Foreign Pronunciation and Geographic Location Guide
Now you can enjoy your worldwide stamp collection even more by learning how to pronounce the name of almost any foreign country. This guide also increases your knowledge of each country’s geography and history.
Every listing gives you the pronunciation and location of the country you’re looking for, as well as its current or former name and colonial status. As you can see, the countries are listed in alphabetical order.
A
Abu Dhabi – AH boo DAH bee – sheikdom of the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf
Aden – AY d’n – former British colony; now part of the People’s Republic of Southern Yemen
Aegean Islands – ay JEE un – Greek islands located in the Aegean Sea
Afars and Issas – ah FARZ ee SAHZ – French overseas territory in northeast Africa; formerly the French colony of Somali Coast; current name Djibouti
Afghanistan – af GAN ih stan – republic in Central Asia bordering Iran and Pakistan
Aguera – ah GWAY rah – former Spanish administrative district of Africa
Aitutaki – EYE too TAH kee – one of the Cook islands
Ajman – AHJ mahn – sheikdom in Eastern Arabia; now part of the United Arab Emirates
Aland Islands – AH lund – Finnish island group located between Finland and Sweden; part of Scandinavia
Alaouites – ah lah WEET – formerly a French division of Syria; known later as Latakia
Albania – al BAY nee uh – republic in southeast Europe on the Adriatic Sea
Alderney – AWL dur nee – British island in the English Channel
Alexandretta – AL ig zan dret uh – district of Turkey; formerly part of the French mandate in Syria; before its return to Turkey, known as Hatay
Algeria – al JEER ee ah – republic in northwest Africa on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a French colony
Allenstein – AHL en shtine – district of Prussia
Alsace and Lorraine – AL says lo RAIN – region of northeastern France; ownership long disputed by Germany
Andorra – an DOOR ah – principality in the Pyranees Mountains; administered jointly by France and Spain
Angola – an GOH luh – former Portuguese colony in southwest Africa
Angra – AN grah – administrative district of the Azores
Anguilla – an GWIL uh – British island colony in the West Indies; formerly part of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla
Anjouan – AHN joo AHN – one of the Comoro islands
Annam & Tonkin – uh Nahm TON KIN – formerly part of French Indo-China; currently Vietnam
Antigua – an TEE guh – island in the West Indies; former British colony
Argentina – AHR jun TEEN uh – republic in South America between Chile and the Atlantic
Armenia – ar MEEN ee yuh – republic in southwestern Asia bordering Turkey andIran; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Aruba – ah ROO bah – island in the Netherlands Antilles
Ascension – uh SEN shun – island in the South Atlantic Ocean; part of the British colony of St. Helena
Australia – aws TRAIL yuh – island continent between the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Austria – AWS tree uh – republic in central Europe
Azerbaijan – AH zer by JAHN – republic in southwestern Asia bordering Iran and the Caspian Sea; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Azores – AY zorz – Portuguese islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, north of Portugal
B
Baden – BAH dun – former grand duchy of Germany
Bahamas – buh HAH muhz – islands in the Atlantic, east of Florida; former British colony
Bahawalpur – buh HAH wal POOR – state in central Pakistan; formerly part of India
Bahrain – bah RAIN – sheikdom in the Persian Gulf between Qatar and Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh – BAHNG luh desh – republic in southern Asia; formerly East Pakistan
Barbados – bar BAY dose – island in the West Indies formerly a British colony now part of the British Commonwealth
Barbuda – bar BOO dah – island in the West Indies, a dependency of Antigua
Basutoland – buh SOO toe LAND – former British colony in southern Africa; current name Lesotho
Batum – bah TOOM – port city in the republic of Georgia, on the Black Sea
Bavaria – buh VAIR ee uh – former kingdom in southern Germany
Bechuanaland Protectorate – BEK oo AN ah LAND pro TEK tor et – former British district in south central Africa; current name
Republic of Botswana
Belarus – bay luh ROOS – Eastern European republic; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Belgian Congo – BEL jun KON go – former Belgian colony in central Africa; name changed to Congo Democratic Republic with independence; current name Zaire
Belgium – BEL jum – constitutional monarchy in Western Europe
Belize – buh LEEZ – country of central America; formerly British Honduras
Benin – beh NEEN – republic in Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; formerly the French colony of Dahomey
Bequia – buh KEE yuh – island in the West Indies, north of Trinidad
Berlin – bur LIN – capital city of the former kingdom of Prussia; currently the capital of re-unified Germany
Bermuda – bur MYOO duh – island in the central Atlantic; British colony
Bhutan – byoo TAHN – kingdom which lies in the Himalayas between India and Tibet
Biafra – be AH fruh – short-lived republic of eastern Nigeria
Bohemia – boh HEE mee uh – former kingdom of western Czechoslovakia
Bolivia – boh LIV ee uh – republic in South America
Bophuthatswana – BO poo tah SWAH nah – Black South African homeland region
Bosnia – BAHZ nee uh – region of west-central Yugoslavia
Botswana – boh TSWAH nah – republic in central Africa; formerly British Bechuanaland Protectorate
Brazil – bruh ZIL – republic in eastern South America
British Antarctic Territory – ant ARK tik – British island territory of the Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica
British Columbia – koh LUM bee uh – province of western Canada bordering the Pacific Ocean
British East Africa – eest AF rick uh – former British territories in eastern Africa
British Guiana – gee AHN nuh – former colony on the northern coast of South America; current name Guyana
British Honduras – hahn DUR us – former colony in Central America on the Caribbean Sea; current name Belize
British Virgin Islands – VUR jin – British colony in the West Indies. The western portion ofthe Virgin Islands belongs to the U.S.
Brunei – broo NYE – sultanate of Borneo; former British colony
Brunswick – BRUNZ wik – former state of central Germany
Bulgaria – bul GAIR ee uh – former Communist republic in southeastern Europe, on the Black Sea
Burkina Faso – bur KEEN ah FAH soh – republic in West Africa; formerly the French colony of Upper Volta
Burma – BUR muh – socialist republic of southeast Asia; current name Myanmar
Burundi – boo ROON dee – republic in central Africa; former French colony
Bushire – boo sheer – Iranian port on the Persian Gulf
C
Caicos – KAY kus – island group south of the Bahamas; part of the British colony of Turks and Caicos Islands
Cambodia – kam BO dee uh – Communist republic in southeast Asia between Thailand and Vietnam; current name Kampuchea
Cameroun – kam uh ROON – republic in western Africa
Canada – KAN uh duh – Self-governing dominion of the British Commonwealth, occupying the northern portion of North America
Canal Zone – kuh NAL ZOHN – territory on either side of the Panama Canal administered by the U.S.
Canary Islands – kuh NAIR ee – Spanish islands off the northwest coast of Africa
Cape Juby – JOO bee – Spanish possession in the western Sahara on the Atlantic Coast of Africa
Cape Verde – vurd – group of islands in the Atlantic, off the west coast of Senegal; former Portuguese colony
Caroline Islands – kair uh line – islands in the western Pacific; a U.S. trust territory
Castellorizo – kahs TEL lo REET so – island in the Mediterranean Sea
Cayman Islands – kay MAN – island group and British colony in the West Indies, northwest of Jamaica
Central African Republic – SEN trul AF rick an – country of central Africa; formerly the French colony of Ubangi-Shari
Ceylon – see LON – Indian Ocean island and former British colony; current name Sri Lanka
Chad – chad – republic and former French colony of central Africa
Chile – CHIL ee – southernmost republic of South America, extending from Peru to the southern end of the continent
China – CHY nuh – country of eastern Asia, bordered by Mongolia, Indo-China and the China Sea
Christmas Islands – KRIS mus – Australian islands in the eastern Indian Ocean
Cilicia – sil EEZH uh – district of southern Turkey
Ciskei – sis kay – Black South African homeland
Cochin – ko CHIN – site of Portuguese settlement in southwest India
Cochin China – area in southern VietNam; formerly part of French Indo-China
Cocos – KOH kohs – island group in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sumatra
Colombia – koh LUM bee uh – country in northern South America
Comoro – ko MORE oh – island group off the southeastern coast of Africa; former French colony
Congo Democratic Republic – KON goh – nation of west central Africa; formerly the Belgian Congo; current name Zaire
Congo People’s Republic – KON goh – nation in west central Africa; formerly the French colony of Middle Congo
Cook Islands – cook – group of islands in the South Pacific, northeast of New Zealand
Costa Rica – KAHS tuh REE kuh – republic in central America
Crete – kreet – Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea
Crimea – cry ME uh – Russian peninsula on the Black Sea
Croatia – kroh AY shuh – an eastern European republic; formerly a province of northern Yugoslavia
Cuba – CUE buh – Communist island republic in the West Indies
Curacao – KOO rah SA oh – island in the Netherlands Antilles
Cyprus – SI prus – island republic in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Cyrenaica – SEAR uh NAY kuh – ancient region of northeast Libya
Czechoslovakia – CHEK oh slah VAH kee ah – former Communist republic of central Europe
D
Dahomey – duh HO mee – former republic in western Africa; current name PeopleÕs Republic of Benin
Dalmatia – dal MAY sha – region on the coast of Yugoslavia
Danish West Indies – DAIN ish IN deez – group of islands east of Puerto Rico; Danish colony until U.S. purchase in 1916; current name U.S. Virgin Islands
Danzig – DAHN sig – formerly part of German kingdom of Prussia
Denmark – DEN mark – kingdom in northern Europe; part of Scandinavia
Diego-Suarez – DYAY go SWAH rays – northern port in Madagascar
Djibouti – gee boo tee – republic in eastern Africa; former French Overseas Territory of Afars and Issas; until 1967 French colony of Somali Coast
Dodecanese – DOE duh kah NEECE – Greek islands in the Aegean Sea
Dominica – duh MIN ik uh – island republic in the Caribbean Sea; former British colony
Dominican Republic – duh MIN ih kun – eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola
Dubai – doo BEE – city and sheikdom in the United Arab Emirates
Dutch West Indies – see Netherlands Antilles
E
Ecuador – ECK wah door – republic on the western coast of South America
Egypt – EE jipt – republic in northern Africa
El Salvador – ell SAL vuh door – republic in Central America bordering the Pacific
Elobey, Annobon & Corisco – EL oh bay AN oh bon kor EES ko – group of Spanish islands off the coast of western Africa; now part of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Epirus – eh PIE ruhs – region in southeastern Albania
Equatorial Guinea – EK wah TOR ee al GIN ee – African republic on the gulf of Guinea
Eritrea – ER ih TREE uh – region of northern Ethiopia
Estonia – es TOH nee uh – republic in Eastern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Ethiopia – EE thee OH pee uh – republic of northeast Africa
Eupen and Malmedy – YOO pin MAL maid EE – German towns annexed by Belgium after World War I
F
Falkland Islands – FAWK lund – group of islands in the southern Atlantic off the coast of South America; British colony also claimed by Argentina
Faroe Islands – FAIR oh – group of islands in the North Atlantic belonging to Denmark
Fernando Po – fur NAN doe POE – former Spanish island in the Gulf of Guinea west of Africa; today part of Equatorial Guinea
Fezzan-Ghadames – feh ZAHN geh DAHM – districts of southwest Libya
Fiji – FEE jee – group of islands in the South Pacific; British colony
Finland – FIN lund – republic of northern Europe; part of Scandinavia
Fiume – FYOO may – city on the Adriatic Sea which has been by turns Hungarian, Italian, and Yugoslavian
France – frans – republic of western Europe
French Guiana – gee AH nuh – former French colony off the northeast coast of South America; now an overseas department of
France
French Morocco – muh ROCK oh – former French protectorate in Africa; now part of the kingdom of Morocco
French Polynesia – POL uh NEE zhuh – French Overseas Territory in the South Pacific
French Sudan – soo DAN – former French colony; current name Mali
French West Africa – AF rick uh – former French administrative unit of Africa, comprised of many French African colonies before independence
Fujeira – foo JEE rah – sheikdom of the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman
Funafuti – FOON ah FOO tee – one of the Tuvalu Islands
Funchal – fun SHAHL – city in the Madeira Islands, a Portuguese colony in the Atlantic
G
Gabon – gah BON – republic of west-central Africa; former French colony
Gambia – GAM bee uh – republic of West Africa, bordering the Atlantic; former British colony
Geneva – juh NEEV uh – city in Switzerland; site of United Nations offices
Georgia – JOR juh – republic in southeastern Europe, bordering Russia and the Black Sea; formerly part of the Soviet Union
German Democratic Republic – JUR man – formerly East Germany; now part of re-unified Germany
German East Africa – eest AF rick uh – former German protectorate
German New Guinea – NOO GIN ee – former German colony in Papua New Guinea
Germany – JUR man ee – republic in Western Europe
Ghana – GAH nuh – republic in west Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; former British colony
Gibraltar – jih BRAWL tur – a fortified peninsula on the strait of Gibraltar; British colony, also claimed by Spain
Gilbert & Ellice – GILL burt EL ihs – two Pacific island groups, northeast of Australia; formerly a British colony
Gold Coast – GOHLD kohst – section of coastal West Africa; formerly a British colony; current name Ghana
Great Britain – BRIT ’n – island nation off the coast of Western Europe; comprised of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Greece – grees – republic of southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula
Greenland – GREEN lund – Danish island in North Atlantic, off the northeast coast of Canada; current name Nalatdlit Nunat
Grenada – gruh NAY dah – island in the West Indies; former British colony
Grenadines – GREN uh deenz – small groups of islands in the West Indies; one group associated with St. Vincent, the other with Grenada
Griqualand West – GREE kwah land – British territory located in South Africa
Guadeloupe – gwah d’l OOP – group of 7 islands in the West Indies; French colony
Guam – gwahm – U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean
Guanacaste – GWAH nah KAHS tay – province of Costa Rica
Guatemala – GWAH tuh MAH luh – northernmost republic in Central America, bordering Mexico
Guernsey – GURN zee – island in the English Channel belonging to Great Britain
Guinea – GIN ee – republic in West Africa; formerly French Guinea
Guinea-Bissau – GIN ee bih SOO – republic in Western Africa; formerly Portuguese Guinea
Guyana – guy AN nuh – republic on northeast coast of South America; formerly British Guiana
Gwalior – GWAH lee or – state in north-central India
H
Haiti – HAY tee – western third of the island of Hispaniola
Hamburg – HAM berg – seaport in northern Germany
Hanover – HAN oh ver – former kingdom in northern Germany
Hatay – HA TAH ih – district of Syria under French mandate
Hawaii – huh WHY ee – former kingdom in the central Pacific Ocean; 50th U.S. state
Hejaz – HEE jazz – located on the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula, including holy city of Mecca and Medina, in what is now Saudi Arabia
Heligoland – HEL ih go LAND – island in the North Sea, off the north coast of Germany
Herzegovina – HER tsuh goh VEE nuh – region of west-central Yugoslavia
Hispaniola – HISS pen YO luh – island in the West Indies, east of Cuba; comprised of Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Honan – HOH nan – province in central China
Honduras – hahn DOO ras – republic in Central America
Hong Kong – HONG KONG – British crown colony on the southeast coast of China; reverts to mainland China in 1997
Horta – OR tah – district of the Azore Islands; a Portuguese colony
Hungary – HUN gah ree – former Communist country in Eastern Europe
Hyderabad – HYE dur uh BAHD – princely state of central India
I
Iceland – ICE lund – island republic in the north Atlantic, near the Arctic Circle
Ifni – IF nee – Spanish enclave on the Atlantic Coast of Morocco
Ile Rouad – EEL RWAHD – island in the Mediterranean; formerly a French mandate, now part of Syria
India – IN dee uh – republic of southern Asia
Indo-China – IN doh CHY nuh – former French unit in Southeast Asia, comprised of what is currently Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
Indonesia – IN doh NEE shuh – republic of southeastern Asia
Inhambane – IN yam BAH nay – former Portuguese colony in eastern Africa
Inini – ee nee NEE – former territory of French Guiana
Ionian – eye OH nee un – group of islands off the western coast of Africa
Iran – ih RAHN – Islamic nation of the Middle East, formerly called Persia
Iraq – ih RAHK – Arab republic in the Middle East; formerly Mesopotamia
Ireland – IRE lund – republic in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Isle of Man – I’LL man – British island in the Irish Sea, west of Great Britain
Israel – IS ray ell – republic in the Middle East, on the Mediterranean Sea
Istria – IS tree uh – peninsula of Yugoslavia on the Adriatic Sea
Italy – IT’l ee – republic in southern Europe
Ivory Coast – EYE vuh ree KOHST – country in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; former French colony
J
Jamaica – juh MAY kuh – island in West Indies, south of Cuba; former British colony
Japan – juh PAN – group of islands off the northeast coast of Asia
Jersey – JUR zee – island in the English Channel belonging to Great Britain
Jordan – JAWR d’n – Arab kingdom of the Middle East, located between Israel and Saudi Arabia
K
Kampuchea – KAM poo CHEE uh – Communist nation of Southeast Asia; formerly Cambodia
Katanga – kuh TAHN guh – region of southeastern Zaire
Kathiri State of Seiyun – ka THEAR ee say YOON – former British protectorate in Southern Arabia; now part of People’s Republic of Southern Yemen
Kazakhstan – ka zahk STAHN – republic of central Asia, northeast of the Caspian Sea; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Kedah – KAY dah – sultanate in southwestern Malaya; former British colony; now part of Malaysia
Kelantan – kay LAHN TAHN – sultanate in northeastern Malaya; former British colony; now part of Malaysia
Kenya – KEN yah – republic of east-central Africa; former British protectorate
Kiauchau – JYOO joh – former German colony in southern China
Kionga – KYOHN guh – area in northern Mozambique; formerly part of German East Africa
Kiribati – KEER a boss – island republic of west-central Pacific; formerly the British colony of Gilbert Islands
Korea – koh REE ah – peninsula divided into North and South Korea and located in eastern Asia on the Sea of Japan
Kuwait – koo WAIT – sheikdom at the northern end of the Persian Gulf
Kyrgyzstan – kir geez STAHN – republic of central Asia, bordering on China; formerly part of the Soviet Union
L
Lagos – LAH gus – territory of the former British colony of Nigeria
Laos – LAH ohs – a Communist nation in Southeast Asia; formerly part of French Indo-China
Latakia – LAT uh KEE uh – former French-mandated area of Syria; previously called Alaouites
Latvia – LAT vee uh – republic of eastern Europe on the Baltic Sea; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Lebanon – LEB uh non – republic in the Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean, Syria,
Leeward Islands – LEE word – islands in the West Indies, south of Puerto Rico
Lesotho – luh SO toe – kingdom in southern Africa; formerly British colony of Basutoland
Liberia – lie BEER ee uh – country of western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; originally colonised by freed slaves from the U.S.
Libya – LIB ee uh – country of northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea
Liechtenstein – LIHK ten shtine – principality of Central Europe between Switzerland and Austria
Lithuania – LITH oo AY nee uh – republic of eastern Europe on the Baltic Sea; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Lombardy-Venetia – LAHM bar dee ven EE shuh – former kingdom in northern Italy
Lourenco-Marques – lo REHN SO mar KESS – district of southern Mozambique
Lubeck – LOO beck – former city and state of northern Germany
Luxembourg – LUCK sem boorg – grand duchy in Western Europe
M
Macao – muh KOW – Portuguese province on the South China Sea
Madagascar – MAD uh GAS kur – island republic in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa
Madeira – muh DEER uh – Portuguese islands in the Atlantic, northwest of Africa
Malawi – muh LAH wee – republic in eastern South Africa; formerly the British Nyasaland Protectorate
Malaya – muh LAY uh – region in southeast Asia on the Malayan Peninsula; together with other states in the region, known as Malaysia
Malaysia – muh LAY zhuh – country of southeast Asia, composed of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and until 1965, Singapore
Maldive Islands – mal DEEV – islands in Indian Ocean southwest of Ceylon; former British colony
Mali – mah lee – republic in western Africa; formerly the French colony of French Sudan
Malta – MAWL tuh – island in the Mediterranean, south of Sicily; formerly a British colony
Manama – mah NAH muh – capital of Bahrain
Manchukuo – man CHOO kwo – former state in eastern Asia
Mariana Islands – MAIR ee AN uh – islands in the western Pacific; former German colony; currently under U.S. administration
Marienwerder – mah REE ehn VER der – district of Prussia
Marshall Islands – MAHR shull – islands in the central Pacific, a former U.S. Trust Territory
Martinique – MAHR t’n EEK – former French island colony in the West Indies
Mauritania – MORE ih TAY nee uh – Africanrepublic; formerly part of French West Africa
Mauritius – maw RISH us – island in the Indian Ocean; former British colony
Mayotte – mah YAHT – one of the Comoro islands
Mecklenburg-Schwerin – MECK lun BURG shvair in – former grand duchy of Germany
Mecklenburg-Strelitz – MECK lun BURG STRAY litz – former grand duchy of Germany
Memel – MAY mul – district of Lithuania, on the Baltic Sea
Mesopotamia – MES oh poh TAY mee uh – former Turkish province; current name Iraq
Mexico – MEK sih ko – republic of north central America
Micronesia – my kro NEE shuh – islands of the western Pacific, north of the equator; a former U.S. Trust Territory
Middle Congo – KONG goh – former French colony in west Africa
Modena – MOD’n uh – former duchy in northern Italy
Moheli – maw uh LEE – one of the Comoro Islands
Moldavia – mahl DAY vee uh – former name of Moldova
Moldova – mahl DOH vuh – republic of southeastern Europe north of Romania; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Monaco – MAHN uh koh – principality on the Mediterranean Sea
Mongolia – mahn GOH lee uh – republic in central Asia between China and Siberia
Montenegro – MAHN tuh NEE groh – former kingdom in the Balkans; currently part of Yugoslavia
Montserrrat – MAWNT sehr RAHT – island in the West Indies; former British colony
Morocco – muh ROCK oh – kingdom in northwest Africa
Mozambique – mo zum BEEK – Socialist republic on the southeast coast of Africa; former Portuguese colony
Mozambique Co. – mo zum BEEK KOM pan ee – private company that acquired rights in districts of Mozambique, ending in 1942
Myanmar – my AN mar – republic of Southeast Asia; former name Burma
N
Nalatdlit Nunat – nah LAHT lit NEW not – official name of Greenland
Namibia – nah MIHB ee ya – formerly the German colony of South-West Africa; currently administered by South Africa in defiance of U.N. demands for withdrawal
Nanumaga – nah noo MA gah – one of the Tuvalu islands
Nanumea – nah noo MAY ah – one of the Tuvalu islands
Natal – nuh TAHL – former British colony on the southeast coast of Africa; now part of South Africa
Nauru – nah oo roo – island in the central Pacific Ocean; formerly under British mandate
Negri Sembilan – NAY grih SEM beh LON – sultanate on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula; now part of Malaysia
Nejd – NEH jid – region of central Saudi Arabia
Nepal – neh PAHL – kingdom in southern Asia between India and Tibet
Netherlands – NETH ur lundz – kingdom of northwest Europe
Netherlands Antilles – NETH ur lundz ahn TIL eez – group of islands in the West Indies belonging to the Kingdom of the
Netherlands; comprised of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire
Netherlands Indies – NETH ur lundz IN deez – former Dutch colony in the East Indies
Netherlands New Guinea – NETH ur lundz noo GIN ee – western half of the island of New Guinea; now a possession of Indonesia
Nevis – NEE vis – formerly part of the British Leeward Islands Colony in the West Indies; currently with St. Kitts, an associated state of the British Commonwealth New Britain – BRIT ’n – one of the islands of Papua New Guinea
New Brunswick – BRUHNZ wick – former British colony in eastern Canada
New Caledonia – KAL uh DOHN yuh – French island in the South Pacific Ocean
New Guinea – GIN ee – island in the South Pacific, north of Australia; now part of Papua New Guinea
New Hebrides – HEB rih deez – islands in the South Pacific; previously administered jointly by France and Great Britain; now the independent republic of Vanuatu
New Republic – ree PUHB lik – former Boer (Dutch) republic and British colony; now part of South Africa
New South Wales – whales – former British colony in southern Australia
New Zealand – ZEE lund – island country in the South Pacific, southeast of Australia
Newfoundland – NOO fun lund – province of eastern Canada
Nicaragua – NICK uh RAH gwah – republic in Central America
Niger – NYE jur – republic in northern Africa; former French colony
Niger Coast Protectorate – part of the former British colony of Nigeria
Nigeria – nye JEER ee uh – republic in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; former British colony
Niue – nee OO ay – coral island in the South Pacific; associated with New Zealand
Niutao – nee oo TAH oh – one of the Tuvalu Islands
Norfolk Island – NOR fohk – island in the South Pacific under Australian administration
North Borneo – BOR nee oh – northeastern region of the island of Borneo; former British colony now part of the Malaysian Federation; current name Sabah
North German Confederation – kon FED er AY shun – former association of German states
Northern Rhodesia – roh DEE shuh – former British protectorate in southern Africa; current name Zambia
Norway – NOR way – kingdom of northern Europe; part of Scandinavia
Nossi-Be – NAW see BAY – island in Indian Ocean; former French protectorate
Nova Scotia – NO vah SKO shuh – former British colony in eastern Canada
Nui – NOO ee – one of the Tuvalu islands
Nukufetau – NOO koo FAY ta – one of the Tuvalu islands
Nukulaelae – NOO koo LAY lay – one of the Tuvalu islands
Nyasaland Protectorate – ny AHS uh LAND – former British territory in south-central Africa; current name Malawi
Nyassa – nye AHS uh – district in northwest Mozambique
O
Obock – OH boc – African seaport on the Gulf of Aden; part of the former French Somali Coast colony
Oltre Giuba – OHL trah JOO bah – part of Italian Somaliland in eastern Africa
Oman – oh MAHN – independent sultanate on the southeast coast of Arabia, on the Persian Gulf
Orange Free State – former British colony in South Africa
Ostland – AHST lund – German military district of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
P
Pahang – puh HANG – Malaysian state
Pakistan – PACK ih STAN – republic in south central Asia; formerly part of British India
Palau – pah LOO – island in Western Pacific; U.S. Trust Territory
Palestine – PAL es tine – region in the Middle East on the Mediterranean; now part of Israel
Panama – PAN uh maw – republic in Central America occupying the Isthmus of Panama
Papua New Guinea – PAH pooh uh NOO GIN ee – independent state occupying eastern New Guinea; former Australian colony
Paraguay – PAR ah gway – republic in central South America
Penang – pee NANG – former British possession on the Malay peninsula; now part of Malaysia
Penrhyn Island – PEN rihn – island in the South Pacific; part of the Cook Islands
Perak – PAY rahk – sultanate on the Malay peninsula; part of Malaysia
Perlis – PER lihs – former Siamese state on the Malay peninsula, now part of Malaysia
Peru – puh ROO – republic on the Pacific Coast of South America
Philippines – FILL ih peenz – large island republic in the southwest Pacific Ocean
Pitcairn Islands – PIT kairn – group of British-owned islands in the South Pacific Ocean
Poland – POE lund – republic of central Europe on the Baltic Sea
Ponta Delgada – PAHN tuh del GAH duh – chief city of the Azores
Portugal – POOR chew gull – republic in southwestern Europe
Portuguese Congo – POOR chew geese KON go – former Portuguese colony; now part of Angola
Portuguese Guinea – POOR chew geese Gin ee – former Portuguese Overseas Territory; now part of Guinea-Bissau
Portuguese India – POOR chew geese former Portuguese holdings; now part of India
Prince Edward Island – PRINTS ED wurd – Canadian island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; former British colony
Prussia – PRUSH ah – former kingdom in northern Germany
Puerto Rico – PWEAR toh REE koh – island in the West Indies; former Spanish colony, now a commonwealth in association with the U.S.
Q
Qatar – KAH tahr – Arab sheikdom on the Persian Gulf
Qu’aiti State – kwah AY tee – former British protectorate in south Arabia; now part of PeopleÕs Republic of Southern Yemen
Queensland – KWEENZ lund – former British colony in Australia
Quelimane – KEL ee MAHN uh – province in Mozambique
R
Ras al Khaima – RAS al KYE ma – sheikdom in eastern Arabia
Redonda – rih DON dah – an island of Antigua
Reunion – re YOON yun – island in the Indian Ocean; former French colony, now part of France
Rhodesia – roh DEE shuh – former British colony in southeastern Africa; current name Zimbabwe
Rio De Oro – REE oh day OR oh – former Spanish colony on the northwestern coast of Africa
Rio Muni – REE oh MOO nee – former Spanish colony on the Gulf of Guinea; now part of Equatorial Guinea
Roman States – ROH mahn – until 1870 the greater part of central Italy under papal control
Romania – roh main ee uh – former Communist republic in southeastern Europe
Ruanda-Urundi – roo AHN dah oo ROON dee – area of central Africa which became independent from Belgium as the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Burundi
Russia – RUSH uh – republic occupying the greater portion of eastern Europe and northern Asia; formerly the core of the Soviet Union
Rwanda – r WAHN duh – country in east-central Africa, south of the equator
Ryukyu Islands – ree OO kyoo – Japanese islands in the Pacific, extending from Japan to Taiwan
S
Saar – ZAHR – former state in western Germany
Sabah – SAH bah – state in northeast Borneo, part of Malaysia; formerly British North Borneo
Samoa – suh MOH uh – islands in the South Pacific, east of Fiji; Western Samoa is independent while eastern (American) Samoa is administered by the U.S.
San Marino – muh REE noh – independent republic in central Italy
Sao Tome & Principe – sow too MAY PREN see puh – former Portuguese colony of St. Thomas & Prince
Sarawak – suh RAH wahk – state on northwest coast of Borneo; part of Malaysia
Sardinia – sahr DIN ee uh – former kingdom in northwest Italy
Saudi Arabia – sah OO dee uh RAY bee uh – kingdom and largest country on the Arabian Peninsula
Saxony – SACK son ee – former German state
Schleswig – SCHLES vig – area of central Jutland Peninsula
Schleswig-Holstein – SCHLES vig HOLE schtine – former German duchies
Selangor – sah LAHNG gor – sultanate on the Malay Peninsula; now part of Malaysia
Senegal – sen eh GAWL – republic on the western coast of Africa; former French colony
Senegambia – SEN ih GAHM bee uh – former French colony in northwest Africa; now part of the republic of Mali
Serbia – SUR bee uh – former state in the Balkans; now part of Yugoslavia
Seychelles – say SHELL – group of islands in the western Indian Ocean; formerly a British colony, now a socialist state
Shanghai – SHANG high – major city and port of China
Sharjah – shahr JAH – sheikdom of the United Arab Emirates
Siberia – sy BEER ee uh – region of Asiatic Russia, stretching from the Ural mountains to the Pacific Ocean; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Sierra Leone – see AIR uh lee OHN – republic in western Africa; formerly a British colony
Singapore – SING uh pore – island republic on the Malay Peninsula; formerly a British colony
Slovakia – sloh VAH kee uh – province in eastern Czechkoslovakia
Slovenia – slo VEE nee uh – province of northwestern Yugoslavia
Solomon Islands – SAHL uh mun – former British islands in the western Pacific, east of New Guinea
Somali Coast – soh MAH lee – former French African colony on the Gulf of Aden
Somalia – soh MAHL uh – independent region on the eastern coast of Africa; formerly Italian Somaliland
Somaliland Protectorate – soh MAH lee LAND proh TECK tor et – former British protectorate in eastern Africa
South Africa – AF rick uh – republic bordered by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
South Arabia – uh RAY bee uh – former federation of British territories in southwestern Arabia
South Georgia – JOR juh – British island colony in the south Atlantic; part of the Falkland Islands
South Moluccas – mah LUCK us – a group of Indonesian islands which attempted unsuccessfully to gain independence from Indonesia
South-West Africa – former German colony now administered by South Africa; renamed Namibia by the United Nations
Spain – spayn – republic of southwestern Europe
Spanish Morocco – SPAN ish muh ROCK oh – northern region of Morocco; now part of the kingdom of Morocco
Spanish Sahara – SPAN ish suh HAIR uh – former Spanish colony in northwestern Africa; now claimed by Morocco
Sri Lanka – sree LAHNG kuh – island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of India; former British colony of Ceylon
St. Christopher – saynt KRIS toh fer – island in West Indies; current name St. Kitts
St. Helena – saynt huh LEE nuh – British colony in the Atlantic Ocean, including the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
St. Kitts-Nevis – saynt kits NEE vis – islands in the West Indies; associated states in the British Commonwealth, now issuing stamps separately
St. Lucia – saynt LOO shuh – former British island colony in the West Indies
St. Pierre and Miquelon – SAWNT pee AIR MICK uh lahn – French islands south of Newfoundland
St. Thomas and Prince Islands – saynt TOM us prins – former Portuguese colony islands in the Gulf of Guinea; currently the independent Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
St. Vincent – saynt VIN sunt – former British colony island in the West Indies
Stellaland – STEL ah LAND – Boer (Dutch) republic in southern Africa
Straits Settlement – strayts former British colony in Malaya
Sudan – soo DAN – republic in northeastern Africa, south of Egypt
Surinam – SOOR uh nahm – former Dutch colony in South America
Swaziland – SWAH zee land – kingdom in southern Africa; formerly a British protectorate
Sweden – SWEE dun – monarchy in northern Europe; part of Scandinavia
Switzerland – SWIHT sur lund – republic in western Europe
Syria – SIHR ee uh – Middle Eastern republic bordering the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey and Lebanon
T
Tahiti – tah HEE tee – island in the South Pacific, now part of French Polynesia, a French Overseas Territory
Taiwan – tie WAHN – island home of the Nationalist Chinese government; located off the Pacific coast of The People’s Republic of China; also called China Republic; former name Formosa
Tajikistan – tah jeek ee STAHN – republic of south central Asia bordering Afghanistan and China; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Tanganyika – TAN gun YEE kuh – former German and British colony; current name Tanzania
Tangier – tan JEER – Moroccan city on the Strait of Gibraltar
Tannu Tuva – TAH noo TOO vah – area in northern Asia between Mongolia and Siberia; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Tanzania – tan ZAY nee uh – central African republic on the Indian Ocean; formerly the British colony of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Tasmania – taz MAY nee uh – island off the southeast coast of Australia; formerly the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land, now part of the Commonwealth of Australia
Thailand – TIE land – republic on the Malay Peninsula of southeast Asia; formerly the kingdom of Siam
Thurn and Taxis – thurn tahk sis-princely house which issued stamps in central Europe between the 1500’s and 1800’s
Tibet – tih BET – former independent nation in Himalayan region of central Asia, seized by China in the 1950’s. Tibet’s leader, the Dalai Lama, maintains a government-in- exile in India
Timor – tee MORE – southeast Indonesian island; a Portuguese colony
Tobago – tuh BAY go – former British island colony in the Caribbean Sea; now united with Trinidad
Togo – TOH goh – republic in West Africa bordering the Gulf of Guinea; formerly a German Protectorate, then a French mandate
Tokelau Islands – TOH kuh LOH – island group north of Samoa in the South Pacific; a dependency of New Zealand
Tonga – TAWNG guh – islands in the South Pacific, south of Samoa; formerly a British colony
Transkei – trans KAY – Black South African homeland on the Indian Ocean
Transvaal – tranz VAHL – province of the republic of South Africa
Travancore – trav an KOR – former state of southern India
Trengganu – tren GAH noo – former British protectorate; now part of Malaysia
Trieste – tree EST – former Italian territory at the north end of the Adriatic Sea
Trinidad – TRIH nih dad – island in the West Indies, now united with Tobago; former British colony
Tripolitania – TRIP uh lih TAY nee uh – former Italian colony in northern Africa
Tristan da Cunha – TRISS tan duh KOON yuh – British island in the South Atlantic Ocean
Trucial States – TROO shull – Arab sheikdoms of eastern Arabia
Tunisia – too NEE shuh – republic in northern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea; former French protectorate
Turkey – TUR kee – republic of southeastern Europe and western Asia, bordering the Black Sea, Syria and Iraq
Turkmenistan – turk men ee STAHN – republic of south central Asia, bordering Iran and Afghanistan; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Turks & Caicos Islands – turks KAY kus – British island group in the West Indies, south of the Bahamas
Tuscany – TUS kuh nee – former grand duchy in west-central Italy
Tuvalu – TOO vah loo – British islands in central-south Pacific; formerly Ellice Islands
Two Sicilies – SIS ill eez – former kingdom of Italy and Sicily
U
Ubangi-Shari – oo BON gee shah REE – former French colony in West Africa; current name Central African Republic
Uganda – yoo GAHN duh – country of east-central Africa; formerly a British protectorate
Ukraine – yoo KRANE – republic in southeastern Europe; formerly part of the Soviet Union
Umm al Qiwain – OOM ahl kye WINE – sheikdom of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates – Yoo nye ted AIR eb EM er its – federation of sheikdoms on the Persian Gulf side of the Arabian peninsula
United Nations – Yoo nye ted NAY shunz -organization for maintenance of international peace, with offices in New York City, Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria
Upper Silesia – UH per sih LEE shee uh – former German territory; now part of Poland
Upper Volta – UH per VOLE tuh – republic of western Africa; former French colony; current name Burkina Faso
Uruguay – YUR uh gway – republic in South America on the Atlantic Ocean
Uzbekistan – ooz bek ee STAHN – republic of south central Asia; formerly part of the Soviet Union
V
Vaitupu – vye TOO poo – one of the Tuvalu islands
Vanuatu – vaH noo ah too – island republic of South Pacific; formerly the British-French condominium of New Hebrides
Vatican City – VAT ih ken – independent papal state in Rome, Italy
Venda – VEHN duh – Black South African homeland
Venezuela – VEN uh ZWAY luh – republic on the northern coast of South America
Victoria – vick TOR ee uh – former British colony in southern Australia
Victoria Land – vick TOR ee uh LAND – region of Antarctica
Vietnam – VEE et NAHM – country in Southeast Asia; formerly part of French Indo-China
W
Wallis & Futuna Islands – WAHL is foo TOO nah – two island groups in the South Pacific; a French protectorate
Wenden – vehn dehn – former district of the Russian province of Livonia; now part of Latvia and Estonia
West Indies – IN deez – several groups of islands lying between North and South America, separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; also called the Antilles – an TILL eez
West Irian – EAR ee in – western half of New Guinea; former Dutch colony nowunder Indonesian administration
Western Sahara – sah HAIR ah – region of northwest Africa claimed by Morocco; formerly called Spanish Sahara
Wurttemberg – VUR tem BURG – former kingdom in Germany
Y
Yemen – YEM un – ancient state in southwest Arabia; divided today into the Yemen Arab Republic and South Yemen
Yugoslavia – YOO goh SLAH vee uh – former Communist republic in southeastern Europe bordering the Adriatic Sea
Z
Zaire – zah EAR – republic of west-central Africa; formerly the Belgian Congo and Congo Democratic Republic
Zambezia – zam BEE zee uh – a former district of Mozambique
Zambia – ZAM bee yuh – republic in southern Africa; formerly the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia
Zanzibar – ZAN zuh BAR – group of islands off the eastern coast of Africa; formerly a British protectorate; now part of Tanzania
Zimbabwe – zim BOB way – republic of south-central Africa; formerly the British colony of Rhodesia
Zululand – ZOO loo land – province of South Africa; formerly part of the British colony of Natal