Who named the countries of the world?

Question

Bizarre question I know but I was watching a planet programme last night and thought - thats a good question.

Answer 1

the people of each area may have, but often the people who "discovered" a country renamed it. for example, columbus named the west indies because he thought he had found a short cut to india.

Answer 2

People of that country and/or thru' their government.  Maybe when anyone who found a country first named it as per whims and fancy.  

Answer 3

depends which map you are looking at.

The way we say names is not the same name or spelling that people from other countries use.

example.

Germany is Alemania in spanish.

Spain is Espania in spanish.

all countries have symbols and completely different pronunciations in asian languages.  

Answer 4

The person who discovered them or the names have developed over the years as different tribes concurred others and mixed there names or changed them. They are also sometimes based on a physical descriptions of the place.

Answer 5

each country citizens named (and renamed) their own country

AM

Answer 6

The people that controlled the countries. e.g. France used to be called Gaul.

Answer 7

I did!

Answer 8

it will depend on the country. Many have been named by those who live there. Others have been named by colonial powers.

Many different origins for the names.  

Answer 9

What a random question but i like it! The ancient gods of greece lol

Have u actually noticed that countries are named differently all over the world?

Answer 10

the people who discovers or give tribute to them

Answer 11

The people who discovered them, or those who live there, or their government, legitimate or not.

That's why subsequent governments sometimes rename countries, like Ceylon, Myanmar, Rhodesia etc.