Countries Whose Official Names Begin With "The"

The only two countries that begin with "The" according to the U.S. Department of State are The Gambia and The Bahamas. The United Kingdom's Foreign & Commonwealth office affirms that approach, yet Canada strips "The" from "Gambia" and "Bahamas" in its official directories. Although many countries have a long form version spoken or written with "the" (like "the Republic of..."), some countries consistently avoid the article; a collection of those different country sets can be viewed below. The use of "the" has even caused controversy, such as when Ukraine is mistakenly referred to as "the Ukraine," a usage Ukrainians reject. Otherwise, countries that commonly include "the" are ones such as The Philippines, The Netherlands, and The United States/Kingdom/Emirates— the origins of those names are equally fascinating.

Countries That Officially Begin With "The"

The Gambia

The Gambia is one of the few countries on Earth that officially begins with the word "the." The Gambia is located along the West African coast and is named after the River Gambia which flows directly through its territory.

The Gambia is the smallest country in continental Africa and is completely surrounded by Senegal. The Gambia does control the mouth of the Gambia River which flows out into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Gambia owes its strange borders to the colonial powers of France and Great Britain. During the 19th century, a border dispute between the two empires led to Great Britain gaining control of The Gambia, whereas France took control of Senegal.

The Bahamas

The second country that officially uses "the" in its title is The Bahamas. The Bahamas is an island country located in the Atlantic Ocean, although not in the Caribbean which is a common misunderstanding. The Bahamas can also be referred to as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

The Bahamas is thought to have gotten its name from early Spanish explorers who remarked on its shallow water. In Spanish the word for this is "bajamar." There is another theory that points to the name having its origins in the indigenous Lucayan Taino language.

Since the name of The Bahamas is in direct reference to one of its geographical features, much like The Gambia, the use of the word "the" at the beginning is needed.

5 Countries That Are Commonly Written Or Spoken With "The"

The United States Of America

While most people, at least when referring to the United States in a formal setting, will use the word "the" at the start of its title, this is not all that common. In casual speech, or even in some formal settings, a person is much more likely to just say "America" or "the United States." America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, one of the original Italian explorers who discovered the continent.

The use of the word "America" to refer to the United States is widely accepted in the English-speaking world; however, it is a source of controversy in Latin America.

Many within Latin America see themselves as Americans due to living either in North America or South America. While both are technically correct, it is unlikely that dropping the use of "America" to refer to the USA will catch on in the Anglosphere anytime soon.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is in a similar situation as the United States. While the United Kingdom is sometimes used, the majority of English speakers, especially in casual conversation, will simply say "the UK," "Great Britain," or "Britain."

It is also common for people to refer to the countries within the United Kingdom as well. Most residents will often declare that they are from England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland rather than saying "the United Kingdom." The naming comes from the desire to link these separate kingdoms together.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is in another unique situation of its own. It is often referred to by many different names. The most common name for the Netherlands is Holland which is in reference to one of its largest provinces within the country.

The name "the Netherlands" itself means lowlands in English. There are some that this means the Netherlands falls into the same category as The Gambia and The Bahamas since it describes a geographical feature, but this is an exception to the rule.

This is because the word "nether" in English is used to refer to lowlands and thus should be considered a noun rather than an adjective. It is generally accepted that the reason the use of the word "the" in the Netherlands has more to do with the end of the country's name ending in -lands rather than just -land like Iceland and Greenland.

The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates got its name after the country was formed by the joining of multiple Arab-speaking principalities (also known as emirates) in 1971. Since its name refers to a political union rather than a geographical feature, it falls under the same category as the United Kingdom and the United States.

The United Arab Emirates is often abbreviated to "the UAE." It is also quite common for its residents to simply refer to what city they live in within the UAE due to the small size of the country.

Places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have risen in fame in the last decade due to the city's wealth and the lavish lifestyle that seems to be so prominent there. Thanks to plenty of international residents now residing there, these places have exploded in popularity and have ascended to become world-class cities of their own.

The Philippines

Located in Southeast Asia, The Philippines is an archipelagic nation composed of over 7,600 islands, making it one of the largest archipelagos in the world.

The name "Philippines" originates from the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, who named the islands "Las Islas Filipinas" in 1542 in honor of Prince Philip of Spain, who later became King Philip II. The name was anglicized to "The Philippine Islands" during the American colonial period and eventually shortened to "The Philippines."

The use of "the" in "The Philippines" is reasonable because the name refers to a collection of islands, making it a plural noun. In official documents, the country is known as the "Republic of the Philippines," where "the" is not capitalized but is still present.

Final Thoughts

The use of the word "the" in the name of countries will likely remain the source of some minor controversy and confusion. While there are plenty of places where the use of the word "the" can be used appropriately to describe countries that get their name due to political happenstance, the only two countries in the world when it is technically correct to do so, is The Gambia and The Bahamas.

Countries That Do Not Begin With "The" Even In Their Long Form Name

Countries Where The Long Form Name May Necessitate "The"