Union) have grown significantly in number in recent decades. Until the summer of 2011, this union was called Western European. List European countries is vast, but not all of the countries on this list are members of the European Union.
Preconditions and creation of the European Union
Today this community is very similar to the late USSR, and it was formed in 1948 as a counterweight to the "eastern monster". The named reason for the creation of a new entity is not to allow Germany to be reborn as an independent unified state, to prevent the revival of fascism after the end of the war.
A separate conversation could take place about the position of the Federal Republic of Germany in the bosom of the European Union: it is a locomotive that pulls on itself practically the entire economy of the community. Of course, the European Union differs from the Soviet Union.
Similarities and differences
There is no single currency. But the federal structure has common legislation, you can use a common cash desk, a single central bank and customs area. Management is also akin to a planned economy, the government is command-administrative.
For example, at the top, all the limits on sown areas for agricultural crops are approved. This applies to every country in the European Union. The list of totals is truly depressing.
Greeks in the sultry and fertile south buy Dutch vegetables and are not allowed to trade in the territory of the European Union, a primordial Greek product - olive oil. The Czech Republic also stopped growing vegetables, but it grows rapeseed, from which oil is even added to diesel fuel. There is almost no good oil in the Czech Republic now. But in this way, profitability among agricultural producers increases.
Foreign policy
This was solved more successfully than economic problems. The list of European countries that have developed a single and integral foreign policy with an almost complete absence of disagreements can be omitted, since Brussels amicably decides whom to pardon and whom to execute.
Recent years, however, have shown some slippage; the global economic crisis has made governments less bold and friendly. Still: the loss of eastern markets due to sanctions against Russia may well lead the least prosperous owners to complete economic degradation.
Legislation and executive bodies
Here there are most similarities with the Soviet Union: only the parliament has a multi-party basis, but everything else is present: the European Commission, as an executive body, is headed by a chairman, and the European Council consists of the heads of the EU member states. The European Parliament oversees the law (with its chairman), together with the Council of the European Union.
Here you have the Politburo with the Central Committee of the CPSU, and party congresses with the Supreme Soviet, and the General Secretary is present, and even the chairman of the presidium! But there is no constitution yet.
Borders between countries are conditional, customs points have been abolished, free movement of all citizens within the community. But labor markets are regulated by strict regulations and require government approval for employment. All countries of the European Community practice this. The list of the comforts and inconveniences of living in modern Europe is endless.
The list of European countries is constantly changing. V this moment Europe has 44 states. Not only the number is changing, but also the name. Recent metamorphoses: the Soviet Union, during the collapse, gave Europe Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. Yugoslavia, in the same circumstances, expanded the continent with Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. But the GDR and the FRG became a single Germany.
This process has not died down. It is not only the list of unpleasant consequences of the global crisis that is boiling over and over and over again. Separatism is strong in Catalonia and in the region where the Basques live (this is in Spain), in Scotland and northern Ireland (this is Great Britain), Flanders in Belgium is agitated. They are trying in every possible way to recognize Kosovo as a separate state (this is Serbia). The borders of European countries, if you put the maps of recent years next to them, have become unrecognizable. Therefore, the list of European countries with capitals should be considered temporary.
Austria
Republic. 8.5 million population. The capital city of Austria is Vienna. The state language is German.
Albania
Republic. Population 2,830 million. The capital of Albania is Tirana. The state language is Albanian.
Andorra
Principality. A dwarf European state. 700 thousand people of the population. The main city is Andorra la Vella. The official language is Catalan, but in fact it is being replaced by Spanish and French.
Belarus
Republic of Belarus. 9.5 million people. The capital city of Belarus is Minsk. State languages are Russian and Belarusian.
Belgium
Kingdom. 11.2 million people. The capital of Belgium is Brussels. Official languages - Dutch, German, French.
Bulgaria
Republic. 7.2 million people. The capital city of Bulgaria is Sofia. The administrative language is Bulgarian.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Confederation, Federation, Republic. Population 3.7 million. The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo. State Serbian and Croatian.
Vatican
Absolute monarchy, theocracy. A dwarf state-enclave associated with Italy. City within a city, 832 people. Latin, Italian.
Great Britain
United Kingdom, including Great Britain and Northern Ireland... Parliamentary monarchy. 63.4 million people. The main city of Great Britain is London. English.
Hungary
Parliamentary republic. Population 9.85 million. - Budapest. Official language Hungarian.
Germany
Federal Republic. Population 80 million. The main city of Germany is Berlin. The administrative language is German.
Greece
Republic. Population 11.3 million. The capital city of Greece is Athens. The state language is Greek.
Denmark
Kingdom. 5.7 million people. The capital city of Denmark is Copenhagen. The state language is Danish.
Ireland
Republic. Population 4.6 million. The capital of Ireland is Dublin. State and English.
Iceland
Parliamentary republic. 322 thousand people. Iceland's main city is Reykjavik. The official language is Icelandic.
Spain
Kingdom. Population 47.3 million. The capital of Spain is Madrid. The state language is Spanish.
Italy
Republic. 60.8 million people. All roads in Italy lead to Rome. The state language is Italian.
Latvia
Republic. Population 1.9 million. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The state language is Latvian.
Lithuania
Republic. 2.9 million people. The main city of Lithuania is Vilnius. The state language is Lithuanian.
Liechtenstein
Principality. A dwarf state associated with Switzerland. Population 37 thousand. The capital of Liechtenstein is Vaduz. The state language is German.
Luxembourg
Grand Duchy. 550 thousand people. The capital of Luxembourg is Luxembourg. The official language is Luxembourgish, French, German.
Macedonia
Republic. Population 2 million. The capital of Macedonia is Skopje. The state language is Macedonian.
Malta
Republic. Population 452 thousand. The main city of Malta is Valletta. The official languages are Maltese and English.
Moldavia
Republic. The capital is Chisinau. 3.5 million people. The administrative language is Moldovan.
Monaco
Principality. A dwarf state associated with France. 37.8 thousand people. The state language is French.
Netherlands
Kingdom. Population 16.8 million. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. The official languages are West Frisian and Dutch.
Norway
Kingdom. Population 5.1 million. The main city of Norway is Oslo. The official languages are Norwegian and Sami.
Poland
Republic. Population 38.3 million. The capital city of Poland is Warsaw. The state language is Polish.
Portugal
Republic. 10.7 million people. The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. The official languages are Portuguese and Miranda.
Russia
Federation. Population 146.3 million. The capital city of Russia is Moscow. National language - Russian.
Romania
Parliamentary republic. unitary state. 19 million people. The capital of Romania is Bucharest. Administrative
San Marino
Serene Republic. Population 32 thousand. The capital of San Marino is San Marino. The state language is Italian.
Serbia
Republic. 7.2 million people. The main one is Belgrade. The state language is Serbian.
Slovakia
Republic. 5.4 million people. The capital city of Slovakia is Bratislava. The state language is Slovak.
Slovenia
Republic. Population 2 million. The capital city of Slovenia is Ljubljana. The state language is Slovenian.
Ukraine
A unitary state plus a parliamentary-presidential republic. Population 42 million. The main city of Ukraine is Kiev. The state language is Ukrainian.
Finland
Republic. 5.5 million people. The capital of Finland is Helsinki. State and Swedish.
France
Republic. Population 66.2 million. The main city of France is Paris. The state language is French.
Croatia
Republic. Population 4.2 million. The capital is Zagreb. The official language is Croatian.
Montenegro
Republic. 622 thousand people. The capital city of Montenegro is Podgorica. The state language is Montenegrin.
Czech
Republic. Population 10.5 million. The capital city of the Czech Republic is Prague. The official language is Czech.
Switzerland
Confederation. 8 million people. The capital of Switzerland is Bern. State languages German, French, Italian, Swiss.
Sweden
Kingdom. Population 9.7 million. The capital of Sweden is Stockholm. The official language is Swedish.
Estonia
Republic. 1.3 million people. The capital of Estonia is Tallinn. The state language is Estonian.
Today the list of European countries is just that.
So, the list of European countries in alphabetical order. But first, a few words about this continent.
Europe- part of the world, with an area of about 10.5 million square meters. km. It is washed by the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The population is 830.4 million people.
A
Austria
Albania
Andorra
B
Belarus
Belgium
Bulgaria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
V
Vatican
Great Britain
Hungary
G
Germany
Holland
Greece
Georgia
D
AND
Ireland
Iceland
Spain
Italy
L
Latvia
Lithuania
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
M
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
N
Norway
P
Poland
Portugal
R
Russia
Romania
WITH
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Have
F
Finland
France
X
Croatia
H
Montenegro
Czech
Sh
Switzerland
Sweden
E
1. Austria (capital - Vienna)
2. Albania (capital - Tirana)
3. Andorra (capital - Andorra la Vella)
4. Belarus (capital - Minsk)
5. Belgium (capital - Brussels)
6. Bulgaria (capital - Sofia)
7.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (capital - Sarajevo)
8. Vatican (capital - Vatican)
9. Hungary (capital - Budapest)
10. Great Britain (capital - London)
11. Germany (capital - Berlin)
12.Greece (capital - Athens)
13. Denmark (capital - Copenhagen)
14. Ireland (capital - Dublin)
15. Iceland (capital - Reykjavik)
16. Spain (capital - Madrid)
17.Italy (capital - Rome)
18.Latvia (capital - Riga)
19.
Lithuania (capital - Vilnius)
20. Liechtenstein (capital - Vaduz)
21. Luxembourg (capital - Luxembourg)
22. Macedonia (capital - Skopje)
23. Malta (capital - Valletta)
24.
Moldova (capital - Chisinau)
25. Monaco (capital - Monaco)
26. Netherlands (capital - Amsterdam)
27. Norway (capital - Oslo)
28.
Poland (capital - Warsaw)
29. Portugal (capital - Lisbon)
30. Romania (capital - Bucharest)
31.San Marino (capital - San Marino)
32.
Serbia (capital - Belgrade)
33.Slovakia (capital - Bratislava)
34. Slovenia (capital - Ljubljana)
35.Ukraine (capital - Kiev)
36. Finland (capital - Helsinki)
37. France (capital - Paris)
38.
Montenegro (capital - Podgorica)
39. Czech Republic (capital - Prague)
40. Croatia (capital - Zagreb)
41.Switzerland (capital - Bern)
42.Sweden (capital - Stockholm)
43. Estonia (capital - Tallinn)
How many countries are in Europe?
On the political map There are 50 independent states in Europe, most of which are highly developed industrial-agrarian countries. Among the largest countries in Europe are Russia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Ukraine, Spain, Poland.
This figure also includes six dwarf states: Andorra, Vatican, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino.
Full list of European countries
Austria, Azerbaijan, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia.
In order to give the correct answer to the question: "How many countries are in Europe", it must be borne in mind that the exact calculation of the number of states located in Europe depends on the definition of the borders of Europe and the criteria for including unrecognized and partially recognized states, accounting for dependent territories.
It should be borne in mind that since the Caucasus ridge and black sea straits, the inclusion of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and Turkey in the list of European countries is based primarily on political, economic and cultural considerations and is not unambiguous.
Unrecognized and partially recognized states of Europe: Abkhazia, Kosovo, Transnistria, Sealand, South Ossetia.
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General information about Europe Abroad
Europe abroad is one of the centers of world civilization, and is of incomparable importance for world politics, economy and culture.
On its territory there are 40 sovereign states, which are linked by their historical past, close cultural and political relations.
If we talk about the economic and geographical position of countries, then it is determined by two main criteria.
The countries of foreign Europe are relatively close to each other, they either closely border on natural boundaries, or there is a small distance between them, which does not in any way affect the convenience of transport links.
The second main criterion is the coastal position of most countries, which are connected with each other and with countries on other continents by sea.
Countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands have been associated with the sea for a long time.
Political picture of overseas Europe
The political picture of foreign Europe changed significantly three times during the 20th century.
The First and Second World Wars significantly changed it, and at the end of the century there were significant changes associated with the Social Democratic parties that came to power.
As for the structure of states on this territory, in foreign Europe there are republics, unitary states, monarchical and federal.
By the 21st century, the Organization for Security and Cooperation, the OSCE, has emerged, which is represented by 56 countries (it also includes the United States, Canada and the CIS countries).
Natural conditions and resources
Many minerals are located on the territory of foreign Europe.
The northern part includes ore and fuel minerals.
And hydropower resources are located in the Alps, Dinaric and Scandinavian mountains.
Forestry is developed in Sweden and Finland, for which forest landscapes are typical.
Population of Foreign Europe
The number of inhabitants of this part of the world is growing very slowly; a rather difficult demographic situation has been recorded in foreign Europe.
The territory is a hotbed of world labor emigration, and there are about 20 million foreign workers.
It is important to note that most European countries are highly urbanized, with the highest rates of urbanization occurring in Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The countries of Europe belong to the Indo-European family, there are four main types of states according to their ethnic composition.
These are single-national (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark), with a sharp predominance of one nation (Great Britain, France, Finland), bi-national (Belgium) and multinational (Switzerland, Latvia).
EconomyForeign Europe
Europe occupies a leading place in the world economy in terms of agricultural and industrial production, tourism development and export of goods and services.
The most powerful countries in terms of economic situation are called Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
They have the most developed complexes of various industries, in contrast to other countries, which have one or two highly developed industries.
The leading industries in Europe are mechanical engineering (especially automotive), the chemical industry, the fuel and energy industry and the metallurgical industry.
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Europe - region with unique history. Geographical position European countries are more than successful. Before listing the list of European countries and their capitals, let us describe the European territory as a whole. Most of the states are located in a favorable climatic zone and have a favorable geopolitical position. Almost all European powers have access to the sea.
Here is a list of European countries and their capitals. And add short descriptions... What makes these powers unique and interesting?
Western Europe
- Austria - Vienna: Sigmund Freud lived and worked in this city throughout his career.
- Belgium - Brussels: The airport of the capital of Belgium is the largest selling point of chocolate in the world.
- Great Britain - London: this the only city in a world where the Olympic Games have been held three times.
- Germany - Berlin: only in this city of the world there are three opera houses.
- Ireland - Dublin: Dublin is home to the world's oldest maternity hospital.
- Liechtenstein - Vaduz: Despite its status as a capital, less than 6,000 people live there.
- Luxembourg - Luxembourg: It is the second richest country in the world after Qatar.
- Monaco - Monaco: Monaco borders France on all sides and is in fact a city-state.
- Netherlands - Amsterdam: There is no free parking in all of Amsterdam.
- France - Paris: There is only one stop sign in the capital of France.
- Switzerland - Bern: the main language of the capital is not Swedish at all, but German.
Eastern Europe
- Belarus - Minsk: the capital of Belarus is older than Moscow and burned to the ground 18 times in its entire history.
- Bulgaria - Sofia: practically a single ethnic city, 95% of ethnic Bulgarians live in it.
- Hungary - Budapest: in the center of it is the largest synagogue in Europe, it can accommodate 3000 visitors.
- Moldova - Chisinau: there was a time when there was no president in the country for 3 years.
- Poland - Warsaw: there is not a single circus in the capital of Poland, and the number of theaters exceeds the number of cinemas.
- Romania - Bucharest: The unofficially proclaimed capital of stray dogs, there are more of them here than in all of Europe.
- Slovakia - Bratislava: the city is famous for the most expensive hotel, which was designed by the same man who was involved in the Titanic project - Thomas Andrews.
- Ukraine - Kiev: here is the widest and shortest central street in Europe - Khreshchatyk.
- CZ - Prague: Faust's house is located on one of the city streets.
Northern Europe
Consider a list of European countries with capitals.
- Denmark - Copenhagen: there is still the profession of a chimney sweep here.
- Iceland - Reykjavik: There are no ants or mosquitoes in this country.
- Norway - Oslo: the most expensive city in the world to live in.
- Latvia - Riga: Riga airport is the largest in the Baltics.
- Lithuania - Vilnius: 93% of Lithuanians own real estate.
- Finland - Helsinki: Tap water in Helsinki gets there directly from mountain springs.
- Sweden - Stockholm: 95% Swedes own English language.
- Estonia - Tallinn: Estonians themselves write the name of their capital with two "l" and with two "n".
It remains to consider the countries of southern Europe and their capitals, the list is also presented in alphabetical order.
- Albania - Tirana: the country that proclaimed itself the first atheist state.
- Andorra - Andorra la Vella: there is no army here, the population is protected by the troops of Spain and France.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo: first, the country gained independence and only then, three years later, a constitution appeared in it.
- Vatican - Vatican: the well-known fact is the most small state in the world, its area is only 0.44 sq. km.
- Greece - Athens: It was in the capital of Greece that the first Olympic Games were held.
- Spain - Madrid: the capital is located exactly in the geographical center of the country.
- Italy - Rome: the city is one of the most beautiful in Europe, and the famous Colosseum is one of the seven wonders of the world.
- Macedonia - Skopje: The famous mother Teresa was originally from Skopje, the city has a museum dedicated to her.
- Malta - Valletta: an endemic species of bees lives here, therefore the name of the country in translation into Russian means "honey".
- Portugal - Lisbon: The country is home to 11 million people and Portuguese is spoken by 232 million people worldwide.
- San Marino - San Marino: There is no customs control at the entrance to San Marino.
- Serbia - Belgrade: National Pride - Nikola Tesla.
- Slovenia - Ljubljana: The capital was designed in the shape of a star.
- Croatia - Zagreb: The capital of Croatia has the safest passenger transport system.
- Montenegro - Podgorica: Montenegrins are considered the tallest nation in Europe.
This list of European countries and their capitals for the southern part is the most numerous. Mainly due to the presence of small but interesting and distinctive countries.
So, we not only reviewed the list of European countries and their capitals, but also brought Interesting Facts about each country or its capital.
If you are going to Europe, then preliminary information about the country of destination will not hurt. Including information of a historical nature. Since no trip to any country usually passes its capital, the data on the main city of the state are of the greatest interest. Acquaintance with the city begins with its name. The names of the capitals of European countries should be known to us from school. But few know about the origin of these names. The following selection of etymological references will fill this gap in knowledge.
Amsterdam. Capital of the Netherlands. The city is located at the mouth of the river Amstel. Fishing village at this place with the name Amstelredamme known since 1282. Translated as "a village by the dam on the Amstel River."
Athens. Capital of Greece. The first settlements on this site are known from the 15th – 13th centuries. BC e. The ancient Greeks associated the name of the city with the name of the goddess Pallas Athena, its patroness. It is believed that this name appeared before the ancient Greeks and was given by the Pelasgians. Translated from the language of the latter, it may mean "hill, elevation."
Belgrade. Capital of Serbia. The city was founded by the Celts in the 4th – 3rd centuries. BC e. entitled Singidun (dun- "Hill"). After the conquest by the Slavs in 878, it was first mentioned by the name of the White City. Modern name- the same, only in Serbo-Croatian. The word "white" is believed to have a symbolic meaning in this case. Only the latter is interpreted differently. Some bind the element White with water, since all "white cities" are located by the river. Others explain it as synonymous with k beautiful... Still others believe that in this case White= "Free" (that is, a city that has certain privileges).
Berlin. Capital of Germany. The name has been known since 1244. The origin of the name has not yet been precisely established. Many explanations have been suggested. The most convincing are the following: 1. From a personal name Berla... 2. From Slavic brl"Swamp, swamp". 3. From Slavic brlen"A dam on the river for fishing or rafting."
Berne. The capital of Switzerland. The city has been known since 1191. Many explanations have been proposed. The most convincing are the following: 1. From the Celtic "mountain". 2. This name is transferred from Italy Verona processed into Berne... A bear is depicted on the city's coat of arms. And popular rumor connects the name of the city with the word "bear". This explanation is rejected by etymologists as unacceptable.
Bratislava. Capital of Slovakia. BC on the site of the city there was a Roman fortified camp Posonium... Later, a Slovak town was formed here Preslav named after a personal name. Subsequently, this name was transformed into Breslavsburg, and then Pressburg... After the formation of Czechoslovakia, the Slavic name returned to the city Bratislava(this is a modified version of the toponym Preslav).
Brussels. Capital of Belgium. The city was first mentioned in the 8th century in the form Brocela, which then transformed into modern French Bruxelles and Flemish Brussel... The toponym consists of Flemish roots brock"Swamp" and sela"Housing", that is, Brussels - "a village by the swamp".
Budapest. Capital of Hungary. In 1872 the cities of Buda and Pest, located on the opposite banks of the Danube, were united into one city, which received the name Budapest... Both parts of the toponym are Slavic: buda"House, building, village"; pest"Oven" in the meaning of "home, dwelling."
Vein. Capital of Austria. Named for the river flowing into the Danube at this point. Some derive the name of the river from the Celtic vedunia"tree". Others are from Celtic vindo"White", "building". Another version is from Celtic vedunis"Forest stream".
Bucharest. Capital of Romania. The city was first mentioned under this name in 1459. The toponym was formed from a personal name Bukur, apparently belonging to the feudal owner. Suffix -eshty common in the names of Romanian settlements.
Vaduz. Capital of Liechtenstein. The toponym has been known since 1342. It is a modified name for the valley, which was named after the Romans - Wallis-Dulzia – vallis"Sweet, pleasant" + dulcis"valley". Through the intermediate Valduz the city got its modern name Vaduz.
Warsaw. Capital of Poland. The city has been known under this name since the 13th century. Different opinions were expressed about the etymology. The most convincing is the erection to a personal name. Warsaw+ affiliation suffix -Eve... That is Warsaw- "the village of Varsha".
Vilnius. The capital of Lithuania. Until 1939 it was called Vilno. It was founded in the 10th century on the river Viliya (lit. Nyaris) at the confluence of the Vileika (Vilnia). The city got its name from the names of these rivers. The name of the river Viliya - from the Slavic velya"Big".
Zagreb. Capital of Croatia. Known since the 11th century. The most convincing is the version about the Slavic origin of this toponym. Its etymology is “behind the embankment (dam, ditch)”.
Kiev. Capital of Ukraine. The city arose in the 5th century. The etymology of its name is controversial. Currently, the widespread version is the formation of the toponym from the Slavic kuyava"Mountain, steep hill, summit." In the Old Russian chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years" the name is derived from the name Cue. However, already in the annals they could not determine who this Kiy was - a simple man or a prince? In ancient times, cities received the names of princes, so the princely version seems more believable. But then the name still lived Kyev ferry, therefore, a version appeared that Kiy was a carrier through the Dnieper. Adherent of the personal name version Cue was A.I.Sobolevsky, who derived this name from the Slavic who"Stick, pole". There is also a version of the non-Slavic origin of the toponym, which many famous Slavists reject. In this case, we are talking about an attempt to link the toponym with Prakrit (Middle Indian languages and dialects) koyawa, in the sense of "place of the throne." In the Middle Ages, Kiev was called Sambatas... The origin of this place name raises a variety of guesses.
Kishinev. Capital of Moldova. The toponym has been known since the 15th century. According to Radlov, from the Moldavian neu"New" and Turkic kyshlakh"Winter quarters". Another version: from ancient Moldavian chisinau"Well, spring, source". Among other hypotheses, there is a version from the Polovtsian origin: from soreness"Burial place, mausoleum".
Copenhagen. Capital of Denmark. The toponym has been known since 1231. Consists of two bases of Danish words: kjobmann"Merchant, trader" + havn"Harbor, pier".
Lisbon. Capital of Portugal. It was first mentioned in the 2nd century BC. e. The origin of the name is unclear. So, the second component is trying to derive from the Phoenician ippo"Fence", the second component is unclear. In another case, they try to explain from the Phoenician alis ubbo"Merry bay (joyful bay)". There is also a hypothesis about the appearance of the name from Lisso or Lucio Is the pre-Roman name of the Tagus River, on which Lisbon stands.
London. The capital of Great Britain. The city has been known under this name since 115 - Londinium... Several explanations suggested: from personal name Londin("City of Londina"), from the name of the tribe london("City of London"), from Celtic lon-dun"Fortification on a hill", etc.
Ljubljana. The capital of Slovenia. The toponym has been known since the 6th century. By now, the semantic meaning of this name is unclear, although there are many versions: from the Slavic basis love, from ethnonym Ljubljana, on behalf of the river deity Lyubarus, from the old Slavic name Lyubovid and others. However, the presence of numerous toponymic parallels indicates the pre-Slavic origin of the toponym. So, trying to deduce from Latin alluviana "flooding".
Madrid. Capital of Spain. The city was founded in 927. In 939 it is referred to as Magerite... It was believed that it comes from Arabic madarat- "town". But then another explanation appeared: the name is pre-Arabic and comes from the Romanesque maderita"Forest growth".
Minsk. The capital of Belarus. The city has been known since 1067. Chronicle forms of the toponym - Menesk, Mensk, Mensk. Ancient Minsk arose somewhat southwest of the historical core of the modern city, on the river Meni (Menki), by which he received the name. The origin of the name of the river has not been finally clarified. Someone sees a parallel with the name of the river Mine(tributary of the Rhine) in Germany. Someone deduces from the Latvian main- "swamp".
Oslo. Capital of Norway. Founded in 1048, at least two versions of the origin of this toponym are known. From os"Mouth" + Lo- the name of the river, ie "the river at the mouth of the Lo river". Another version: from ass og lo"Glade (clearing) in the forest." From 1624 the city was named after King Christian Christiania (Christiania)... In 1925, the original name was returned to it.
Paris. Capital of France. At the turn of our era, the city was called Lutetia Parisiorium... It was main city the Gallic tribe of parisia. It is believed that the first part of the toponym is from the Celtic lut"swamp". The etymology of the ethnonym parisia is controversial. According to one version it means "ship", according to another - "border people".
Prague. The capital of the Czech Republic. The name has been known since the 10th century. Of the many explanations, the most convincing is the Czech pražiti"A place where a forest is burnt or dried up." Interpretation across the word threshold is very common. But it is erroneous, since it is not confirmed either linguistically or geographically (there are no river rapids here).
Reykjavik. Capital of Iceland. The city was founded by the Vikings in 875 and named after the bay on the banks of which it stands. The steam over the hot springs along the shores of the bay was called smoke. Hence the name of the bay Reykjavil - reyka"Smoke" + vik"Bay, bay".
Riga. The capital of Latvia. The city was founded at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. The name is derived from the Baltic languages - from the word ring, ringe"Bend, bend". From this word, the name of the river was formed, which later acquired the diminutive form of Ridzen. This river was filled up. Thus, the city was named either by the river, or by the bend at which the settlement arose.
Rome. Capital of Italy. The legend about the connection between the name of the city and the name of the founder Romulus is a toponymic myth, a classic example of folk etymology. It is believed that the toponym originated from the ancient name of the Tiber River, on which it is located - Rumo, Rumon. The name of the river is probably associated with the name of one of the Etruscan tribes, who were the ancient population of these places.
holm stak"Bay", and stok"Stake, pile, pillar".
Stockholm. Capital of Sweden. The city was founded in the middle of the XIII century. The second part of the toponym holm means "island". The first part is less transparent. It could be stak"Bay", and stok"Stake, pile, pillar".
Tallinn. The capital of Estonia. The city has been known since 1154.The modern name arose in the 13th century, when the city was captured by the Danes and named it Taani linn"Danish city". Officially, this name was fixed only in 1917. However, the city is also known under other names. In Russian chronicles and in later sources up to the 18th century - Kolyvan. Its origin is unclear. Derived from a personal name Kalev(the hero of the epic "Kalevala"), and from the Lithuanian kalvis"Smithy". Until 1917 official name cities - Revel. The origin of this place name is also controversial. Some deduce from the name of the entire coastal area - She ripped. Others are from the Swedish "stranded". Still others - from the name retail space Rebala. Debatable and the origin of the earlier name of the city Lindanis.
Helsinki. The capital of Finland. The city was founded by the Swedes in the 16th century at the waterfall and named by them Helsingfors. Second component fors- "waterfall". The origin of the former is unknown. It is assumed that from the ethnonym helsings. The city moved away from the waterfall, but the Swedish name still existed in pre-revolutionary Russia for a long time.
Sources of
Nikonov V.A.A short toponymic dictionary. M., 1966.
Pospelov E.M. School toponymic dictionary. M., 1988.
