Europe. One word, many countries and even more interesting stories about them and the cities they are known for around the world.
The fact is that Europe is a continent, but we who live in it all our lives know that it is a whole universe.
Often incomprehensible to people on the other side of the ocean because not even America has so much diversity in one place. We can say that Europe is America’s younger sister, raised in a different world. That is why they are both close and far at the same time.
When we look at the official and common names of countries, we see a lot of interesting things. Let’s get acquainted with some of them, the most interesting to us. What is a common name and what is an official name?
For example, the Kingdom of Spain is the official name of Spain. However, the common name is just simply Spain. We will go over both the longest common names and official names as well as the shortest.
We present to you the three countries with the longest official names. Our list includes three, probably the most famous because they are located in different parts of Europe. And we will reveal a little secret to you, no matter how small Europe is drawn on the world map, not everything is so close.
1) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (53 characters long)
2) Republic of North Macedonia (27 characters long)
3) Federal Republic of Germany (27 characters long)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
At first glance, it could be said that this is not the name of one country, but of three. However, we are talking about one country, a former member of the European Union.
Although no longer part of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has always been part of Europe. Nothing has changed there. Great Britain consists of England, Wales and Scotland. The Irish part is the northern part. We call it all together The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK).
Did you know that one place in this country has the longest name in all of Europe? Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch – this is name of one small town on the northwest coast of North Wales. Did you manage to pronounce it correctly? Me neither.
Republic of North Macedonia
This is the official name of the country, which throughout its history had an important place in the Balkans. This area can be said to be a powder keg because it has been a place of conflict in the past.
Today, the situation is different, important roads cross, but people live in peace. Did you know that the Republic of North Macedonia was not always the name of this country? Macedonia and Greece signed the document and solved an age-old problem In February 2019, Macedonia’s name changed to the Republic of North Macedonia.
You probably didn’t know that one of the most famous historical figures was born here. Mother Teresa was born in Uskub. This city is now known as Skopje and is the capital of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Federal Republic of Germany
Black, red and yellow. When you see these colors together, you know it’s the German flag.
This country is one of the most famous in Europe. It had a turbulent and difficult past, Germany was divided into the West Germany, and the East Germany.
Today, it is one of the most developed countries, and it is especially loved by fans of the fast driving. The majority of highways in Germany do not have a speed limit and are called the Autobahn.
It is no less a favorite among lovers of good food because it has over a thousand different types of sausages.
There are 35 different dialects of the German language, so don’t be surprised if in another province they look at you confused, but in the previous one they understood you perfectly.
These were the countries with the longest official names. As we said at the beginning, we will also talk about the latter, with the longest common name. We also picked three.
Longest Common Names
1) Bosnia And Herzegovina
2) North Macedonia
3) Czech Republic
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Two countries from this list are located in the Balkans, and at the time of Yugoslavia, they were part of one country.
These are Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia. The country is nicknamed the “Heart Shaped Land”. The name word Bosana means water and it sounds reasonable because Bosnia has amazing rivers.
In 1878, the region of Bosnia was reorganized and connected with Herzegovina. It became the dual name of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
North Macedonia
We have already written about North Macedonia, but we must not forget to mention Alexander the Great. You certainly know about him because he is considered one of the greatest military leaders of all time.
However, what North Macedonia is known for is also delicious and high-quality food. Tavče na gravče and mastika are considered the national dish and drink of North Macedonia. We won’t tell you what it’s about, try it and you’ll thank us.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is close to the two mentioned countries, and what is special about it is that its capital, Prague, i.e. the center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just imagine how proud these people are of their country and how nice it must be when UNESCO put it under its protection.
The Czech Republic is famous for its castles and is an extremely popular tourist destination for vacations at any time of the year, especially in winter.
Longest one-word European country name?
Liechtenstein is the longest one-word country name, but the fourth smallest country in Europe and the sixth in the world. Who would have thought that this is one of the richest countries in the world? There’s only one billionaire in Liechtenstein. Could you imagine that he’s worth 50% of the country’s GDP? Only one man.
What European Country has the shortest name?
Ukraine has a shortest official name, but it is the second largest country in Europe, right after Russia. Near the village of Delovoye, in the Zakarpattya region, you can find the geographical center of Europe.
As Yalta was the meeting place after the end of the previous war, we hope that the conflict that is currently being waged between Ukraine and Russia will soon come to an end.
Spain has the shortest common name. Best known for its culture and monuments, it is a popular tourist destination. Spain is the only European country to have a physical border with an African country. Many believe the name Spain is connected with the word Ispania, which means the land of rabbits.
Conclusion
We need to get to know Europe in order to know how to appreciate its advantages. It’s not perfect, but it offers a lot of possibilities and you just need to know how to use them.
Beautiful nature, magnificent culture and good people are the epithets that adorn Europe. Beauty is in diversity, and we have presented several European countries to you and we hope to interest you in finding some of them and getting to know them better.