Country with the Longest Name 2023

There are quite a few countries that have lengthy names. Some of these lengthy names aren't in English, though. One example of a country's former name being quite long is Libya's former name in Arabic. Before 2013, the Arabic name for the country of Libya was Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma. That was previously the longest name for a country in the entire world. Now, the Arabic name for Libya is simply Dalwat Libya.

The United Kingdom Has Quite A Long Formal Name

You might not think that the United Kingdom is a long country name, but its formal name is much longer. The formal country name for the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The UK is currently the country with the longest name in the world. Technically speaking, the UK is a nation-state.

However, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are also countries, even though they are all part of the UK. People also commonly use the word Britain to refer to the United Kingdom. However, the term 'Great Britain' means something different and should not be used interchangeably with Britain. Great Britain refers to Scotland, England, and Wales.

Kiribati's Formal Country Name is Lengthy As Well

The country with the second-longest formal name in the world is actually Kiribati. Kiribati used to be known as the Gilbert Islands prior to the country gaining its independence from the UK back in 1979. The official name for the country of Kiribati is Independent and the Sovereign Republic of Kiribati.

The reason that the new name of Kiribati was chosen is actually quite simple. The main island that makes up the country is called Kiribati in the nation's local language. As a result, the people of the country chose the name Kiribati through local consensus, so that's the country's name.

North Korea's Official Name Is Somewhat Long

North Korea is a country that you are probably more familiar with compared to Kiribati. The term 'North Korea' is commonly used to refer to the Communist North Korean state, but its official name is a bit longer. The official name for the country of North Korea is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Interestingly, this official name is quite similar to the official name of its neighbor, South Korea. The official country name for South Korea is the Republic of Korea. This similarity is understandable given the two countries' proximity and shared past.