15-Letter Countries / Countries with 15-Letter Names

If you are playing Scrabble® under the new rules that were first published in 2010, allowing the use of proper nouns, it may be helpful to know which names of countries have 15 letters in them.

Here are some countries with 15-letter names and some interesting information about each one.

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are a territory of Great Britain. In 1982, at the time when “Iron Pants” Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the UK, Argentina launched an invasion of the Falkland Islands to reclaim what the Argentinians call the Malvinas. In this ten-week military confrontation, 649 Argentinian military died, 255 British military died, and three local island residents died. On June 14, surrendered the islands back to Britain, ending the war.

French Polynesia

French Polynesia is a stunningly beautiful collection of 121 islands and atolls. It stretches over 3,521 square kilometers in the South Pacific, with a total population of 278,786 counting all the islands. The most famous island in the group is Tahiti. It is a seven-and-one-half-hour flight from Aukland, New Zealand.

Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands are about halfway between Australia/New Zealand and Hawaii. The area is known for having the Bikini Atoll, which the United States used to test atomic bombs after WWII. It became independent from the USA on May 1, 1979. The population is 42,418.

Saint Barthelemy

This Caribbean Island is an overseas collectivity of France. It is commonly called “St. Barts” or “St. Barth.” Explorer Christopher Columbus named the island after his younger brother Bartholomew. It is east of Puerto Rico. When Columbus reached Puerto Rico in 1792, he thought he had found a shortcut to China. The population today is around 10,000. It is an area frequented by the world’s elite and their luxury yachts.

Wallis and Futuna

This French territory in the South Pacific is in the area between Tuvalu, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. The population is 11,588. This island chain was created by volcanic activity. A currently active volcano does not threaten the islands. Nevertheless, a volcanic eruption is always a possibility. In the meantime, there are many volcanic crater lakes that are pristine and wonderful to enjoy with delightful fresh water. If you prefer the white sandy beaches and a swim in the ocean that is very pleasant also. It rains 260 days on average each year. The best time to visit is between May and October, which is the cooler, dryer time of the year.