# Place names with a definite article **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425 "2022-03-03T18:58:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/21 "2022-03-03T19:56:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > > [@mcgato](#): > > > > I think that officially, it is known as “The Gambia” for reasons that I do not know. > > To prevent confusion with Zambia. ? How is The Gambia different from other river names like The Bronx, The Congo, The Niger, etc.? > [@DocCathode](#): > > I discussed this with a Russian acquaintance last year. In English “the Ukraine” is wrong. In Russian, it depends on which version of “the” is used. He listed them and explained the differences. I can’t remember the details. I may not be Pushkin, but I am pretty sure there are no definite articles in Russian. Not that one can’t play games with prepositions and such. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/22 "2022-03-03T20:08:57Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > > [@mcgato](#): > > > > > > I think that officially, it is known as “The Gambia” for reasons that I do not know. > > > > To prevent confusion with Zambia. > > ? How is The Gambia different from other river names like The Bronx, The Congo, The Niger, etc.? I’m talking about the country. Zambia became independent in 1964. When the colony of Gambia gained independence in 1965, they added “the” to prevent confusion, since the two words sounded much the same. Here’s what Wikipedia says: > In 1964, shortly prior to the country’s independence, then-Prime Minister [Dawda Jawara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawda_Jawara) wrote to the [Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Committee_on_Geographical_Names_for_British_Official_Use) requesting that the name _the Gambia_ retain the definite article, in part to reduce confusion with [Zambia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia) which had also recently become independent ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/23 "2022-03-03T20:09:47Z")
At least in California, there’s a tendency to refer to freeways with a definite article, such as “the 5” for I-5. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/24 "2022-03-03T20:11:13Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > ? How is The Gambia different from other river names like The Bronx, The Congo, The Niger, etc.? As I said in my initial post, most geographical features that span over an area have a definite article. Rivers, deserts, forests. I don’t think mountains usually do because they are a specific place, but mountain ranges do. (It’s Mount Everest, not **The** Mount Everest, but it is in The Himalayas.) Maybe that’s the most common denominator? As alluded to by @What_Exit. If you can point to a particular spot, there is no article, but if it spreads out there is. Think New York City versus the New York Metropolitan Area. Rivers pass through large areas, while lakes do not. Seas and oceans tend to spread out though, so they often have articles. It seems to me, that’s the determining factor in the English language. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/25 "2022-03-03T20:20:55Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I don’t think mountains usually do because they are a specific place, but mountain ranges do. (It’s Mount Everest, not **The** Mount Everest, but it is in The Himalayas.) The Matterhorn? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/26 "2022-03-03T20:28:03Z")
El Capitan, too, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/27 "2022-03-03T20:32:26Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > At least in California, there’s a tendency to refer to freeways with a definite article, such as “the 5” for I-5. Before the Bay Area hippies weigh in on this, let me note that using “the” before a freeway number is a _Southern_ California thing. It’s how we keep from being lumped in with the riff-raff up north. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/28 "2022-03-03T20:41:48Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Before the Bay Area hippies weigh in on this, let me note that using “the” before a freeway number is a _Southern_ California thing. It’s how we keep from being lumped in with the riff-raff up north. 😛 I think I picked that up from living in the Santa Barbara area for a few years early in my relationship with DH (I grew up in Oregon, moved to California at age 24, am now 52). We both still do that, even after over 15 years in the Central Valley, which if I’m not mistaken is considered northern California, and I don’t get funny looks from other people here. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/29 "2022-03-03T20:45:20Z")
Central California gets a pass. Only right since they have to have Fresno. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/30 "2022-03-03T21:01:18Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > The Matterhorn? That is one of those unusual exceptions, yes. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/31 "2022-03-03T21:04:08Z")
Also the Eiger, the Monch, and the Jungfrau. I’m guessing it’s a German thing. ---
**Author:** ![anny\_m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@anny\_m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anny_m)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/32 "2022-03-03T22:34:57Z")
There’s also The Villages in Florida. I’m not very familiar with the place, but I have the impression it’s composed of neighborhoods and not individual villages. My own theory is that they added the S so it wouldn’t be confused with The Village in _The Prisoner_, to which I think it has a more than passing similarity. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/33 "2022-03-03T22:37:52Z")
Strangely there is a community outside Annapolis called The Village. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/34 "2022-03-03T23:16:35Z")
What about El Paso, La Brea, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/35 "2022-03-03T23:31:21Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > La Brea A.k.a. the La Brea Tar Pits, or “the the tar tar pits.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/36 "2022-03-03T23:35:36Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Maybe that’s the most common denominator? As alluded to by @What_Exit. If you can point to a particular spot, there is no article, but if it spreads out there is. Think New York City versus the New York Metropolitan Area. Rivers pass through large areas, while lakes do not. Seas and oceans tend to spread out though, so they often have articles. It seems to me, that’s the determining factor in the English language. The Great Salt Lake covers a lot less territory than Lake Erie, Lake Superior, etc. Though all of those lakes together are “The Great Lakes”. And while seas might usually be very large, The Sea of Galilee should really just be called a lake. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/37 "2022-03-03T23:39:59Z")
Does “The Ozarks” referring to the mountainous are in Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas count? They are the Ozark mountains, but commonly referred to as “The Ozarks”, at least in Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/38 "2022-03-04T00:07:03Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > The Woodlands, Texas. And, The Colony, Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/39 "2022-03-04T01:40:01Z")
> [@anny\_m](#): > > My own theory is that they added the S so it wouldn’t be confused with The Village in _The Prisoner_ , to which I think it has a more than passing similarity. It’s the Rover, isn’t it? All of the places with giant homicidal white balloons tend to get mixed up in my head too. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425/40 "2022-03-04T04:21:49Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > What about El Paso, La Brea, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles? Many cities in California with El, La, Los, or Las and even a few with Del. El Cajon. El Sobrante. La Mirada. La Crescenta. Los Gatos. Los Banos. Del Norte County. Texas must have quite a few also. Las Cruces. * * * > [@solost](#): > > . . . but I’ve sometimes wondered why we in the U.S. use the article for places like “going to _ **the** _ hospital” or “to _ **the** _ university” when Canadians (and possibly in the U.K. as well…?) just say “to hospital” and “to university”. And yet, in the U. S. we say “he is _at_ school” (meaning he is there at the moment) or “he is _in_ school” (meaning he is a student there). No _the_ anywhere to be seen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-a-definite-article/960425.md?page=3)