Country Name Abbreviations
30 abbreviations · part of Geography & Place Abbreviations
Many countries are routinely written by their initials in news, diplomacy, sport and business, from USA and UK to DPRK and UAE. These forms usually come from the country's official long name rather than from ISO codes, and several historical states such as the USSR and the GDR are still best known by their abbreviations. Two-letter ISO codes such as US, DE or NZ are listed separately under country codes.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BRD | Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) | German initials for the Federal Republic of Germany. |
| BVI | British Virgin Islands | British Overseas Territory of about 60 islands east of Puerto Rico, with Road Town on Tortola as its capital and the US dollar as currency. |
| CAR | Central African Republic | Landlocked country in the center of Africa, independent from France since 1960, with Bangui as its capital. |
| CCCP | Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) | Latin-letter rendering of the Cyrillic СССР, the Russian abbreviation for the Soviet Union, familiar from cosmonaut helmets, Olympic uniforms and propaganda posters. |
| DDR | Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic) | German abbreviation for East Germany, seen on its stamps, coins, vehicles and sports uniforms from 1949 to 1990. |
| DPRK | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | North Korea's formal name since its founding on September 9, 1948, under Kim Il Sung, with Pyongyang as its capital. |
| DR | Dominican Republic | Caribbean country occupying the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. |
| DRC | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Central African country, the second-largest in Africa by area, with Kinshasa as its capital and vast reserves of cobalt, copper and coltan. |
| FRG | Federal Republic of Germany | West Germany's formal name from its founding on May 23, 1949, and of unified Germany since 1990. |
| FSM | Federated States of Micronesia | Pacific nation of four states (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) spread over about 600 islands, with Palikir on Pohnpei as its capital. |
| GB | Great Britain | The island containing England, Scotland and Wales, the largest island in Europe at about 209,000 square kilometres, and by extension the political unit of those three… |
| GDR | German Democratic Republic | English abbreviation for East Germany, the communist state founded on October 7, 1949, in the Soviet occupation zone. |
| KSA | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia's official name, used as KSA in business, government and sport. |
| NI | Northern Ireland | Part of the United Kingdom since the partition of Ireland in 1921, made up of six counties in the northeast of the island, with Belfast as its capital. |
| PNG | Papua New Guinea | Pacific nation on the eastern half of New Guinea and nearby islands, independent from Australia since September 16, 1975. |
| PRC | People's Republic of China | Mainland China's formal name, proclaimed by Mao Zedong in Beijing on October 1, 1949, after the Communist victory in the civil war. |
| RMI | Republic of the Marshall Islands | Pacific island nation of 29 atolls and five islands, with Majuro as its capital, in free association with the United States since 1986. |
| ROC | Republic of China | The Republic of China was founded in 1912 after the fall of the Qing dynasty, which since 1949 has governed only Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. |
| ROI | Republic of Ireland | Description used in Britain and Northern Ireland, and in sport, for the sovereign state of Ireland, distinguishing it from Northern Ireland. |
| ROK | Republic of Korea | Official name of South Korea, established on August 15, 1948, with Seoul as its capital. |
| RP | Republic of the Philippines | Abbreviation widely used in Philippine government and news for the country, as in RP–US relations. |
| RSA | Republic of South Africa | Official name of South Africa since it became a republic in 1961, abbreviated RSA in sport, official documents and older vehicle stickers. |
| SA | South Africa | Informal abbreviation used by South Africans and in regional media for their country, as in SA Rugby or SA Tourism. |
| SSR | Soviet Socialist Republic | Designation of each of the 15 constituent republics of the Soviet Union, such as the Ukrainian SSR, the Kazakh SSR or the Georgian SSR. |
| TCI | Turks and Caicos Islands | British Overseas Territory southeast of the Bahamas, made up of about 40 islands and cays. |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | Federation of seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah) on the Persian Gulf, formed on December 2, 1971. |
| UAR | United Arab Republic | Union of Egypt and Syria formed in 1958 under Gamal Abdel Nasser, which ended when Syria withdrew in 1961. |
| UK | United Kingdom | Sovereign state of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with London as its capital. |
| USA | United States of America | Full official name of the United States, shortened to USA on passports, in sports (Team USA) and in international addresses, where USA is the expected last line. |
| USSR | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | Communist federation of 15 union republics, established in December 1922 and dissolved on December 26, 1991. |
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