10 incorrectly pronounced country names

10 incorrectly pronounced country names

from Kiribati to Kyrgyzstan we list the most frequently incorrectly pronounced countries on

When Donald Trump Namibia false as "Nambia" in 2017, he became a widespread Spotts. Journalists wondered whether he said Sambia or Gambia, while social media users mocked Memes and took the opportunity to present a new title for Lonely Planet.

We at Atlas & Boots had sorry for Trump because we have wrongly pronounced one or two countries in our time as travelers.

In our latest video, Peter has false the gasherbrum range as a gasherbrown, although he is exactly aware of it (he spends enough time to read and dream of mountains, they believe me). This prompted us to examine some of the most frequently incorrectly pronounced countries - listed below to prevent them from walking a faux pas if they eat like Trump with the country's president.

1. Kiribati

False: Kiribatiecht: Kiribass (link)

alt = “Kiribati is one of the most frequently incorrectly pronounced country names”> Dream time Kiribati is one of the most frequently incorrectly pronounced countries

When we broke down over the South Pacific as part of our world tour, we tried to find a way to Kiribati. Unfortunately, it was just too difficult logistically and so we moved it to a later date. His remote situation may explain why Kiribati is one of the least visited countries in the world (and why nobody knows how to say their name).

The country consists of 33 islands and has a total area of ​​800 km2, but extends over 3.5 million km2 ocean. This means that Kiribati is the only country in the world that falls into all four hemispheres, spans the equator and extends into the eastern and western hemisphere.

2. Qatar

False: CUT-TAARRICKE: Cut-TA (link)

alt = "We have been speaking wrongly for years"> No8/Shutterstock Qatar is more likely to be pronounced

2017 Peter and I met an American academic on our trip to Dschibuti (extremely Jibooti). He told us about his time at "Cutter" and it took a moment for us to realize that he said Qatar. We assumed that he had wrongly expressed the name.

we were then revealed when we recently found that it was not that he, but we catar had wrongly pronounced. The second syllable is slightly extended, but not as strong as we thought, which makes the name "cutter" rather than "cut -aar".

3. Lesotho

False: Leh-soh-torecht: Leh-Sooo-Too (link)

Alt = “The curve-rich Sani Pass in Lesotho: wrongly pronounced country names”> Lukas Bischoff/Shutterstock The winding Sani Pass in Lesotho

We visited Lesotho in 2018 and I was surprised to find out that it was pronounced Leh-Sooo-Too and not Leh-Soh-Toh. This is not the only thing that surprised me in the country. I knew little about Lesotho before our visit, and I admitted that I had expected a dusty bowl of a country that was trapped like a fly in South Africa's fist. What I found were lavish wrinkles in velvet green and dramatic landscapes that could come from Lord of the Rings.

I was also surprised to find out that Lesotho is the "highest country in the world" ... somehow. It has the "highest lowest point" of all other countries: 1,400 m (4,593 feet), hence the nickname "Kingdom of Heaven".

4. Kirgistan

False: Ker-Jis-right: Ker-gis-Tan (link)

alt = “Kyrgyzstan is also called Switzerland Central Asia”> Lightfield Studios/Shutterstock Kyrgyzstan is also called Switzerland Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan is one of only two countries that are on average over 2,000 m (6,561 ft), the other is Lesotho. The mountainous Tian-Shan region covers 80 % of the country, which earned it the nickname "Switzerland of Central Asia".

Kyrgyzstan is an inland state (one of 45 in the world), but benefits from the IsSyk-Kul, the second largest high mountain ranges in the world (behind Lake Titicaca in South America).

5. Niger

False: NYE-GARICKE: Nee-Zher (link)

alt = “incorrectly pronounced country names: Niger has its name from the river niger”> Catay/Shutterstock niger has its name from the river Niger

is a domestic state. The country has its name from the Niger River, which flows through the southwestern part of its territory. The name Niger comes from the expression gher n-gheren, which means "river under rivers" in the Tamashek language.

niger is classified by the UN as one of the least developed countries in the world. It is the fourth most land in the world. In addition, fundamental rights issues such as the slavery only banned in 2003 are a permanent problem.

6. Colombia

False: Col-Um-Bi-Sariche: Col-Om-Bia (link)

alt = “Colombia is one of the most frequently incorrectly pronounced countries”> Mark Pitt/Shutterstock Colombia is one of the most commonly pronounced country names

Colombia is the only American nation named after Christopher Columbus, the “explorer” of the new world. It is a country of remarkable variety in flora and fauna and is classified as one of only 17 "Megadive" countries. In fact, it is to Brazil, which is ten times the size, the country with the second largest biodiversity in the world.

7. Laos

False: Laow or Laow-Oßrecht: Laus (link, US pronunciation)

alt = “wrong country names: Laos has a number of false speeches”> Nathapon Triratanachat/Shutterstock Laos is one of the few remaining communist states in the world

The inland Laos is one of the few remaining communist states in the world alongside China, Cuba and Vietnam.

Agriculture is the main support of the country's economy, but the expansion was slowed down by the huge amounts of non-exploded bombs that contaminate the arable land-mainly dropped off the US military during the Vietnam War. Therefore, only a small part of the country's agricultural area was cultivated.

8. Liechtenstein

False: Lich-Ten-Stinher: Lick-Ten-Stine (link)

alt = “Liechtenstein is pronounced with a hard 'c'> Stifos/Shutterstock Liechtenstein is pronounced with a hard 'C'

Liechtenstein is a tiny double inland state that lies between Switzerland and Austria, both of which are inland countries. Liechtenstein is considered one of the safest countries in the world; The prison population is currently 12 (although those who are betting for more than two years do this in Austria or Switzerland).

Liechtenstein is known as a tax haven, but has taken steps in recent years to reorganize itself as a legitimate financial center.

9. St. Kitts and Nevis

False: NEV-ESICHTICKE: NEE-VISS (Link)

alt = “incorrectly pronounced country names: Nevis Peak on the island of Nevis”> Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Nevis Peak on the island of Nevis (Extreme Nee-Viss)

The Caribbean Islands of St. Kitts and Nevis were independent of Great Britain in 1983. There was some dissatisfaction, but a referendum from 1998 in Nevis could not secure the two -thirds majority that was necessary for a split, and so the islands remained.

Today they offer a tropical paradise far from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. We visited Nevis in 2013 and found an island with pretty beaches and dramatic views, not least on the Nevis Peak, a shift volcano that rises to a height of 985 m (3,232 feet).

10. Nepal

False: NEH-PAALLITE: Ni-Paul (link)

alt = "The summit of Mount Everest seen from the base camp"> Atlas & Boots The summit of Mount Everest seen from the base camp

nepal borders China and India and houses eight of the highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest (which could explain why it is officially Peters favorite country). He visited at the beginning of this year and was enchanted by the Himalayan landscape.

Unfortunately, despite his income from tourism, Nepal remains one of the poorest countries of Asia. In April 2015, thousands of people were killed in a devastating earthquake and destroyed numerous historical sites and villages. Billions of dollars were promised, but political power struggles have delayed a large part of the reconstruction.

main picture: Santiphotoss/Shutterstock

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