Interesting.
However, periodic updates should probably occur. For example: South
Afrika is still being called South Afrika instead of Azania. Why is
that? War without terms
The Origins of African Country Names or
What They Mean
http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/africa.htm
Algeria - Named after the capital city Algiers or Al-Jazair
("The Island") in Arabic. A reference to the small islands
that once dotted the bay of the city.
Angola - When Portuguese mariner Diego Cao landed at the mouth of
the Congo River in 1483, two distinct Kingdoms ruled the region. The
Kingdom of the Bakongo reigned in the north. The Quimbundos Kingdom,
also known as Ndongo, dominated in the western and central areas. The
king of the Quimbundos was called "Ngola". The region, taking
its name from the king, became Angola.
Benin - (Formerly Dahomey) named after the ancient Nigerian
Kingdom of Benin. The former name Dahomey, pronounced Dan Ho Me
("on the belly of Dan") was an ancient
Kingdom located in the south of what is modern-day Benin Republic.
Botswana - A name used to collectively describe the Tswana, the
country's dominant ethnic group. Formerly known as Bechuanaland,
Bechauna being an alternative spelling for Botswana.
Burkina Fasso - Mossi for "Land of Incorruptible Men"
was changed to this from Upper Volta in 1984. Upper Volta reffered to
its geographical location in relation to the Volta river.
Burundi - Derives from Rundi (Kirundi) the language universally
spoken throughout Burundi.
Cameroon (also Cameroun in French) - The name is derived from Rio
de Camarões (the River of Prawns) the name given to River Wouri by
Portuguese Explorers in the 15th century.
Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) - Named after the westernmost point in
mainland Africa. The nearest point on the continent to this Island
Nation.
Central African Republic - It's in Central Africa! Africa is
believed to have originated from either the Latin word aprica
("Sunny") or greek aphrike ("without cold") and
originally applied to North Africa. However as Europe discovered the
extent of continental Africa, the term came to match its modern day
usage.
Chad - The name appears to derive from the Lake which forms it
South-Western border with Nigeria.
Comoros - The name "Comoros" is derived from the Arabic
kamar or kumr, meaning "moon," although this name was first
applied by Arab geographers to Madagascar. It was adopted by French
Colonialists to describe the Islands.
Congo - Named after the 15th Kingdom of Kongo which thrived on
both banks of the River Congo, extending into Modern day Congo, Congo
DR, Angola and Zambia.
Congo DR - As Above. Also formerly known as Zaire a traditional
local name for River Congo.
Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - The Reference by European traders
to the availabiilty of Ivory Tusks.
Djibouti - (Fomerly Territory of the Afars and Issas) Named after
the Port capital.
Egypt - Direct geographical descendent of Ancient Egypt.
Equatorial Guinea - Guinea derives from the berber word aguinaw,
or gnawa ("black man"), which Berbers (Nomadic Saharan
Peoples) have used to describe most of West Africa.
Eritrea - The Latin phrase Mare Erythraeum ("Red Sea")
was used by Italy to describe its colonies in the horn of Africa. This
later became Eritrea and was adopted by the country on independence from
Ethiopia.
Ethiopia - Direct geographical descendent of Ancient Ethiopia.
Gabon - Gabon's first European visitors were Portuguese traders who
arrived in the 15th century and subsequent Portuguese references refered
to it as Gabon after the Portuguese word gabao, a coat with sleeves and
hood resembling the shape of the Como River estuary, where they first
explored.
Gambia - Named after the River Gambia which flows through the
Country.
Ghana - Named after the Ancient West African Kingdom of Ghana.
See Ancient Ghana.
Guinea - See Equatorial Guinea.
Guinea-Bissau - See Equatorial Guinea.
Kenya - Named after the mountain of the same name. and this in
turn derives it name from The Kikuyu, who refer to the mountain as
Kirinyaga, or Kere-Nyaga ("Mountain of Whiteness").
Lesotho - Named after the Sotho People, the dominant Ethnic
Group. Formerly known as Basutoland.
Liberia - Derived from the Latin word liber ("Free") -
Reference to the return of Freed American Slaves who founded the modern
Republic of Liberia.
Libya - In 1934, Italy adopted the name "Libya" (used
by the ancient Greeks for all of North Africa, except Egypt) as the
official name of their new colony, which consisted of the
Provinces of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan.
Madagascar - The origin of the Madagascar is uncertain, some
people believe the European Traveller Marco Polo (who never visted the
island) confused it with Mogadishu in present - day Somalia. Hence Early
reference to the Island as Madeigascar or Mogelasio, this eventually
became Madagascar about the 16th centruty. Others believe that the
Madagascar may be a local reference to the "Country of
Malagasy". However, the Kings of Malagasy tended to refer to the
whole Island by "Izao will rehetra izao " or " Izao
tontolo izao ("this entire country").
Malawi - Derived from Marawi - A confederacy of states that
existed in the area of present day Malawi.
Mali - Named after the ancient West African Kingdom of Mali. See
Ancient Mali.
Mauritania - The name is derived from Spanish description of the
area as the land of the Moors, a term used to describe Arab rulers of
Southern Spain. It was also the name of an ancient Berber Kingdom.
Mauritius - The island was named in honor of Prince Maurice of
Nassau by Dutch explorers. The French claimed Mauritius in 1715 and
renamed it Ile de France. In 1810, Mauritius was captured by the British
and renamed back to Mauritius.
Mayotte - Most of the people are Moharais of Malagasy origin.
Mayotte(French), Maore or Mahore(Comoran) describes the land of the
Moharais.
Morocco - Direct geographical descendent of Ancient Morocco.
Mozambique - Named after Mouzinho de Alburquerque , 19th Century
Portuguese colonalist who put down nationalist rebellions in the
territory and thus established effective Portuguese control.
Namibia - derived from the Namib, the desert that runs along the
namibia coast. Namib in turn means "an area where there is
nothing" in the local Nama language.
Niger - Derived from the River Niger, and meaning Black in Latin.
Nigeria - Meaning the Area of the Niger. As Above
Reunion - An overseas Department of France, The Islands are named
Reunion in 1848 after several name changes and temporary occupation by
the British.
Rwanda - Named after the Laguage spoken throught out the country,
Ruanda (also called Kinyarwanda).
Sao Tome and Principe - Portuguese names for the Islands. Actual
Origin unknown.
Senegal - Derived from the River Senegal.
Seychelles - In 1756, Seychelles became a French colony under the
name of Séchelles, named after the Moreau of Séchelles, Minister of
Finance under the kingdom of Louis XV. During the 19th Century, under
British rule the name was anglicised to Seychelles.
Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone's name dates back to 1462, when a
Portuguese explorer, Pedro da Cintra, sailed down the coast of West
Africa and saw the long range of mountains of what is now the Freetown
Peninsula. As a result of shape and climatic conditions experienced by
the explorer, he called the lands 'Sierra Lyoa' meaning 'Lion
Mountains'. Sixteenth century English sailors called it 'Sierra Leoa';
by the seventeenth it was 'Sierra Leona', and by 1787, under British
Rule it had became Sierra Leone.
Somalia - The Land of the Somali, the dominant Ethnic group in
the country.
South Africa - See Central African Republic.
Sudan - Sudan (a name derived from the Arabic phrase - bilad as-sudan,
"land of the blacks"). Used by Arabs to describe what is today
Sub-Sahran Africa, i.e. Africa excluding Morocco, Tunisia, Libya,
Algeria and Egypt.
Swaziland - The Land of the Swazi's who form 97% of the
population.
Tanzania - A name derived from the union of Mainland Tanganyika
and the Islands of Zanzibar which together form the United Republic of
Tanzania.
Togo - Named after Togoville in Germany, where Germany declared a
"protectorate" over the area that came to be Togo.
Tunisia - Named after Tunis the present-day capital, but in
ancient times a powerful city-state and successor to ancient Carthage.
Uganda - Derived from the Buganda, the country's largest Ethnic
Group.
Western Sahara (SADR) - Named after is location. Also known as
the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic after its people, the Sahrawi
Arabs.
Zambia - Derived from the Zambezi River which flows along its
southern borders.
Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe was named after Great Zimbabwe an ancient
trading empire dating back to the Iron Age. Zimbabwe means Stone Houses
in the local Shona Language. The word Zimbabwe is derived from the Shona
language, and means houses of stone.
Taken From: ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I would rather be a member of this race than a Greek in the time
of Alexander, a Roman in the Augustan period, or Anglo-Saxon in the
nineteenth century." - Edward Wilmot Blyden
"However much we may detest admitting it, the fact remains that
there would be no exploitation if people refused to obey the exploiter.
But self comes in and we hug the chains that bind us. This must
cease." - Mohandas Gandhi
UHURU!
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