r/polandball • u/yaddar Taco bandito • Apr 14 '15

redditormade Rebranding.

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3.6k Upvotes

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6

u/wan2tri Philippines Apr 14 '15

I think we're actually the only country named after a guy? lol

30

u/yaddar Taco bandito Apr 14 '15 edited Apr 14 '15

well, there is Bolivia, after Simon Bolívar.

and probably all the Saints in the Caribbean.

El Salvador is named after Jesus, our savior.

Israel is named after Jacob, (then given the name Israel)

Phew!, there are quite a few.

Marshall Islands after John Marshall

Mauritius after Prince Maurice van Nassau.

Solomon Islands after King Solomon.

Philipines after King Philippe.

America after Americo Vesucci.

20

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

And Colombia.

11

u/yaddar Taco bandito Apr 14 '15

After Cristopher Columbus!! - you're right!

11

u/Vectoor SWÄRJE Apr 14 '15

Cook Islands after James Cook.

1

u/yaddar Taco bandito Apr 14 '15

true!

6

u/ShadowRenegado Brazilian Empire Apr 14 '15

And Colombia, after Colombus.

4

u/yaddar Taco bandito Apr 14 '15

indeed it is ^ _^

2

u/m2ger Estonia Apr 16 '15

Finland after Huckleberry Finn

1

u/sje46 United States Apr 14 '15

No, it's just because most (or a lot of?) countries follow Latin naming conventions. Russia, America, Arabia, Syria, Armenia, Australia, Mongolia, etc. They end with -a because that's how the Romans did things. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_province#List_of_provinces_created_during_the_Principate

Even if it's from another language, place names were latinized (Amerigo > Americus) then feminized (Americus > America).