Afrika (Region) German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, BulgarianForm of
Africa in several languages.
Alemannia (Region) Ancient RomanLatin name for the lands where the Alemanni lived. The Alemanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes who lived around the upper Rhine River in the time of the Roman Empire.
America (Region & Country) English, Italian, Romanian, Late RomanFrom the name of the explorer
Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512). This is the name of two continents (North and South America). As well, it is commonly used to refer to the United States of America.
Amerika (Region & Country) German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Luxembourgish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Hebrew, Albanian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Indonesian, Malay, JapaneseForm of
America, used to refer to the continents and sometimes to the United States of America.
Ameryka (Region & Country) Polish, UkrainianPolish and Ukrainian form of
America, used to refer to the continents and the United States of America.
Amrika (Region & Country) Arabic, PersianArabic and Persian form of
America, used to refer to the continents and the United States of America.
Angel (Region) DanishPossibly derived from Germanic roots meaning
"narrow, tight, tapering" or
"hook". This is the name of a peninsula in northern Germany near Denmark, the original home of the Germanic tribe the Angles.
Arabestan (Region & Country) PersianFrom Persian
عرب ('arab) meaning "Arab" combined with the suffix
ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the Persian name for both the Arabian Peninsula and the country of
Saudi Arabia (alongside the fuller form
عربستان سعودی ('Arabestan e-Sa'udi)).
Arabia (Region) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Norwegian, Finnish, PolishFrom Greek
Ἀραβία (Arabia), derived from Arabic
عرب ('arab) meaning "Arabs, Arabian people". This is the name of a large peninsula in the Middle East, also called the Arabian Peninsula.
Asgard (Region) Norse MythologyEnglish form of Old Norse
Ásgarðr meaning
"enclosure of the Æsir", composed of Old Norse
áss meaning "god, Æsir" and
garðr meaning "enclosure, stronghold". This is the name of the home of the Æsir gods in Norse Mythology.
Ashur (Settlement & Region) English, Arabic, Persian, AkkadianFrom Akkadian
𒀸𒋩 (Assur), meaning unknown. This was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, supposedly named for the god
Ashur, though the god was in fact probably named for the city. The empire, Assyria, was also named for it. The city was destroyed in the 14th century by the forces of Tamerlane.
... [more] Asia (Region) English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, Norwegian, Indonesian, Malay, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekPerhaps derived from Akkadian
asu, meaning
"east". This is the name of the world's largest continent.
Belgica (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient RomanDerived from the
Belgae, a Celtic-Germanic confederation of tribes that inhabited northern Gaul (modern
Belgium). Their name is probably derived from a Celtic root meaning "to swell with anger".
Bengal (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Persian
بنگاله (Bangaleh), probably from the name of the ancient kingdom of
Vanga. This is a region in south Asia, now divided between the country of
Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
Bohemia (Region) English, Spanish, Late RomanFrom Latin
Boiohaemum, from the name of the Gaulish tribe the
Boii combined with Old German
heim "home". This is the name of a historical region within the Czech Republic. The region is called
Čechy in Czech, while the country is called
Česko.
Bretagne (Region & Island) French, German, DutchFrench form of
Britannia (see
Britain). In French this typically refers to the region known as Brittany in France, while Great Britain is called
Grande-Bretagne.
Brittany (Region) EnglishFrom
Britannia (see
Britain). This is the name of a region in northwestern France, so called because many Britons settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It had earlier been called
Armorica. In the Middle Ages it was sometimes called
Britannia Minor to distinguish it from the island of Great Britain. In French, both the island and the region are called
Bretagne.
Canaan (Region) English, French, BiblicalFrom Hebrew
כְּנַעַן (Kena'an), possibly from a root meaning
"low, humble". This was the name of an ancient region, the home of the biblical Canaanites, in what is now Palestine and Israel.
Carpathians (Region) EnglishFrom Latin
Carpates, possibly related to the Dacian tribe of the
Capri, maybe derived from an Indo-European root meaning
"rock, cliff". This is the name of a mountain range in eastern Europe stretching from
Slovakia to
Romania.
Castile (Region) EnglishFrom Spanish
Castilla, ultimately from Late Latin
castellum meaning
"castle". This was the name of a medieval kingdom in Spain.
Catalonia (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom Catalan
Catalunya, of uncertain meaning, possibly from Latin
castellum "castle" or
Gauthia Launia "land of the Goths". This is the name of a region in eastern Spain.
Čechy (Region) Czech, SlovakFrom the name of the Slavic tribe of the Czechs, probably derived from the Slavic root
čelo meaning "family, tribe". This is the Czech name of
Bohemia, while the Czech Republic is called
Česko.
Cheshire (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishShortened form of
Chestershire, a combination of
Chester and
shire.
Columbia (Region, Settlement, Political Subdivision & River) English, Italian, Spanish, Late RomanNamed after the explorer Christopher Columbus, called
Cristoforo Colombo in Italian (see the surname
Colombo). This is the name of several cities in the Americas (including the District of Columbia, also called Washington D.C.), and a river in Canada and the United States. It is also a name used historically to refer to the New World.
Czechy (Region & Country) PolishPolish form of
Čechy, used to refer both to the region of
Bohemia and the larger Czech Republic.
Deasmhumhain (Region) IrishFrom Irish
deas "south" and
Mumhain. This was the name of a medieval kingdom in southern Ireland, created when the kingdom of Munster was partitioned. It is Anglicized as
Desmond.
Eden (Region) Hebrew, BiblicalPossibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning
"pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning
"plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Europa (Region) Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Croatian, Kazakh, Ancient RomanForm of
Europe in several languages.
Evropa (Region) Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Georgian, Kyrgyz, Armenian, RussianForm of
Europe used in various languages. This is also an alternate transcription of Armenian
Եվրոպա or Russian
Европа (see
Yevropa).
Flanders (Region) EnglishFrom Middle Dutch
Vlander, from a Germanic root meaning
"waterlogged", referring to the marshy landscape of Flanders. This is the name of the northern portion of Belgium.
Frisia (Region) English, Late RomanFrom the name of the West Germanic Frisian people, called the Frisii in Latin, possibly from Germanic *
frisaz meaning "curly". This is the name of an area along the coast of the North Sea stretching from the Netherlands to Germany.
Friuli (Region) Italian, English, SpanishFrom the name of the Roman town of Forum Iulii (now called
Cividale del Friuli) meaning
"forum of Julius". This is the name of a region in northeast Italy.
Galatia (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, EnglishFrom the Greek word for the Gaulish people
Γαλάτης (Galates), probably a cognate of Latin
Gallus (see
Gallia). This was the Greek name for the region of
Gaul. It was also used to refer to a region in Anatolia (modern Turkey) where Gauls settled in the 3rd century BC.
... [more] Galilee (Region) English, BiblicalFrom Hebrew
גָּלִיל (Galil) meaning "district, roll". This is a region in northern Israel, mentioned in the Old and New Testament.
Gallia (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) Ancient Roman, Italian, GreekLatin name for the historical region of
Gaul. It is derived from the Latin ethnic word
Gallus, referring to the Gauls (Celts of continental Europe), probably ultimately derived from the Celtic root *
galn- "be able".
... [more] Gaul (Region) EnglishFrom French
Gaule, the name of a historical region that was situated approximately in the area of modern
France. In the Roman era it was called
Gallia, which may be the origin of
Gaule, though the evolution of the word would be irregular. It is more likely derived from Frankish
walh meaning
"foreigner, Celt".
Gethsemane (Region) BiblicalFrom
Γεθσημανί (Gethsemani), the Greek form of an Aramaic place name meaning
"oil press". In the New Testament this is the name of the garden where
Jesus was arrested, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem.
Gilead (Region) BiblicalMeans
"heap of witness" in Hebrew. This is the name of a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, as mentioned in the Old Testament.
Goryeo (Region) KoreanPossibly means
"walled city" or
"center" in Korean. This was the name of a kingdom that ruled most of the Korean Peninsula. The name
Korea is based on it.
Guinea (Region, Country & Island) English, Italian, Spanish, GermanFrom Portuguese
Guiné, which is of unknown meaning, possibly of Berber origin. This name was used by the Portuguese to refer to a portion of western Africa. It was also applied by westerners to the island of New Guinea starting in the 16th century. It is now the name or part of the full name of the countries of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Papua New Guinea.
Hanguk (Region) KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
韓 (han) meaning "Korea" and
國 (guk) meaning "country, land". This is the term used in South Korea to refer to South
Korea or the entire Korean Peninsula.
Holstein (Political Subdivision & Region) German, English, DutchFrom the name of a Saxon tribe, derived from Old Saxon
holt meaning "wood" and the suffix
-setio meaning "inhabitant". This is the name of a historical region in Germany, near the Danish border. It forms part of the name of the modern German state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Joseon (Region & Country) KoreanThis was the name of two kingdoms in the history of Korea. The first was conquered by the Han Empire in the 2nd century BC. The second ruled Korea from the 14th century until the 19th century. The name of these kingdoms was written using the Sino-Korean characters
朝 (jo) meaning "dynasty" and
鮮 (seon) meaning "new", though the actual origin is assumed to be Korean. This name is now used in North Korea to refer to the country of North
Korea.
Kantō (Region) JapaneseMeans
"eastern frontier", from Japanese
関 (kan) meaning "frontier" and
東 (tō) meaning "east". This is the name of a region in central
Japan, including
Tokyo.
Kemet (Region) Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
km meaning
"black", referring to the colour of the soil around the
Nile River. This was the Ancient Egyptian name for the Nile Valley in
Egypt.
Kolumbija (Country, Region, Settlement & Political Subdivision) Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, LithuanianSerbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian and Lithuanian form of
Columbia and
Colombia.
Kongo (Region, River & Country) Central African, Kongo, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Turkish, GeorgianForm of
Congo in many languages.
Kurdistan (Region) Kurdish, Arabic, English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, RussianFrom Kurdish
کوردستان (Kurdistan), from the Persian ethnic name
کرد (Kord) meaning "Kurd" combined with the Persian suffix
ستان (stan) meaning "land of". This is the name of the region in the midst of Iran, Iraq and Turkey that is primarily inhabited by the Kurdish people.
Lehi (Region) BiblicalMeans
"jawbone" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the site where the hero
Samson killed 1,000 men using only a donkey's jawbone.
Lennox (Region) ScottishFrom Gaelic
Leamhnachd, possibly meaning
"lace of elms". This is the name of a district in Scotland.
Lesselyn (Region) Medieval ScottishProbably from Scottish Gaelic
leas celyn meaning
"garden of holly". This was the name of a location in Aberdeenshire.
Lindsey (Region) EnglishMeans
"Lincoln island" in Old English. This is the name of a region and historical kingdom in Lincolnshire.
Lorne (Region) EnglishPossibly from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This is the name of a region in western Scotland.
Louisiana (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom French
Louisiane, named after King
Louis XIV of France by the explorer René-Robert Cavelier in 1682. It originally referred to a large territory in the middle of North America. It was sold by France to the United States in 1803, and the southern tip became the American state of Louisiana in 1812.
Maghrib (Region & Country) ArabicFrom Arabic
المغرب (al-Maghrib) meaning
"the place of the sunset, the west". This is the Arabic name of
Morocco as well as the entire region of western North Africa (known as
the Maghreb in English). In Arabic the name is usually written with the definite article:
المغرب (al-Maghrib).
Makedonien (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) German, Danish, SwedishGerman, Danish and Swedish form of
Macedonia. In German this refers only to the region, while the modern country is called
Mazedonien or
Nordmazedonien.
Meizhou (Region) ChineseFrom Chinese
美 (měi), referring to America, and
洲 (zhōu) meaning "continent, island". This is the Chinese name for the continents of North and South
America.
Midgard (Region) Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Miðgarðr meaning
"middle enclosure". In Norse mythology this is the name of the realm where humans live.
Mongolia (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Romanian, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Indonesian, MalayFrom Mongolian
монгол (mongol), the name for the Mongolian people, possibly from
монг (mong) meaning "brave". This the name of a region in eastern Asia, now divided between the country of Mongolia (historically called Outer Mongolia) and the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.
Mongolija (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) Latvian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, SloveneLatvian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian and Slovene form of
Mongolia.
Moray (Region & Political Subdivision) ScottishFrom Scottish Gaelic
Moireabh, possibly of Pictish origin, meaning
"seashore, coast". This is the name of a historical region in Scotland, as well as a modern council area.
Mordor (Region) LiteratureMeans
"black land" in Sindarin, from
mor "black" and
dor "land". In
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Mordor is the desolate realm ruled by the evil lord Sauron.
Mouko (Country, Political Subdivision & Region) JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
蒙古 (see
Mōko).
Mumhain (Region & Political Subdivision) IrishFrom Old Irish
Mumu, possibly from the name of a goddess Mór Muman. This is the name of one of the four Irish provinces, formerly a kingdom. It is Anglicized as
Munster.
Nubia (Region) English, Late RomanPossibly derives from the Egyptian word
nbw meaning
"gold". This was the name of an ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt.
Nysa (Region) Greek MythologyPossibly from an archaic Greek word meaning
"tree". In Greek mythology Nysa was the mountainous region where young
Dionysos was raised.
Oz 1 (Region) LiteratureInvented by the American author L. Frank Baum for the setting of his fantasy novel
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). There are several unsubstantiated theories about how Baum created the name, though it seems probable he simply made it up.
Pangaea (Region) EnglishCreated by the German geologist Alfred Wegener in 1915 to refer to a supercontinent that existed over 200 million years ago. He called it in German
Pangäa, from Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
γαῖα (gaia) meaning "earth".
Provence (Region) French, English, GermanFrom Latin
provincia meaning
"province", a Roman territorial division. This is the name a region in southern France, originally acquiring its name because it was the first Roman province beyond the Alps.
Rhodesia (Region) EnglishFrom the surname
Rhodes. This was a British-controlled region of southern Africa, named after the politician and imperialist Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902). It is now the independent countries of
Zimbabwe and
Zambia.
Romagna (Region & Political Subdivision) Italian, English, GermanFrom Latin
Romania, in this case the name of a historic region on the Adriatic coast of Italy (part of the modern administrative region of Emilia-Romagna).
Romania (Country & Region) English, Italian, Ancient RomanFrom Latin meaning
"land of the Romans" (see
Rome). This is the name of a country in eastern Europe, so named in the 16th century because of its historic and linguistic connections to the Roman Empire.
... [more] Ross (Region & Settlement) ScottishFrom Scottish Gaelic
ros meaning
"promontory". This is the name of a historic region in northern Scotland, as well as towns in Scotland and northern England.
Rus (Region) Russian, Ukrainian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishProbably of Old Norse origin, possibly from
róðr meaning
"rowing", referring to the Norse Varangians and their main mode of transportation. This was the name of a medieval Slavic state of eastern Europe (around Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia), originally founded by the Varangians in the 9th century.
Sárköz (Region) HungarianDerived from Hungarian
sár "mud" and
köz "margin, lane". This is the name of a region in Hungary.
Saxony (Region & Political Subdivision) EnglishFrom the name of the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, ultimately derived from Germanic *
sahsą meaning "knife". This is the name of a historical region in Germany, and appears in the names of the German states of Saxony, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
Sherwood (Region) EnglishFrom Old English
scir "shire, district" and
wudu "wood". This is the name of a forest near Nottingham. It is known in English folklore as the home of the outlaw hero Robin Hood.
Syria (Country & Region) English, Polish, Norwegian, Greek, Ancient Roman, Ancient GreekFrom Greek
Συρία (Syria), which was probably a variant of
Assyria, used in an expanded sense to refer to the northern Levant. This was the name of a province of the Roman Empire. It is now the name of a country in western Asia, having gained independence from the Ottoman Empire early in the 20th century.
Tanganyika (Region & Country) Eastern African, Swahili, EnglishFrom Swahili
tanga "sail" and
nyika "wilderness". This is the name of a region in eastern Africa. It was a German then British colony until 1961 when it gained independence. In 1964 it united with the island of
Zanzibar to create the new country of
Tanzania.
Turan (Region) Persian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, ArabicHistorical region in central Asia, originally inhabited by nomadic Iranian peoples and traditionally said to mean
"land of Tur". It is mentioned frequently in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Ural (Region & River) Russian, English, German, Turkish, BashkirMeaning unknown, possibly from Turkic
aral meaning
"island, boundary". This is the name of a mountain range and a river in western Russia.
Urartu (Region) Akkadian, Armenian, EnglishFrom Akkadian
𒆳𒌨𒌒𒂅 (Urartu), meaning unknown, possibly of Old Armenian origin. This was the name of an ancient kingdom that existed between the 9th and 6th centuries BC in eastern Anatolia (modern Armenia and Turkey).
Valencia (Settlement & Region) Spanish, Italian, English, GermanThe name of a city and surrounding region in eastern Spain, originally named in Latin
Valentia (Edetanorum) meaning
"strength (of the Edetani people)", and derived from Latin
valentius "strength, vigour", from
valens "strong, vigorous". Besides the city in Spain, this is also the name of a city in Venezuala.
Venetia (Region & Settlement) Ancient Roman, Late Roman, GreekFrom the name of the Veneti people who inhabited northeastern Italy in ancient times. Their tribal name possibly meant something like "kinfolk" or "friendly". This was the Latin name for the region now called
Veneto, and later the Latin name for the city of
Venice (which did not exist in the classical period).
Yazhou (Region) ChineseFrom a short form of
Yaxiya combined with
洲 (zhōu) meaning "continent, island". This is the modern Chinese name for
Asia.