# countries named after people
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 13, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338 "2001-05-13T20:52:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/1 "2001-05-13T20:52:53Z")
How many countries were named after a person? I can think of a few: Israel, Bolivia, Columbia, Georgia. But perhaps I’m missing some. Is there a more complete list out there?
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/2 "2001-05-13T21:00:44Z")
erm, America?
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/3 "2001-05-13T21:05:19Z")
Saudi Arabia (after ibn Saud); Russia (if you’re going to have Israel, you should have Russia, named after the Rus people.
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### Author:  [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/4 "2001-05-13T21:07:02Z")
Anything with a “Saint” in it.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/5 "2001-05-13T21:09:21Z")
Rhodesia
Tasmania
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/6 "2001-05-13T21:11:30Z")
Looking at this list:
[List of Member States of the United Nations](http://www.un.org/Overview/unmember.html)
I will guess these:
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Philippines (?)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Solomon Islands
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/7 "2001-05-13T21:16:46Z")
_vis-à-vis_ Rhodesia and Tasmania: if we start including geographical place names, then the list would probably be immense.
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/8 "2001-05-13T21:21:41Z")
This is probably a stupid question, but what about Chad?
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### Author:  [@squib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squib)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/9 "2001-05-13T21:32:47Z")
Yeah. And what about Jordan?
You could make a case for Romania, I think.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/10 "2001-05-13T21:41:56Z")
Romania, named after the Romans, who were named after Rome, which was named after Romulus (if you accept mythic figures).
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### Author:  [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/11 "2001-05-13T21:47:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ruadh \*
> \*\*erm, America? \*\*
America’s a continent.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/12 "2001-05-13T21:50:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Derleth \*
> \*\*This is probably a stupid question, but what about Chad? \*\*
Victor in the tragic war against the neighboring state of Jeremy, which was subsequenty annexed.
Apologies to squib, who beat me to Romania.
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/13 "2001-05-13T21:58:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jbird3000 \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by ruadh \*
> > \*\*erm, America? \*\*
>
> America’s a continent. \*\*
Two continents, actually (I can be just as pedantic as you). However, it also forms (part of) the name of a country and is frequently used to refer specifically to that country. Therefore, a valid answer.
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### Author:  [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/14 "2001-05-13T22:04:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ruadh \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by jbird3000 \*
> > \*\*
> >
> > > [@](#):
> > >
> > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \*
> > > \*\*erm, America? \*\*
> >
> > America’s a continent. \*\*
>
> Two continents, actually (I can be just as pedantic as you). However, it also forms (part of) the name of a country and is frequently used to refer specifically to that country. Therefore, a valid answer. \*\*
Shuddup. 🙂
But the original question is “How many countries were named after a person?”
The country was, and still is, named “The United States of America”. Any slang usage is irrelevant.
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### Author:  [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/15 "2001-05-13T22:04:49Z")
[[Victor in the tragic war against the neighboring state of Jeremy, which was subsequenty annexed.]]
I’m pretty sure their national anthem is “Willow Weep for Me.”
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### Author:  [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/16 "2001-05-13T22:07:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by curwin \*
> **Georgia.**
Not to be pedantic, but:
Georgia, the U.S. state, is named after a person, King George. The baltic nation of Georgia, however, is not.
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/17 "2001-05-13T22:11:06Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jbird3000 \*
> \*\*The country was, and still is, named “The United States of America”. Any slang usage is irrelevant. \*\*
I await your critique of the inclusion of the Russian Federation, the Republica de Bolivia and the State of Israel on this list :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/18 "2001-05-13T22:15:50Z")
Tchad was so named by the french from Lake Tchad, and from the Encyclopedia Britannica article, it seems pretty clear that Jordan was named after the river Jordan. Of course, one would need to know how the lake and river got their name. But if you go back far enough, you might find that the Mongols called themselves that because of some guy with the first name Mongo. That doesn’t mean that Mongolia is named after him.
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### Author:  [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/19 "2001-05-13T22:21:36Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ruadh \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by jbird3000 \*
> > \*\*The country was, and still is, named “The United States of America”. Any slang usage is irrelevant. \*\*
>
> I await your critique of the inclusion of the Russian Federation, the Republica de Bolivia and the State of Israel on this list :rolleyes: \*\*
Well I don’t know about the histories behind those countries, but inclusion of words like “Republic” or “State” do not disqualify them, if that’s what you mean. “United States of America” is different than something like “The Republic of China”.
USA: “The unition of states contained in America”
Republic of China: “A republic which is called China”
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2001, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countries-named-after-people/65338/20 "2001-05-13T22:22:38Z")
The Falkland Islands
named after the 2nd Viscount of Falkland
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