆/中国內地 (colloquial, refers to the area that the PRC Government administers since the end of the Chinese Civil War) , New China/新中国 (colloquial, pro-Communist), Shenzhou/神州, Ch'in Empire, Cathay |
| Republic of China (official, English) |
Taiwan/臺灣 (common, slightly inaccurate), 中華民國 (official, Chinese), ROC (initialism), Chinese Taipei/中華台北 (international designation), Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu/台灣、澎湖、金門及馬祖個別關稅領域 (international designation), Taipei, China (international designation), Taiwan, Province of China (UN designation), Nationalist China (obsolete), Free China (obsolete, pro-Nationalist), Formosa (the old name of Taiwan, the main island that the ROC Government administers since the end of the Chinese Civil War) |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo (official, English) |
Zaire (former name; still occasionally used to distinguish it from Republic of the Congo), DRC (initialism), Congo Kinshasa (used in contrast to "Congo Brazzaville"), Belgian Congo (former name during Belgian colonization, English), Congo belge (former name, French) |
| Republic of Croatia (official, English) |
Republika Hrvatska (official, Croatian; also in Serbian, Slovenian, Macedonian, Bosnian) |
[edit] D
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Djibouti (common) |
French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, French Somaliland, Obock Territory (former names, English), Territoire français des Afars et des Issas, Côte française des Somalis, Territoire d'Obock (former names, French), Republic of Djibouti (official, English), République de Djibouti (official, French) |
[edit] F
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| French Republic (official, English) |
France (common, English and French), République Française (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) |
|---|---|
| Federal Republic of Germany (official, English) |
Germany (common, English), Deutschland (common, German), Bundesrepublik Deutschland (official, German; formerly meant only West Germany), BRD (German initialism), Allemagne (common, French), Alemania (common, Spanish), Germania (common, Italian), Alemanha (common, Portuguese)Niemcy (common, Polish) - from a Slavic root meaning "dumb" |
| Greece (official English description) |
Hellas (official and common name), Ελλάδα ("Hellada" common name in Greek), Ελλάς ("Hellas" official description in Greek), Hellenic Republic (official name of Greek state, English) |
| Guinea-Bissau (common, English) |
Portuguese Guinea (former, English), Republic of Guinea-Bissau (official, English) |
[edit] I
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| India |
Bhārat (official name in Hindi), Bhārat Gaṇarājya (official long form in Hindi), Republic of India (official long form in English), Union of India, Hindustan (unofficial name in Hindi/Urdu), Hind (name in Arabic/Persian/Urdu) |
| Iraq |
Mesopotamia (former name) |
| Iran |
Persia (former name) |
| Ireland |
Ireland (official English name), Republic of Ireland (official English description), Éire (official Irish name), Poblacht na hÉireann (official Irish description), Erin (poetic name), Hibernia (Latin name, also poetic), Banba, Fodla (both poetic) |
[edit] K
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Kazakhstan (common, English) |
Republic of Kazakhstan (official English long name), Kazakstan (English passport short name), Rebublic of Kazakstan (English passport long name), Қазақстан (official Kazakh short name), Қазақстан Республикасы (official Kazakh long name), Qazaqstan (Kazakh short name in latin script), Alash / Алаш / Alaş (former name, also poetic) |
[edit] L
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Lesotho (common, English) |
Basutoland (former, English), Kingdom of Lesotho (official, English) |
[edit] M
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Malawi (common) |
Nyasaland (former, English), Republic of Malawi (official, English) |
| Mexico (shortened form) |
United Mexican States (official), Estados Unidos Mexicanos (official, Spanish), Mejico (Variant), MEX (initialism), MX (initialism) |
[edit] N
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (common, English) |
Kingdom of the Netherlands (official, English), Kingdom of Holland (former official name, English), Batavian Republic (former official name, English), Dutch Republic (former official name, English), United Provinces (former common name), Seventeen Provinces or Low Countries (former official names when united with Belgium and Luxembourg, English) |
| New Zealand (official, English) |
Aotearoa (official, Maori) |
[edit] P
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Poland (common, English) |
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 Narodów (historic official name, Polish) |
[edit] R
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Russia | Russian Federation (official English description), Российская Федерация (official Russian), Russia (official and common name, ambiguous, English), Россия (common, Russian), RF (initialism), Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (former name), RSFSR (former name initialism), Rus (poetic or obsolete name, ambiguous), Roos (Hindi name), Great Russia (obsolete name) |
[edit] S
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (official, English) |
Saudi Arabia (common, English), KSA (initialism), Saudia (former in English, common in Arabic) |
| Serbia and Montenegro | Srbija i Crna Gora (common, Serbian), Drzavna Zajednica - Srbija i Crna Gora (official, Serbian), State Union - Serbia and Montenegro (official, English), SCG (initialism, local), S&M (initialism), S&MN (initialism), Yugoslavia (former name, still in use) |
| Spain | España (common, Spanish), Reino de España (official, Spanish), Espanya (common, Catalan) |
| Sri Lanka (common, English) |
Ceylon (former, English), Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (official, English) |
| Suriname (common, English) |
Dutch Guiana (former, English), Republic of Suriname (official, English) |
| Swiss Confederation (official, English) |
Switzerland (common, English), Suisse (common, French), Confédération suisse (official, French), Schweiz (common, German), Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (official, German), Svizzera (common, Italian), Confederazione Svizzera (official, Italian), Svizra (common, Romansh), Confederaziun Svizra (official, Romansh), Confoederatio Helvetica, Helvetia (Latin, sometimes used officially), CH (initialism) |
[edit] T
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Taiwan |
Formosa (former name) |
| Tanzania (common, English) |
United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar (former, English), United Republic of Tanzania (official, English). The country is named after Tanganyika, its mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off its east coast. |
| Thailand |
Siam (former name), Kingdom of Thailand (official, English) |
| Transnistria |
Pridnestrovie (official shortform name), Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (official, longform) |
[edit] U
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| United States (shortened form) |
United States of America (official), America or the States (colloquial), U.S. (initialism), USA (initialism)) |
| United Kingdom (shortened form) |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (official, English), Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon (official, Welsh), Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn a Tuath (official, Scottish Gaelic), Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann (official, Irish Gaelic), Rywvaneth Unys Breten Veur hag Iwerdhon Gledh (official, Cornish), Unitit Kinrick o Great Breetain an Northren Ireland (Scots), Britain (colloquial), Great Britain (incorrect, colloquial), England (incorrect, colloquial), UK (initialism) United Kingdom (short form), Albion (Latin, poetic), Caledonia for Scotland only (Latin, poetic) |
[edit] V
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Vietnam (common) |
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. |
[edit] Z
| Description | Other name(s) or older name(s) |
|---|---|
| Zambia (common) |
Northern Rhodesia (former, English), Republic of Zambia (official, English) |
| Zimbabwe (common) |
Rhodesia or Republic of Rhodesia (former names, English), Republic of Zimbabwe (official, English) |
