9 Countries With Surprisingly Different Native Names

Have you realised, that like India, there are other countries whose native names are completely different from their English names? Some are so different, you would not know which country was being referred to.

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India

Native Name: Bhārat  

The name Bhārat originates from ancient Hindu scriptures and refers to the legendary King Bharata, after whom the Indian subcontinent is named.  

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Bhutan

Native Name: Druk Yul  

Druk Yul translates to Land of the Thunder Dragon, a reference to Bhutanese mythology and the importance of dragons in their culture.  While Bhutan is a Sanskrit name and denotes Bhotant or 'end of Tibet', else Bhu-uttan or 'highland'.

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China

Native Name: Zhōngguó  

Zhōngguó means Middle Kingdom or Central State, reflecting China’s historical view of itself as the cultural and political centre of civilisation. The English name China likely originates from the Qin (Chin) Dynasty (Qín Cháo), the first imperial dynasty to unify the country.

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South Korea

Native Name: Hanguk

South Koreans call their country Hanguk or Country of the Han. The name is rooted in Korea's Samhan languages -- it is a term that originally referred to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla). Korea is an exonym too ie an outsiders' name for a country and is derived from Gorye.

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Taiwan

Native Name: Zhōngguó

Taiwan's name is similar to China's. That's because Taiwan, once called Formosa, officially calls itself the Republic of China. Taiwan was what a 17th century Chinese expedition called the land, accidentally, when they pulled into a place named Dayuan. Formosa or Beautiful Island was the name Portuguese mariners gave Taiwan after they first spied it.

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Japan

Native Name: Nihon 

Nihon is Origin of the Sun, as Japan lies to the east of China and was historically referred to as the Land of the Rising Sun. Japan apparently comes from a mangled Portuguese pronounciation of the Mandarin name for Japan -- Cipan or Sun Origin Land. 

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Egypt

Native Name: Miṣr 

Miṣr is the Arabic name for Egypt and means fortress or civilisation. Egypt was derived from Aigyptos (Αἴγυπτος) and was how the ancient Greeks referred to the wondrous land south of them.  

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Armenia 

Native Name: Hayastan

Hayastan translates to Land of the Hayk, referring to Hayk, a legendary patriarch of the Armenian people. The name Armenia might have been a reference to the Arme tribe that lived in this land.

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Georgia

Native Name: Sakartvelo  

Sakartvelo refers to the land of Kartvelians, the main ethnic group of Georgia. Georgia is a European name for the geographical territory and could have come from the Persian name for this kingdom in the Caucasus -- gorğān or Land of Wolves

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