While the People’s Republic of China is the country’s official name, within China, the country is referred to as Zhongguo. The name comes from the words “Zhong” and “guo,” meaning "central" and "state," and often translated into English as "Middle Kingdom." The term was used to reflect the belief that the Chinese empire was located in the center of the world.

Éire is the official Irish-language name for the Emerald Isle, and was in use for many centuries before the English version of the name was coined. The name Éire evolved from an old Irish word for the goddess Ériu; the English translation was derived from the last three letters of Éire with the suffix “land.” Éire is the official name for the country, as defined in the 1937 constitution.

Powerful storms frequent the small mountainous nation of Bhutan, and for many years the sound of thunder was interpreted as the roar of a fierce, protective dragon. The nation’s local name, Druk Yul, thus means “Land of the Thunder Dragon.” The dragon even appears on the national flag. Bhutanese people call themselves Drukpas, or “dragon people,” and the hereditary monarch is called the Druk Gyalpo, or “dragon king.”

When Maori settlers arrived in New Zealand between 1200 and 1300 CE, they called the North Island "Aotearoa." The word translates to "long white cloud," and some historians believe the name may have originated as a navigational guide. According to the legend of Kupe, the voyager was guided to New Zealand by a long white cloud during the day, and a bright cloud at night.

Bharat is one of the names for India enshrined in the nation’s constitution. It’s an ancient Sanskrit name that appears in the sacred literature of Hinduism known as the Puranas. The name Bharat became especially popular during the struggle for independence from Britain, when it appeared in slogans like “Bharat mata ki jai” (“Victory for Mother India”).

Travel to Finland and you’ll hear most Finns proudly refer to their nation and language as Suomi. In fact, the name Finland wasn’t even invented by the Finnish; instead, it likely comes from the Old English word finna, once used to describe Scandinavian people. Interestingly, the letter “f” didn’t even exist in the Finnish alphabet and was introduced through words borrowed from other languages.

Georgia is the western name for the country in the Caucasus, whose residents (Kartvelians) refer to it by an entirely different name: Sakartvelo. The name dates back to at least the eighth century and is derived from the Georgian region of Kartli. The country’s 1995 constitution declared Sakartvelo to be the country’s official name and Georgia the English equivalent.

The words “Croatia” and “Hrvatska” are more similar in pronunciation than they are in appearance. The origins of both names are also similarly unknown. Until the fifth century, present-day Croatia was known as the provinces of Pannonia and Dalmatia. Croat (Hvrat) and Slavic groups came to the area, and the kingdom of Croatia was founded in 925 CE. The name Hrvatska simply means “Croatia” in Croatian.

Most Westerners know it as Japan, but Japanese people call their country Nippon (or Nihon). The name translates literally to "origin of the sun." Amaterasu, the sun goddess, plays a large role in Japanese mythology, and Japan's eastern location (relative to China) also meant that it seemed like the place the sun rose from every morning. This fact also inspired Japan’s nickname, "Land of the Rising Sun."

In Roman times, modern-day Germany was known as Germania because it was inhabited by the Germanic tribes. This is where the country’s English name comes from. However, Germans refer to their country as Deutschland, which comes from the local language that took hold in the region in the eighth century CE. It was known as Duits Disk (meaning “of the people”) and eventually shortened to Deutsch.