List of countries with directional names
This is a list of countries with directional names, which often but not necessarily implies a divided region. Such a name can also sometimes imply an irredentist claim.
Adjectives may qualify the country's location by cardinal directions (North, South, East, West), centrality ("Central"/"Inner"/"Proper" vs. "Outer"/"Greater"), elevation ("Upper"/"Superior" vs. "Lower"/"Nether"/"Inferior"), or position relative to a geographical point of reference ("Trans"/"Ulterior"/"Farther" vs. "Cis"/"Citerior"/"Hither")
Included in this list are independent states, recognized and unrecognized, but not sub-national entities or non-independent territories.
Current
Official
Implying a divided region:
- East Timor - (western part of Timor belong to Indonesia)
- South Sudan - (gained independence from Sudan)
Implying a particular position within a larger region:
- Central African Republic
- South Africa
- (Oriental Republic of) Uruguay (its official long name implies the region east of the Uruguay River)
Colloquial
Common:
Rare:
- North Macedonia for Republic of Macedonia
- North Sudan for Sudan
- Southern Cyprus for government-controlled Cyprus
- Southern Ireland for Republic of Ireland
Etymological
- Australia (from Australis, "south")
- Austria (from Öster, "east")
- China (Zhōngguó, "central state")
- Estonia (possibly)
- Japan (Nippon, "origin of the sun")
- Morocco (al-Maghrib, "the west")
- Norway
- Tonga ("south")
- Vietnam (nam meaning "south")
- Yemen (possibly) (semitic root YMN meaning "south" and "right")
Largely unrecognized states
- Nagorno-Karabakh
- South Ossetia
- Transnistria
- Northern Cyprus (official state name: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)
- Western Sahara
20th century
Official
- Western Samoa (today Samoa)
- Republic of Upper Volta
- Emirate of Transjordan
- Yugoslavia
Colloquial
- East Germany
- West Germany
- North Vietnam
- South Vietnam
- Outer Mongolia (primarily for the state of Mongolia (1911–21) to distinguish it from Inner Mongolia)
- North Yemen
- South Yemen
Largely unrecognized states
- Centrocaspian Dictatorship
- Republic of Central Albania
- Republic of Central Lithuania
- Far Eastern Republic
- North Ingria
- Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
- Provisional National Government of the Southwestern Caucasus
- Government of South Russia
- Russia Eastern Outskirts
- Transcaspian Government
- Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
- North Caucasian Soviet Republic
- Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
- Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic
- Republic of South Maluku
- First East Turkestan Republic
- Second East Turkestan Republic
- Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–98)
- Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus
- Provisional Government of Western Thrace
- Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia
- Republic of the North Solomons
- North Caucasian Emirate
- East Hebei Autonomous Council
- West Ukrainian People's Republic
See also
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