120+ countries and nationalities in English

It’s fun to meet people from all around the world. That’s the best part of learning languages! By learning the names of countries and nationalities in English, you'll be able to ask and understand where people are from.

Countries and nationalities in English

We’ve included the names for many of the countries of the world below, divided by continent. Sometimes there are multiple places where a country can be categorized, so this is just one way of classifying by geography, to help you find the word you're looking for!

For the majority of the names of countries in English, you can predict the word for their respective nationalities by adding –an or –ian, for example, the country Italy is associated with the nationality Italian. There are, as always, some exceptions. Some nationalities in English end in –ish or –ese as well. 

In English, there are adjectives and noun forms for nationality terms. The adjective forms are the most common, and you can use the adjective either on its own or with a noun like person, a profession, or a similar label.

• I am Mexican. I am a Mexican tourist.
• She is Egyptian. She is an Egyptian engineer.

It's also possible to say you are a / an + the nationality (as in, I am a Mexican), but in some cases it is considered rude or derogatory. (Historically, this phrasing was sometimes used to make broad generalizations about people and places.) Instead, you can always be confident using the adjective form alone or with a noun.

For some nationalities, different forms are used for the noun and adjective—and there are occasionally differences for singular and plural, or for men and women.

Africa

Asia and the Middle East

Europe

The Americas: North America, Central America, and South America

It is important to note that in English, the region called The Americas is often divided into North America, Central America, and South America (sometimes together called Latin America, which includes Central and South America). 

When the nationality term American is used in English, it tends to refer to things and people from the United States and not from other parts of the Americas.

Oceania and Australia

How to talk about nationalities in English

Now that you know nationalities in English, you'll need to know how to use them in your English conversations and writing! Here are some important notes:

• How to capitalize. Nationalities are always capitalized in English.
• Don't worry about gender. Only in rare cases is there a difference in the nationality word based on a person's gender. 
• Make it plural. To make a nationality plural, add –s or say [nationality] people—for example, Britons or British people. An exception is if the nationality ends in –ese, in which case you'll say [nationality] people, like Chinese people.

Some common questions that you might hear concerning nationalities include: 

• Where are you from?
• What country are you from?

You can respond with:

• I am from + [country]: I am from Mexico, I am from Egypt
• I am + [nationality]: I am Mexican, I am Egyptian

You could introduce yourself by saying:

• Hello, I am [name], from [country]: Hello, I am Antonio, from Mexico, Hello, I am Asma, from Egypt
• Hello, I am [name], and I am [nationality]: Hello, I am Antonio, and I am Mexican, Hello, I am Asma, and I am Egyptian

You can also use the nationality word in front of cultural items, such as food or textiles. For example, you can say Thai cuisine, Costa Rican history, and Chinese embroidery.

Let English connect you to the world

There are so many wonderful countries in the world 🌏 It’s worth getting to know their English names and nationalities!