List of countries with directional names

This is a list of countries with directional names, which often but not necessarily implies a divided region. Such a name can also sometimes imply an irredentist claim.

Adjectives may qualify the country's location by cardinal directions (North, South, East, West), centrality (Central), elevation (Upper, Lower), or direction relative to a geographical landmark (Trans or "on the other side", Cis or "on this side").

Included in this list are independent states, recognized and unrecognized, but not sub-national entities or non-independent territories.

Current

Official

Implying a divided region:

• East Timor - (western part of Timor belong to Indonesia)
• South Sudan - (gained independence from Sudan)

Implying a particular position within a larger region:

• Central African Republic
• South Africa
• (Oriental Republic of) Uruguay (its official long name implies the region east of the Uruguay River)

Colloquial

Common:

• North Korea
• South Korea

Rare:

• North Macedonia for Republic of Macedonia
• North Sudan for Sudan
• Southern Cyprus for Cyprus
• Southern Ireland for Republic of Ireland

Etymological

• Australia
• Austria
• China
• Estonia (possibly)
• Japan
• Morocco
• Norway
• Tonga
• Vietnam
• Yemen (possibly)

Largely unrecognized states

• Nagorno-Karabakh
• South Ossetia
• Transnistria
• Northern Cyprus (official state name: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)

20th century

Official

• Western Samoa (today Samoa)
• Republic of Upper Volta
• Emirate of Transjordan
• Yugoslavia

Colloquial

• East Germany
• West Germany
• North Vietnam
• South Vietnam
• Outer Mongolia (primarily for the state of Mongolia (1911–21)
• North Yemen
• South Yemen

Largely unrecognized states

• Centrocaspian Dictatorship
• Republic of Central Albania
• Republic of Central Lithuania
• Far Eastern Republic
• North Ingria
• Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
• Provisional National Government of the Southwestern Caucasus
• Government of South Russia
• Russia Eastern Outskirts
• Transcaspian Government
• Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
• North Caucasian Soviet Republic
• Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
• Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic
• Republic of South Maluku
• First East Turkestan Republic
• Second East Turkestan Republic
• Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–98)
• Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus
• Provisional Government of Western Thrace
• Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia
• Republic of the North Solomons
• North Caucasian Emirate
• East Hebei Autonomous Council
• West Ukrainian People's Republic

See also

• List of country-name etymologies