Why do/did some countries have the definite article prepended to their names?

[zeno]

The Sudan
The Gambia
The Ukraine

[zeno]

I meant definite article, but I can't edit the title

[Desert Nomad]

In the case of Sudan, the name means "south" or "southern lands". When I was in Sudan, no one used "The".

[orcenio]

In the case of Sudan, the name means "south" or "southern lands". When I was in Sudan, no one used "The".I thought Sudan meant 'black land' as in "The land of Blacks."

[Colibri]

We did this one a few weeks ago. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616909)

Usually, it's because the country's name derives from a wider region. In the case of "the Ukraine" and "the Sudan," these are actually the names of the region; the names of the countries are just "Ukraine" and "Sudan."

[Colibri]

I meant definite article, but I can't edit the title

Fixed.