List of countries named after people

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This is a list of countries and dependent territories named after people.

Contents

Sovereign countries named after people

CountrySource of name
Azerbaijan Atropates (initially Atropatene in Ancient Greek, the name evolved to Azerbaijan in Persian)
Bolivia Simón Bolívar
Colombia Christopher Columbus
Dominican Republic Saint Dominic
Eswatini (Swaziland) King Mswati II
Georgia (country) Saint George
Kiribati Thomas Gilbert ("Kiribati" is the Gilbertese rendition of "Gilberts")
Marshall Islands John Marshall
Mauritius Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Mozambique Mussa Bin Bique
Nicaragua Nicarao
Peru Birú, a local ruler who lived near the Bay of San Miguel, Panama City, in the early 16th century. [1]
Philippines King Philip II of Spain
Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Christopher
Saint Lucia Saint Lucy
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent of Saragossa
San Marino Saint Marinus
São Tomé and Príncipe Saint Thomas, and the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid
Saudi Arabia Saud Bin Muhammad
Seychelles Jean Moreau de Séchelles
United States of America Amerigo Vespucci (see Naming of America)
Uzbekistan Öz Beg Khan
Venezuela (The Bolivarian Republic of) Simón Bolívar (for the "Bolivarian Republic" part), the name Venezuela is derived from Venice. See: Venezuela#Etymology

Countries named after legendary figures

CountrySource of name
Afghanistan Supposedly named after tribal chief Prince Afghana. [2]
Armenia (Hayastan) Hayk
Bangladesh from "Bengal", which, according to one hypothesis, is named after Bang, son of Hind, son of Ham, son of Noah [3] [4] [5]
Belarus Rus
Cambodia Sage Kambu Swayambhuva
Czech Republic Čech
Denmark Dan I of Denmark
Djibouti "Djibouti" means "Land of Tehuti" or "Land of Thoth", after the Egyptian Moon God
Hungary Hunor (or Magyarország — Magor)
Bhārat (India) Dushyanta's son Bharata or Rishabha's son Bharata [6]
Egypt Misr in Arabic, Misrayim in Hebrew, named after the biblical figure Mizraim.
El Salvador Jesus (literally, The Saviour)
Israel Jacob, who was also called Israel in the Bible
Éire (Ireland) Éire (Ériu), a Celtic fertility goddess
Italy Italus
Laos possibly after Lava
Lechia (historical and/or alternative name of Poland) Lech
Norway Nór (although other etymologies are generally more widely accepted)
Romania from "Rome" (the modern capital city of Italy) / "Roman", which possibly comes from Romulus
Russia Rus
Solomon Islands King Solomon of Israel and Judah
Somalia Supposedly named after Samaale. [7]

Former countries named after people

CountrySource of name
Principality of Antioch, now part of Turkey Antiochus, father of Seleucus I Nicator
Kingdom of Dahomey and Republic of Dahomey, now part of Benin Chief Dan, who was killed by Chief Dakodonu in a dispute after sarcastically saying "shall I open up my belly and build a palace inside it?"; Dan=chief, xo=Belly, me=Inside of [8]
Lotharingia (Lorraine), now part of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands Lothair II
Rhodesia (former name of Zimbabwe) Cecil Rhodes
Samo's Empire Samo, a Slavic king
Seljuk Empire Seljuk, legendary founding warlord of the Seljuk Empire
Sultanate of Rum (Saljuqiyan-i Rum)
Ottoman Empire Osman I, founder of the empire
Umayyad Caliphate Umayya ibn Abd Shams
Abbasid Caliphate Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib
Achaemenid Empire Achaemenes
Sasanian Empire Sasan
Hamdanid state Hamdan ibn Hamdun
Timurid Empire Timur
Idrisid state Idris I
Idrisid Emirate of Asir
Ayyubid Sultanate Najm al-Din Ayyub
Mirdasid state Mirdas ibn Idris, father of Salih ibn Mirdas
Jabrids Emirate Jabr ibn Mady
Arsacid Empire Arsaces I
Usfurid Emirate Usfur ibn Rashid
Samanid Empire Saman Khuda
Buyid Emirate Buya ibn Panah-Khusrow, father of Imad al-Dawla, founder of the emirate, and his brothers Rukn al-Dawla and Mu'izz al-Dawla
Zirid state Ziri ibn Manad
Aghlabid Emirate al-Aghlab ibn Salim, father of Ibrahim I ibn al-Aghlab
Hammadid Sultanate Hammad ibn Buluggin
Marinid Sultanate Marin ibn wartajin
Jarwanid Emirate Jarwan ibn Nasser
Nasrid Kingdom of Granada Nasr ibn al-Aḥmar
Safavid Empire Safi-ad-din Ardabili
Seleucid Empire Seleucus I Nicator
Ptolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy I Soter
Qedarite Kingdom Qedar, son of Ishmael
Gupta Empire Gupta
Mazyadid Emirate Mazyad ibn Marthad
Artuqid State Artuk Bey
Rashidi Emirate Rashid ibn Hamad
Numayrid Emirate Numayr ibn Āmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa
Uqaylid Emirate Uqayl ibn Ka'b ibn Rabi'a ibn Āmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa
Shah Mir Sultanate Shah Mir
Fatimid Empire Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad
Tulunid Emirate Tulun, father of Ahmad ibn Tulun
Sur Empire Sher Shah Suri

Dependent territories named after people

TerritorySource of name
Baker Island Michael Baker
Bermuda Juan de Bermúdez
Bouvet Island Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier
Clipperton Island John Clipperton
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Captain William Keeling
Cook Islands Captain James Cook
Falkland Islands Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland
Gibraltar Tariq ibn Ziyad (from Jabal Ṭāriq, meaning 'Mountain of Tariq')
Jan Mayen Jan Jacobszoon May van Schellinkhout
Jarvis Island Edward, Thomas and William Jarvis
Johnston Atoll Captain Charles J. Johnston
Kingman Reef Captain W. E. Kingman
Isle of Man Manannán mac Lir [9]
Montserrat Our Lady of Montserrat (Virgin Mary)
Norfolk Island Wife of Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk
Northern Mariana Islands Mariana of Austria
Peter I Island Peter the Great
Queen Maud Land Maud of Wales
Pitcairn Islands Robert Pitcairn (midshipman)
Saint Barthélemy Saint Bartholomew
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Helena of Constantinople and Tristão da Cunha
Saint Martin Martin of Tours
Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Peter and Saint Michael
Sint Maarten Martin of Tours
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands George II of Great Britain and John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
Virgin Islands Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins
Wake Island William Wake
Wallis and Futuna Samuel Wallis

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan</span> Country in Central Asia

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's capital and largest city. According to the World Population review, as of 2023, Afghanistan's population is 43 million. The National Statistics Information Authority of Afghanistan estimated the population to be 32.9 million as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Afghanistan</span>

The history of Afghanistan, preceding the establishment of the Emirate of Afghanistan in 1823 is shared with that of neighbouring Iran, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The Sadozai monarchy ruled the Afghan Durrani Empire, considered the founding state of modern Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Pakistan</span>

The History of Pakistan precedes the country's independence in 1947. Although Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent country by the British through the partition of British India, the history of Pakistan extends much further back and is intertwined with that of Afghanistan, India, and Iran. Spanning the northwestern expanse of the Indian subcontinent and the eastern borderlands of the Iranian plateau, the region of present-day Pakistan served both as the fertile ground of a major civilization and as the gateway of South Asia to Central Asia and the Near East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashtuns</span> Ethnic group native to Pakistan and Afghanistan

Pashtuns, also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are a nomadic, pastoral, Eastern Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. They historically were also referred to as Afghans until the 1970s after the term's meaning had become a demonym for members of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindu Kush</span> Mountain range near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan

The Hindu Kush is an 800-kilometre-long (500 mi) mountain range on the Iranian Plateau in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and eastern Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan and far southeastern Tajikistan. The range forms the western section of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region (HKH); to the north, near its northeastern end, the Hindu Kush buttresses the Pamir Mountains near the point where the borders of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet, after which it runs southwest through Pakistan and into Afghanistan near their border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashtunistan</span> Geographic region historically inhabited by the Pashtun people

Pashtunistan is a historical region in South Asia, located on the Iranian Plateau, inhabited by the Pashtun people of southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, wherein Pashtun culture, the Pashto language, and identity have been based. Alternative names historically used for the region include Pashtūnkhwā (پښتونخوا), Pakhtūnistān, Pathānistān, or simply the Pashtun Belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baloch people</span> Ethnolinguistic group native to South Asia and Iran

The Baloch or Baluch are a nomadic, pastoral, ethnic group which speaks the Western Iranic Balochi language and is native to the Balochistan region of South and Western Asia, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. There are also Baloch diaspora communities in neighbouring regions, including in Central Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maratha Confederacy</span> Indian political entity (1674–1818)

The Maratha Confederacy, also referred to as the Maratha Empire, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states often subordinate to the former. It was established in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as the Maratha Chhatrapati and recognised by Emperor Bahadur Shah I as a tributary state in 1707 following a prolonged rebellion. Following this, the Marathas continued to recognise the Mughal emperor as their nominal suzerain, similar to other contemporary Indian entities, though in practice, imperial politics at Delhi were largely influenced by the Marathas between 1737 and 1803.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Afghanistan</span> Ethnic group

Hinduism in Afghanistan is practiced by a tiny minority of Afghans, about 30-40 individuals as of 2021, who live mostly in the cities of Kabul and Jalalabad. Afghan Hindus are ethnically Pashtun, Hindkowan (Hindki), Punjabi, or Sindhi and primarily speak Dari, Pashto, Hindko, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan (ethnonym)</span> Historic term for ethnic Pashtun people

The ethnonym Afghan has been used historically to refer to the Pashtuns. Since the second half of the twentieth century, the term "Afghan" evolved into a demonym for all residents of Afghanistan, including those outside of the Pashtun ethnicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balochistan</span> Region of southwestern Asia

Balochistan, also spelled Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region of desert and mountains is primarily populated by ethnic Baloch people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Afghanistan</span>

Afghanistan is an Islamic state, in which most citizens follow Islam. As much as 90% of the population follows Sunni Islam. According to The World Factbook, Sunni Muslims constitute between 84.7 and 89.7% of the population, and Shia Muslims between 10 and 15%. Other religions are followed by 0.3% of the population.

The Gurjar are an agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, pastoral and nomadic activities and formed a large heterogeneous group. The historical role of Gurjars has been quite diverse in society: at one end they have been founders of several kingdoms and dynasties and, at the other end, some are still nomads with no land of their own.

Pashtunization, is a process of cultural or linguistic change in which someone or something non-Pashtun becomes acculturated to Pashtun influence. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and second-largest in Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian subcontinent</span> Physiographical region in South Asia

The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia, mostly situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geographically, it spans the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, the British Indian Ocean Territory, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Although the terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are often used interchangeably to denote the region, the geopolitical term of South Asia frequently includes Afghanistan, which is not considered a part of the subcontinent, while excluding the British Indian Ocean Territory which is geologically associated with the subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Asia</span> Subregion of Asia

South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethnic-cultural terms. With a population of 2.04 billion living in South Asia, it contains a quarter (25%) of the world's population. As commonly conceptualized, the modern states of South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with Afghanistan also often included, which may otherwise be classified as part of Central Asia. South Asia borders East Asia to the northeast, Central Asia to the northwest, West Asia to the west and Southeast Asia to the east. Apart from Southeast Asia, Maritime South Asia is the only subregion of Asia that lies partly within the Southern Hemisphere. The British Indian Ocean Territory and two out of 26 atolls of the Maldives in South Asia lie entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian subcontinent and is bounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Pamir Mountains in the north.

The Abhira people were a legendary people mentioned in ancient Indian epics and scriptures. A historical people of the same name are mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The Mahabharata describes them as living near the seashore and on the bank of the Sarasvati River, near Somnath in Gujarat and in the Matsya region also.

Hazara culture refers to the culture and tradition of the Hazara people, who live primarily in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, the Balochistan province of Pakistan, and elsewhere around the world where the Hazara diaspora is settled as part of the wider Afghan diaspora.

The Golla are a Telugu-speaking pastoral community primarily living in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana with smaller numbers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are related to other pastoral-herding castes like Gulla, Gullar, Gollewar, Gavli and Dhangar and are a part of the larger Yadav community. They are classified as a Other Backward Caste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aparna Rao</span> German anthropologist

Aparna Rao was a German anthropologist who performed studies on social groups in Afghanistan, France, and some regions of India. Her doctorate studies focused on anthropogeography, ethnology, and Islamic studies. Rao taught anthropology at the University of Cologne, serving for a brief time as chair of the Department of Ethnology at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany.

References

  1. Porras Barrenechea, Raúl. El nombre del Perú. Lima: Talleres Gráficos P.L. Villanueva, 1968, p. 83.
  2. India and the Afghans: a study of a neglected region, 1370-1576 A.D., Amrendra Kumar Thakur, Janaki Prakashan, 1992 - 231 pages, Covers the history of Bihar during the Afghan rule in India. Page 2 & 9.
  3. Land of Two Rivers, Nitish Sengupta
  4. Abu'l-Fazl. Ain-i-Akbari.
  5. RIYAZU-S-SALĀTĪN: A History of Bengal Archived 15 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine , Ghulam Husain Salim, The Asiatic Society, Calcutta, 1902.
  6. Roshen Dalal (2010). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin Books India. p. 57. ISBN   978-0-14-341517-6.
  7. Lewis, Ioan M. (1961). A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 11–13. ISBN   9780852552803.
  8. Monroe, J. Cameron (2011). "In the Belly of Dan: Space, History, and Power in Precolonial Dahomey". Current Anthropology. 52 (6): 769–798. doi:10.1086/662678. S2CID   142318205.
  9. "Manannán mac Lir | Irish deity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 10 November 2020.