Kazakhstan.
“Land of the Kazakhs.” From the name of the people, which, according to one version, means “free.” Kazakhstan literally translates to “land of free people,” originally referring to tribes that led a nomadic, wandering lifestyle. Several tribes broke away from the Uzbek Khanate in the mid-15th century and formed the Kazakh Khanate by the end of the 16th century. After the unification of tribes and the establishment of statehood, the word “Kazakh” took on a political rather than a social meaning.
Cabo Verde - from Portuguese Cabo Verde (“green cape”), named by Portuguese sailors who traveled along the Sahara Desert before seeing the relatively green islands.
Cameroon - from Portuguese Rio de Camaroes (“river of shrimps”), the name given to the Wouri River by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century.
Canada - “small settlement” or “village” in Algonquian (one of the languages of the Indigenous peoples of North America).
This name referred to Stadacona, a settlement near modern Quebec. When French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River, his local guides noted that this route led to “Kanata” — a village. This was not the name of any specific settlement; it was simply what the locals called any village while migrating through the vast, snowy wilderness. Cartier likely misheard the term — thus the name of the country Canada emerged. Another, less popular account involves the Spaniards. The story tells of explorers searching for legendary wealth in America. When they found nothing, they named the place “aca nada” (meaning “here nothing”). When the French arrived a few years later, the locals shouted “aca nada!” trying to indicate that there was nothing of importance for the colonizers. The French took this phrase as the name of the country.
Kenya - named after Mount Kenya, which in Kikuyu language is called Kere-Nyaga (“mountain of whiteness”).
Cyprus. Named after the metal — copper (Latin cuprum), as many copper mines were located on its lands.
However, besides this version, there are theories suggesting that Cyprus is named either after the cypress tree or the plant lausonia.
Kiribati - a distorted form of “Gilbert,” from the European name for the Gilbert Islands. By the way, they are still called that in Russian.
China (pronounced “Chaina” in English) - named after the Qin dynasty in Sanskrit.
The most populous country in the world has had numerous names. The word “China” appeared during the Qin Dynasty, under Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor. Another name, “Cathay,” originated from the famous traveler Marco Polo, who referred to northern China as such (and southern China as “Mangi”). Another name for China, “Zhongguo,” comes from the words Zhong (“center”) and Guo (“country”). Literally, it could be interpreted as “central country,” but a more accurate translation would be “Middle Kingdom.” For many centuries, the people of China believed that their land was directly under heaven (hence the name — the Celestial Empire). The further you travel from this center, the more barbaric and inhospitable lands you encounter. In a sense, they were right — beyond their borders, past the famous Great Wall, lived nomadic tribes and countless hordes of Mongols. “Zhongguo” was also used as a shortened version of “People's Republic of China.”
Colombia - named after Christopher Columbus.
Comoros - in Arabic “Djazair al Kamar” (“island of the moon”).
DPRK, or North Korea - named after the Goryeo Dynasty. The common name in European languages comes from the name of the ruling dynasty in the 10th century, Goryeo (from the name of the Goguryeo principality — the homeland of the dynasty's founder).
The internal name Hangeuk in ancient Choson means “land of morning calm.”
The self-designation of the country is the Democratic People's Republic of Choson. The Choson people were mentioned in written sources as early as the 1st millennium. The word “Choson” also has a poetic interpretation — “morning freshness.”
Republic of Korea. The official name in Korean is “Daehan Minguk” — “Great Han Republic” (“han” in Korean means “great, leader”). However, in colloquial speech, Koreans refer to the country either as “Hanguk” or “Daehan.”
Qatar. Named after the Qatar Peninsula. It may derive from the name of the settlement of Qadar, which existed here in ancient times. The Arabs poetically call the country “Arous al-Khalij,” meaning “Bride of the Gulf.”
Cambodia. One version traces its name to the founder of the royal dynasty, Kambu.
Costa Rica - “rich coast” in Spanish. This is how Christopher Columbus named the country in the early 16th century when he and his crew landed on unfamiliar land and saw that the locals wore heavy gold ornaments.
The sailors concluded that there was much gold and valuable minerals here, but it turned out they were mistaken. However, the name stuck.
Cuba - “Cubanacan” (“central place”) in the language of the Taino Indians.
Kuwait - from Arabic “Kut,” meaning “fortress.”
Kyrgyzstan - “Land of the Kyrgyz.” “Kyrk” in Kyrgyz means “forty.” The name symbolizes the 40 tribes that were united by the hero of the local epic, the hero Manas.