Eli5: Why is “The” used for some countries (The Netherlands, The UK, The USA, The Congo) while most every other country does not? (Kenya, Japan, Canada, etc)

Question

Grammatically the countries seem identical and baffled why these few countries have “the” especially since it’s not like there are many other Netherlands/USA/Congo out there which then demands an article to clarify we are taking about THE USA not just USA.

In: 5344

Answer 1

The use of “the” before a country’s name usually depends on whether the name includes a common noun. For example, “The Netherlands” includes “nether,” a common noun meaning “low-lying,” so “the” is used. Similarly, “The Congo” includes “congo,” which is a river, so “the” is used. On the other hand, “Japan” and “Canada” don’t include a common noun, so “the” is not used. It’s just a matter of grammar and the origin of the country’s name.