Colombia, Bolivia and more… 9 countries named after people

Colombia Named after Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who is credited with discovering the Americas for Europe.

America Derived from Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer whose name was used to label the continents.

Philippines  Named after King Philip II of Spain, under whose reign the archipelago was colonised.

Bolivia Named after Simón Bolívar, the Venezuelan leader who helped several South American countries gain independence from Spain.

San Marino Named after Saint Marinus, the Christian martyr and founder of the Republic of San Marino.

Liberia  Derived from the word “liber,” meaning freedom. It was founded by freed American slaves and named to reflect their newfound liberty.

Venezuela Derived from the Spanish word “Veneziola,” meaning “Little Venice,” named by the explorer Amerigo Vespucci after the Italian city of Venice.

New Zealand Named after the Dutch province of Zeeland, which means “sea land,” after the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman first sighted the islands.

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