193 Countries & Their Native Names

Why native names matter (and what this page aims to do)

Countries can have more than one correct “native” name: think Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera / Svizra for Switzerland or België / Belgique / Belgien for Belgium. Endonyms are crucial in linguistics, diplomacy, maps, and contracts. Using the right form shows respect, improves clarity, and reduces legal risk when referencing a sovereign entity.

This page focuses on the short country names commonly used in domestic law and administration (when different from ceremonial long names). It relies on current international standards and public documents. For context: Earth’s total land area is about 57 million sq mi (148 million km²), partitioned among sovereign states, dependencies, and other territories—our scope here is the 193 UN members specifically.

What counts as a native name (endonym)?

An endonym is the name a state uses for itself in its own official language(s). Where a state has several official languages, multiple endonyms are equally valid. For Arabic-script states, we present the Arabic endonym; for Cyrillic, the local Cyrillic form; for non-Latin systems, the domestic script (e.g., Devanagari, Hangul, Kanji, Khmer, Lao, Sinhala, Thai, Tibetan). Where needed, we include more than one script.

Two quick notes for accuracy: (1) We use standard orthography (accents, diacritics, capitalization) as in official sources. (2) We list short names unless the long name is the only official form in domestic use. For example, “Türkiye” is the domestic short name, while “Bolivia” coexists with the long constitutional form “Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia”.

Multiple official languages

Belgium, Canada, Cameroon, Switzerland, South Africa, Singapore and others maintain parallel endonyms. These are not translations—they are co-equal names in different official languages.

Short vs. long official names

Some states favor a long formal style (e.g., “United Republic of Tanzania”) alongside a short style (“Tanzania”). We prioritize what domestic law and government sites use in ordinary contexts. When the long name is prevalent domestically (e.g., “Brunei Darussalam”), we show it.

Regional patterns and tricky cases

Parallel endonyms: Switzerland presents four equal short names; Singapore lists English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil forms; South Africa recognizes 11 official languages, leading to many valid endonyms. Script shifts: North Macedonia uses Северна Македонија domestically; Kazakhstan is transitioning alphabets but the current state endonym Қазақстан remains standard in Kazakh.

Official short vs. long: “Côte d’Ivoire” domestically resists translation (“Ivory Coast”). “Türkiye” is the domestic endonym and has been encouraged for international use. “Timor-Leste” is the official Portuguese/Tetum form, not “East Timor.” When in doubt, consult a state’s constitution or foreign ministry website and cross-reference ISO 3166.

Complete A–Z list — All 193 countries & their native names

The table below lists every UN member (A–Z by English short name) with its native short name(s). Multiple entries indicate co-official languages. Long ceremonial names appear only when they are the primary domestic form. Typography follows official orthography.

Notes: Where several forms appear, they reflect co-official languages (e.g., Cyprus, Singapore) or widely used domestic variants (e.g., Bolivia’s constitutional long form). Some states (e.g., the UK, US) primarily use English domestically; their endonym equals the English name.

How to use this list

For study & teaching: Build flashcards that pair the English short name with its endonym. Group by script to speed recognition (Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Indic, CJK, etc.).

For media & business: Use endonyms in parentheses on first reference when writing for a global audience (e.g., “Côte d’Ivoire (Côte d’Ivoire)”), then the English short name thereafter. For contracts, confirm the legally binding long name in local law and compare it with ISO 3166 entries and the state’s foreign ministry website.

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