July 25, 2025, 8:29 am | Read time: 2 minutes
There are approximately 195 countries worldwide, and their names vary depending on the language. Do you know the German names for all these countries and their correct spelling? Test your knowledge and answer our 12 quiz questions about country names.
It’s generally known that España is Spain in German, Italia is Italy, and România is Romania. But what about other country names outside of Europe? Do you know these as well and can you spell them correctly in German? To solve our new quiz, you’ll need not only good geography knowledge but also an excellent sense of language. Twelve quiz questions that will surely have you spinning!
Note: The German spelling of each country is always sought.
Haven’t had enough puzzles yet? How about these quizzes: 11 quiz questions that even a geography pro will find challenging or 13 tough questions–the super difficult geography quiz or How well do you fare in the geography quiz of superlatives? or Can you spell these European cities correctly?
Where do the names of some European countries actually come from?
Why is Portugal called Portugal, Spain Spain, and Germany Germany? Where do these names come from? Here are some fascinating facts about the etymological origins of some country names in Europe:
The country name Portugal is derived from the words “Portus Cale,” the ancient name of the city of Porto. According to different scientific views, the name is of Latin or Latin-Greek origin and means something like “Beautiful Harbor,” “Warm Harbor,” or “Harbor of the Gallaeci.” The Gallaeci were a group of people who settled on the Iberian Peninsula in ancient times.
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The name Spain, on the other hand, is derived from the Phoenician word “I-Shephanim” (meaning “Land of the Hyraxes”) according to various sources. The Phoenicians mistook the rabbits, which were unknown outside of Spain at the time, for hyraxes.
And where does the name Germany, the land of the Germans, come from? The word “deutsch” is derived from the Old High German word “diota” (“people”).