Why should you know the names of countries in their local language? Well, because it’ll make your travels easier and give you some insight into the culture. And, because it’ll make you a geography genius.
According to About.com, an endonym is a name used by a group of people to refer to themselves, their region, or their language, as opposed to using a name given to them by other groups. For example, Köln is a German endonym, while Cologne is the English exonym and Colonnia the Italian exonym.
| # | Country (English) |
Country (Local Language) |
Language (English) |
Language (Local Language) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | United States | English | English |
| 2 | Japan | 日本 | Japanese | 日本語 |
| 3 | China | 中国 | Simplified Chinese | 简体中文 |
| 4 | Germany | Deutschland | German | Deutsch |
| 5 | France | France | French | Français |
| 6 | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | English | English |
| 7 | Italy | Italia | Italian | Italiano |
| 8 | Russia | Россия | Russian | Русский |
| 9 | Spain | España | Spanish | Español |
| 10 | Brazil | Brasil | Portuguese | Português |
| 11 | Canada | Canada | English | English |
| 11 | Canada | Canada | French | Français |
| 12 | India | India | English | English |
| 12 | India | भारत | Hindi | हिन्दी |
| 13 | Mexico | México | Spanish | Español |
| 14 | Australia | Australia | English | English |
| 15 | Korea | 대한민국 | Korean | 한국어 |
| 16 | Netherlands | Nederland | Dutch | Nederlands |
| 17 | Turkey | Türkiye | Turkish | Türkçe |
| 18 | Poland | Polska | Polish | Polski |
| 19 | Indonesia | Indonesia | Indonesian | Bahasa Indonesia |
| 20 | Belgium | België | Dutch | Nederlands |
| 20 | Belgium | Belgique | French | Français |
| 20 | Belgium | Belgien | German | Deutsch |
| 21 | Switzerland | Suisse | French | Français |
| 21 | Switzerland | Schweiz | German | Deutsch |
| 21 | Switzerland | Svizzera | Italian | Italiano |
| 22 | Sweden | Sverige | Swedish | Svenska |
| 23 | Saudi Arabia | العربية السعودية | Arabic | عربي |
| 24 | Norway | Norge | Norwegian | Norsk |
| 25 | Austria | Österreich | German | Deutsch |
| 26 | Taiwan | 臺灣 | Traditional Chinese | 繁體中文 |
| 27 | Greece | Ελλάδα | Greek | Ελληνικά |
| 28 | Denmark | Danmark | Danish | Dansk |
| 29 | Iran | ایران | Farsi | فارسی |
| 30 | Argentina | Argentina | Spanish | Español |
| 31 | Venezuela | Venezuela | Spanish | Español |
| 32 | South Africa | South Africa | English | English |
| 33 | Thailand | ประเทศไทย | Thai | ภาษาไทย |
| 34 | Finland | Suomi | Finnish | Suomi |
| 35 | Ireland | Ireland | English | English |
| 35 | Ireland | Éire | Irish | Gaeilge |
| 36 | United Arab Emirates | الامارات | Arabic | عربي |
| 37 | Portugal | Portugal | Portuguese | Português |
| 38 | Colombia | Colombia | Spanish | Español |
| 39 | Malaysia | Malaysia | Malay | Bahasa Melayu |
| 40 | Czech Republic | Česká republika | Czech | Čeština |
| 41 | Hong Kong | 香港 | Traditional Chinese | 繁體中文 |
| 42 | Nigeria | Nigeria | English | English |
| 43 | Israel | ישראל | Hebrew | עברית |
| 43 | Israel | إِسْرَائِيلُ | Arabic | عربي |
| 44 | Romania | România | Romanian | Românã |
| 45 | Singapore | 新加坡 | Simplified Chinese | 简体中文 |
| 46 | Ukraine | Украина | Russian | Русский |
| 46 | Ukraine | Україна | Ukrainian | Українська |
| 47 | Chile | Chile | Spanish | Español |
| 48 | Philippines | Philippines | English | English |
| 48 | Philippines | Pilipinas | Tagalog | Tagalog |
| 49 | Pakistan | Pakistan | English | English |
| 49 | Pakistan | پاکِستان | Urdu | اردو |
| 50 | Egypt | مَصْر | Arabic | عربي |
| 51 | Algeria | الجزائر | Arabic | عربي |
| 52 | Kuwait | دولة الكويت | Arabic | عربي |
| 53 | Hungary | Magyarország | Hungarian | Magyar |
| 54 | Kazakhstan | Қазақстан, Қазақия, Қазақ Елі, قازاقستان |
Kazakh | Қазақ тілі, قازاق ٴتىلى |
| 54 | Kazakhstan | Казахстан | Russian | Русский |
| 55 | New Zealand | New Zealand | English | English |
| 56 | Peru | Perú | Spanish | Español |
| 57 | Qatar | قطر | Arabic | عربي |
| 58 | Slovakia | Slovensko | Slovak | Slovenčina |
| 59 | Iraq | العراق | Arabic | عربي |
| 60 | Libya | ليبيا | Arabic | عربي |
| 61 | Vietnam | Việt Nam | Vietnamese | Tiếng Việt |
| 62 | Morocco | المغرب | Arabic | عربي |
| 63 | Angola | Angola | Portuguese | Português |
| 64 | Bagladesh | বাংলাদেশ | Bengali / Bangla | বাংলা |
| 65 | Croatia | Hrvatska | Croatian | Hrvatski |
| 66 | Belarus | Беларусь | Belarusian | беларуская |
| 66 | Belarus | Беларусь | Russian | Русский |
| 67 | Oman | عمان | Arabic | عربي |
| 68 | Sudan | السودان | Arabic | عربي |
| 68 | Sudan | Sudan | English | English |
| 69 | Syria | سورية | Arabic | عربي |
| 70 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | French | Français |
| 70 | Luxembourg | Luxemburg | German | Deutsch |
| 70 | Luxembourg | Lëtzebuerg | Luxembourgish | Lëtzebuergesch |
| 71 | Ecuador | Ecuador | Spanish | Español |
| 72 | Slovenia | Slovenija | Slovene | Slovenščina |
| 73 | Serbia | Србија, Srbija | Serbian | Српски, Srpski |
| 74 | Bulgaria | България | Bulgarian | български |
| 75 | Lithuania | Lietuva | Lithuanian | Lietuviškai |
| 76 | Azerbaijan | Azərbaycan, Азәрбајҹан, آذربايجان | Azerbaijani | Azərbaycan dili, Азәрбајҹан дили, آذربايجانجا ديلي |
| 77 | Dominican Republic | República Dominicana | Spanish | Español |
| 78 | Tunisia | تونس | Arabic | عربي |
| 78 | Tunisia | Tunisie | French | Français |
| 79 | Sri Lanka | ශ්රී ලංකා | Sinhala | සිංහල |
| 79 | Sri Lanka | இலங்கை | Tamil | தமிழ் மொழி |
| 80 | Guatemala | Guatemala | Spanish | Español |
| 81 | Latvia | Latvija | Latvian | Latviski |
| 82 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Spanish | Español |
| 83 | Costa Rica | Costa Rica | Spanish | Español |
| 84 | Kenya | Kenya | English | English |
| 84 | Kenya | Kenya | Swahili | Kiswahili |
| 85 | Lebanon | لُبْنَان | Arabic | عربي |
| 85 | Lebanon | Liban | French | Français |
| 86 | Uzbekistan | Ўзбекистон | Uzbek | Ўзбекча |
| 86 | Uzbekistan | Узбекистан | Russian | Русский |
| 87 | Yemen | اليَمَن | Arabic | عربي |
| 88 | Ethiopia | ኢትዮጵያ | Amharic | አማርኛ |
| 89 | Myanmar | Not visible in most browsers |
Burmese | Not visible in most browsers |
| 90 | Cyprus | Κύπρος | Greek | Ελληνικά |
| 90 | Cyprus | Kıbrıs | Turkish | Türkçe |
| 90 | Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | English | English |
| 92 | Cameroon | Cameroon | English | English |
| 92 | Cameroon | Cameroun | French | Français |
| 93 | Estonia | Eesti | Estonian | Eesti keel |
| 94 | Ivory Coast | Côte d’Ivoire | French | Français |
| 95 | Panama | Panamá | Spanish | Español |
| 96 | El Salvador | El Salvador | Spanish | Español |
| 97 | Bahrain | مملكة البحرين | Arabic | عربي |
| 98 | Jordan | الأردن | Arabic | عربي |
| 98 | Jordan | Jordan | English | English |
| 99 | Tanzania | Tanzania | English | English |
| 99 | Tanzania | Tanzania | Swahili | Kiswahili |
| 100 | Equatorial Guinea | Guinée Équatoriale | French | Français |
| 100 | Equatorial Guinea | Guiné Equatorial | Portuguese | Português |
| 100 | Equatorial Guinea | Guinea Ecuatorial | Spanish | Español |
*Multiple languages are spoken in some countries, but only a few of the major languages are included in this chart.
Credit: Adam Wooten, The International Business Edge, July 2010
