Countries and Regions in Italian: Essential Vocabulary for Over 200 Nations Worldwide

Intro.

Names of countries aren’t just words on a map — in Italian, they open doors to conversations about travel, identity, culture, and the wider world. They’re part of the language’s essential vocabulary: knowing how to use them correctly means you can talk about where you’re from, where you’ve been, and what’s happening across the globe — all in Italian.

But these names also tell stories. Behind each one lies a trace of history — echoes of ancient routes, encounters, and exchanges that reveal how cultures and languages have intertwined over the centuries.

This guide will take you on a linguistic journey through the Italian names of the world’s countries, with clear explanations, a few grammar tips, and plenty of fascinating curiosities along the way.

We’ll start with the 193 member states of the United Nations (ONU in Italian), adding a few others that are globally known, such as England, Greenland, and French Polynesia.
A quick note: this post is purely linguistic — not political. Some inclusions or omissions may differ from what you expect, and we apologize in advance. Our goal is simple: to give you the words you need to talk about the world in Italian.

Our route follows the world map itself: beginning in Europe, then moving through Asia and Africa, continents so closely connected they’re sometimes seen as one, before crossing the oceans to the Americas and Oceania.

Next time you and your Italian friends share your travel stories, you’ll both know exactly which lands you’re talking about.
Ready? Fasten your seat belts — it’s time for a linguistic journey around the world! 

1. Country Names: Grammar Rules

Before we start spinning our imaginary globe and naming every country and region in Italian, let's look at some grammatical aspects of their names.

Countries and regions of the world, like geographical areas, are identified by proper nouns exactly like people. The initial letter of the name is always capitalized. Unlike English, the corresponding adjective, even when referring to the people of the country, is lowercase. They have a masculine or feminine gender (like people) and also have a singular or plural number.

Despite being proper nouns — generally Italian doesn't use articles before proper nouns — whenever you talk about a country or region of the world, to describe its characteristics, talk about its culture or political life, the name is preceded by the definite article: "L'Italia ha un clima mite" (Italy has a mild climate) or "Il Giappone si trova in estremo oriente" (Japan is located in the Far East). Names are also preceded by articles when they follow verbs that don't require prepositions (direct object verbs): "Vorrei visitare l'Egitto" (I would like to visit Egypt).

In the tables we've included articles and assigned gender when it remains doubtful, typically for names that start with a vowel and end with -e. At the end of the article we provide a series of guidelines on assigning gender and therefore the article for countries; here we limit ourselves to just a few of very general indications:

• continental countries and regions have masculine, feminine, singular names; some have names composed of a noun and an adjective, the gender and number of the country is that of the noun. Articles therefore agree with the gender and number of the country's name. Only a few names are not preceded by an article;
• small continental countries and city-states generally have a masculine name and are not preceded by an article except for "Il Vaticano" or "la Città del Vaticano" (Vatican City);
• island countries consisting of a single island, both large and small, are considered feminine as the word "isola" (island) is implied. For small island states it's common to say "l'isola di" + the name;
• island countries consisting of archipelagos are considered feminine and preceded by the article "le", as the word "isole" (islands) is implied. A notable exception is Japan.

2. The Continents

We all have an idea of what planet Earth looks like, our world. Let's start with the names of the continents. We won't dwell on the number and conventions for counting them; in the table we list the Italian names of all the landmass.

Their names, similar to those used in many other languages, derive from historical and cultural traditions that reflect how Italians — and, more generally, Europeans — have known and represented the world over the centuries.

In Italian culture, Europe naturally occupies a central place: it's "our continent", the home of history, art, and the roots of Western civilization. Asia evokes immensity, ancient cultures, and spirituality; Africa, geographically very close to Italy, is associated with warmth, nature, and the historical ties of the Mediterranean.

When talking about America, in Italian it can mean either the entire continent — the Americas — or, in common language, the United States of America, just as happens in many European languages.

We include under the name Oceania the continent that comprises Australia — often considered a continent in itself — and the Pacific islands.

Finally, Antarctica, at the extreme south of planet Earth, and the Arctic, more often considered a geographical region than a true continent.

3. European Countries in Italian

Let's begin our journey discovering the names of countries and regions of the world with Europe, starting with Italy and the small states within it.

Europe is an overall small continent, yet it's divided into a large number of countries, each with a long history behind it.

From a geographical perspective, it's difficult to draw a clear boundary between Europe and Asia. For this reason, in the following table we've also included Russia, Turkey, and Cyprus: despite being largely or entirely in Asia, their history and cultural ties with Europe are such as to include them in the European context.

The United Kingdom is often referred to in Italian as "la Gran Bretagna" (Great Britain) or also, more commonly, "l'Inghilterra" (England). In reference to the United Kingdom, we add the Italian names of il Galles (Wales), la Scozia (Scotland), and, south of Spain, Gibilterra (Gibraltar).

For some European countries, even the names of regions or historical areas are so popular that they have corresponding and well-established names in Italian. In France, for example, we find la Provenza (Provence), la Borgogna (Burgundy), and la Normandia (Normandy); in Spain, l'Andalusia (Andalusia) and la Catalogna (Catalonia); in Belgium, le Fiandre (Flanders). The Netherlands are often commonly referred to as Olanda (Holland), although the latter actually refers to only part of the national territory.

From Venetian to Europe: The Name Montenegro
Montenegro presents a unique linguistic curiosity. While Montenegrins call their country "Crna Gora" (which literally means "black mountain" in their language), the name "Montenegro" was coined by the Venetians during the Middle Ages. The merchants and navigators of the Serenissima, observing the dark and densely forested mountains that characterized the region, named it "Montenegro" — "black mountain" in Italian. This name then spread throughout Europe and became the international designation of the country, so much so that today "Montenegro" is used officially in diplomatic contexts and in international organizations, while maintaining "Crna Gora" as the name in the local language.

4. Asian Countries in Italian

Asia is the largest continent on the planet, a mosaic of landscapes and cultures divided into five large regions. Its boundaries are fluid: it's united with Europe, connected to Africa by the Suez Isthmus, to America by the Bering Strait, and to Oceania through Indonesia. Once crossed by the legendary Silk Road, Asia has been a bridge between civilizations and trade. An emblem of this union between worlds is Istanbul, the only city in the world suspended between two continents.

Many Asian names in Italian derive from a Western transliteration (often French, Portuguese, or English), adapted to Italian phonetics.

For some countries, alongside the official name, historical names persist in Italian such as Birmania for Myanmar, Siam for Thailand, Persia for Iran, and Ceylon for Sri Lanka.

Let's see them all.

4.1 Central Asia

4.2 Western Asia (Middle East)

4.3 Southern Asia

4.4 Eastern Asia

Marco Polo and the Orient
Marco Polo, the most famous Venetian in history, is considered the symbol of the bond between Italy and Asia. His journey along the Silk Road to the court of Kublai Khan in China, lasting about twenty-four years, opened new commercial and cultural perspectives between the Orient and Europe. His work, Il Milione, remains one of the most influential and fascinating testimonies in the history of relations between Europe and Asia.

From Cipangu to Giappone
The name "Giappone" (Japan) has a fascinating origin that passes right through Marco Polo. In Japanese, the country is called "Nihon" or "Nippon," terms that mean "origin of the sun." During his travels in China in the 13th century, Marco Polo was told of an island located to the east, which in his accounts he called Cipangu or Zipangu, a form derived from the Chinese Rìběnguó ("Country of the origin of the sun"). From this corruption of the name arose, through various linguistic passages — from Malay Japang to Portuguese Giapan — the modern forms spread in Western languages, like Japan and Giappone.

4.5 Southeast Asia

5. African Countries in Italian

Africa is a continent extremely rich in history, cultures, and languages, and this is also reflected in the names of its countries. Many derive from ancient local denominations, then adapted to Italian through the European languages of the colonial period, especially French and English.

Some names have very ancient roots: Ethiopia comes from the Greek Aithiopía, meaning “land of dark faces”; Libya goes back to the ancient Egyptian term Libu; Morocco derives from Marrākush, the old name of Marrakech; and Algeria comes from the Arabic al-Jazāʾir, “the islands.”

Other names are more recent in origin: Liberia, from the Latin liber (“free”); Sudan, from the Arabic bilād as-sūdān (“land of the blacks”); Ivory Coast, from the French Côte d’Ivoire; and Mozambique, from the Portuguese Moçambique, itself modeled on the Arabic name of a local ruler, Mūsā al-Bīk.

5.1 North Africa

5.2 West Africa

5.3 Central Africa

5.4 East Africa

5.5 Southern Africa

6. Countries of the Americas in Italian

Let’s now move westward, cross the Atlantic Ocean, and arrive in the Americas.
In Italian, the word America — used in the singular — commonly refers to the entire continent, embracing both North and South America. In the Anglo-Saxon world, however, the plural form “The Americas” is preferred, distinguishing between the two great regions.

The name America has a deep and fascinating connection with Italian culture and language. Its history goes back to the great geographical explorations at the dawn of the modern age. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller published the first map to feature the name America, in honor of the Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci. That cartographic choice made an Italian the linguistic “father” of an entire continent.

The name America, therefore, owes its existence to the combined legacy of three men: Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus), the Genoese navigator who first reached the New World; Amerigo Vespucci, who gave it its name; and Martin Waldseemüller, who officially recorded it on the first world map.

Traditionally, the American continent is divided into four major regions: North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America — a vast and diverse expanse that, even in its very name, carries an unmistakable Italian imprint.

6.1 North America

6.2 Central America

6.3 South America

6.4 Caribbean

The Name "Venezuela"
The name Venezuela carries a fascinating linguistic story that, according to one of the most widely accepted accounts, involves the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci and his companion Alonso de Ojeda.

In 1499, during an expedition along the Caribbean coast, the two encountered an Indigenous village built on stilts over the water. The sight of those houses rising from the lagoon reminded Vespucci of Venice, his homeland’s famous city on the water. Ojeda is said to have named the region Venezziola — an Italian diminutive meaning “little Venice.”

From that word came Venezuela, the Spanish adaptation of the original Venetian term — a name that still preserves, in its very sound, a trace of Italian discovery and imagination.

7. Countries of Oceania in Italian

We conclude our journey among the names of countries and regions of the world in Oceania, the smallest continent, composed of a wide variety of island territories scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

In Italian geographical vocabulary, the names of Oceania countries tell of an encounter between distant languages and sounds adapted to our tradition.

Many of them arise from adaptations of English or indigenous names, but in the passage to Italian they acquire a more fluid and recognizable form: Australia, Nuova Zelanda (New Zealand), Figi (Fiji), Samoa, Tonga.

Even the denominations of the large regions — Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia — preserve Greek roots that evoke the color, position, and nature of these archipelagos.

Conclusion

From the world of Europe to the most distant continents, we have explored over 200 country names through different geographical categories. This comprehensive vocabulary covers everything, from the closest countries to the most remote nations, providing you with the essential terminology to discuss world geography in Italian.

Whether you're planning a trip around the world, following international news, or simply having a conversation about your favorite countries, these terms will enrich your Italian language skills.

Countries unite people across languages and cultures, representing the beauty and diversity of our planet. Now you have the vocabulary to join the conversation in Italian and appreciate even more the extraordinary geographical diversity of the world!

Notes on Gender of Names

Let's focus on gender and article usage.

• In Italian, the names of most continental countries and regions are masculine singular. Names ending in -o, -e, -stan, or without a final vowel are typically masculine:

il Messico (Mexico), il Giappone (Japan), il Kazakistan (Kazakhstan), il Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein), il Sudan (Sudan)

• Names ending in -a are predominantly feminine. Few ending in -a are masculine, mostly for reasons related to the origin of the name that maintains a strong connection with the language of the country:

la Francia (France), la Cina (China), la Tanzania (Tanzania), l'Argentina (Argentina), l'Australia (Australia)

Among the masculine names ending in -a, the best known is probably il Canada (Canada). Others are found in Latin America and Africa, such as il Guatemala (Guatemala) and il Ghana (Ghana).

• Compound names consisting of a noun and an adjective like Repubblica Ceca (Czech Republic), Regno Unito (United Kingdom), Paesi Bassi (Netherlands), Emirati Arabi (Arab Emirates), Stati Uniti (United States) are preceded by the article that agrees with the gender and number of the noun.
• Compound names consisting of a noun and an adjective follow the gender and number of the noun:

la Repubblica Ceca (Czech Republic), il Regno Unito (United Kingdom), i Paesi Bassi (Netherlands), gli Emirati Arabi (Arab Emirates), gli Stati Uniti (United States)

An exception is il Costa Rica, though some speakers also use la Costa Rica.

• Small continental countries or city-states are masculine and generally used without an article, except in specific cases such as il Vaticano or la Città del Vaticano (Vatican City):

Monaco (il principato di Monaco - the Principality of Monaco), Andorra

Things change significantly with island nations or regions.

• Countries consisting of a single island — large or small — are generally considered feminine in Italian, regardless of their ending. They are used without an article, or with the expression "l’isola di" (“the island of”), especially for smaller islands:

Cuba, Haiti, Malta / l’isola di Malta, Cipro (Cyprus) / l’isola di Cipro

• Countries made up of multiple islands — large or small archipelagos are usually feminine plural, since the word "isole" (“islands”) is implied:

le Filippine (Philippines), le Maldive (Maldives), le Figi (Fiji), le Azzorre (Azores), le Canarie (Canary Islands)

A notable exception is il Giappone (Japan), which, despite being an archipelago, takes the masculine singular form. (We’ve already seen earlier how its name has a unique linguistic story.)

• Finally, some countries — whether continental or island — do not take an article at all:

Israele (Israel), Panama, Gibuti (Djibouti), Capo Verde (Cape Verde), Timor Est (East Timor)

AUTHOR

Adriana Rossi is a certified teacher of Italian as a foreign language from Rome, Italy, and has been part of the Giulia team since 2024. With a Modern Literature degree and advanced studies in Modern Philology, she specializes in tracing the origins and evolution of Italian words, bringing expertise in diction and expressive reading to help preserve and share Italy’s linguistic heritage with learners worldwide.