What Do Countries Call Themselves?

This topic often comes up when we learn the French names for different countries.  "Why don't they just call it Germany?" I'm asked.  Well... Why don't we all just call it Deutschland?

This map shows the names of countries as they're called in the dominant language of that country. The word for this concept is "endonym".  What many English-speakers-- or perhaps users of the Roman/Latin alphabet in general-- may not realize is that spelling and pronunciation are not the only differences between our names for countries and their own endonyms.

If you like maps, geography, or are interested in other languages, this article is for you.  Be sure to navigate to the original source as well.

Countries as Named in Their Own Languages