The Meaning of the Names of Countries Around the World: Some Are Complex While Others Are Surprisingly Simple

A name is an important proper noun that identifies a territory, country, and serves as a designation of a community to the world.

In fact, not every country has a deeply meaningful name; some simply refer to the land of the Belgians, the land of the Angolans, and so on. Many countries around the world derive their names from geographical features, climate, or wildlife. For example, Andorra means “the land covered with bushes,” Spain means “the land with many rabbits,” Iraq means “between two rivers,” and Macedonia means “the land of tall people.” Here are some interesting country names that might surprise many:

Brazil: A Type of Red Resin Tree

When the Portuguese invaded, they discovered the pau-brasil (brazilwood) tree, which produces red dye. Thus, they named their colony Brazil based on the name of this tree, and it has been used ever since.

Canada: The Village

Although Canada is a large country with many provinces, its name means simply “the village” due to a misunderstanding stemming from a language barrier. In the 1500s, French explorers first arrived in Canada. The indigenous people used the word kanata (“village”) to guide them, but the explorers mistakenly thought this was the proper name of the place and referred to the land as Canada.

Chile: The Land at the End

The indigenous people of Chile used to call the land “the place where the land ends” or “the deepest point of the Earth.”

Ethiopia: The Land of Burnt Faces

The name Ethiopia was given by Greek sailors. When they discovered the land in northeastern Africa, they created this name from the words aitho (burnt) and ops (face) to describe the people they encountered.

Japan: The Origin of the Sun

It is no coincidence that Japan is called the land of the rising sun. In Japanese, the country’s name is Nippon or Nihon, meaning “the origin of the sun.” Located to the east of China, this is also where the sun is first seen rising.

Mexico: In the Navel of the Moon

In what is now Mexico, there once stood an Aztec city named to honor the war god Mexitli. His name is a combination of metztli (moon) and xictli (navel). Literally, it means “in the navel of the moon,” but it is often interpreted more poetically as “the child of the moon.”

Myanmar: Agile and Strong

Myanmar or Mranma is an ancient name that the people use to express their qualities.

Nauru: I Go to the Beach

Nauru is an island in Oceania, located south of the Marshall Islands. Its local name is Nawodo or Onawero. The name of this self-governing island has a cheerful meaning, which is “I go to the beach.”

Qatar: Rain

The meaning of this name in Arabic is “raindrop” or “rain.” The reason is simple: it rains a lot in Qatar.

Tuvalu: Eight People Standing Together

Tuvalu is an island nation consisting of nine islands in Oceania. In the past, only one of the nine islands was inhabited. The people on that island named the entire area quite oddly as Tuvalu, which means “eight people standing together.”

Uzbekistan: The Land of Real Men

“The land of” (stan) is placed behind the name of the Uzbek ethnic group, the largest ethnic group in the country. Uzbek means “real man.”

Venezuela: Little Venice

This South American country is named after a small city in faraway Italy. When explorer Amerigo Vespucci sailed along the South American coast, they saw houses built on stilts. This house style reminded them of Venice, so they named the region Veneziela, meaning “little Venice.”

Yemen: The Land of Happiness

The original name of Yemen was Arabia Felix, which in Latin means “happy” or “fortunate.” In Arabic, “happiness” is yumn.

Mali: Hippopotamus

The African region called Mali is named after a common animal found there, the hippopotamus. Historically, the Mali Empire was quite large in West Africa, and the name of this powerful animal reflects the might of the kingdom.

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