Ever wonderedhow many countries part with " W " ? Well , spoiler alarm : You wo n’t need many finger’s breadth to count them .
There are only a few sovereign countries that start with the letter of the alphabet " W " and a few additional territories and state that issue forth close to fit the bill too . Whether it ’s a constitutive state of the United Kingdom or a scrap territory , there ’s more to these names than meets the eye .
So , countenance ’s set out with perhaps the most recognisable " W " country and move our elbow room down to some other places that start with the same alphabetic character of the alphabet .
1. Wales
Let ’s sound off off our journeying with a body politic most hoi polloi have heard of : Cambria . situate on the western side of Great Britain , Wales is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom , portion out the island with England , Scotland and Northern Ireland .
But how did it get its name ? The tidings " Wales " come from the Old English Good Book " Wealh , " meaning " outlander " or " unknown . " Ironically , this name was commit to the native mass of Wales by the Anglo - Saxons after their arrival in Britain .
Wales is illustrious for its own distinct culture , including the Welsh speech , which is still spoken by about 30 per centum of the universe .
Wales has a robust Celtic heritage that dates back K of eld , and its rugged landscape painting are home to more castles per solid mile than anywhere else in Europe .
And let ’s not bury that Wales is the land of legendary figures like King Arthur and dragons . There are n’t any actual dragons roaming the countryside , of course — just one posing on their flag .
2. Western Samoa
Next up is Western Samoa . Located in the South Pacific , this beautiful island nation has a history forge by colonization and a strong sense of national pridefulness .
People used the name " Western Samoa " from 1914 until 1997 to recognize it from American Samoa , a nearby territory govern by the United States . Now , you ’re more likely to get a line it referred to as just Samoa .
The name " Samoa " itself is believe to amount from " sa , " meaning " sacred , " and " moa , " referring to a Polynesian foreman . The Samoan people have a discrete civilisation that dates back over 3,000 old age , with inscrutable - rooted traditions in small town life sentence , family bodily structure and the Fa’a Samoa , or " The Samoan Way . "
In 1962 , Western Samoa became the first Pacific island country to advance independence , leaving behind its colonial account while holding onto its ethnic heritage and custom . Today , people from across the existence celebrate Samoa for its natural lulu , well-disposed people and vivacious Polynesian culture .
3 More Places Starting With ‘W’
1. Wallis and Futuna: France’s Remote Pacific Outpost
Our journeying takes us next to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna , a grouping of volcanic island in the South Pacific .
Though it may not be a sovereign commonwealth , it is an of import part of France ’s global footprint . The name fare from the two independent island in the archipelago : Wallis Island and Futuna Island .
These islands were earlier settled by Polynesians over a thousand long time ago , but they became a Gallic protectorate in the nineteenth 100 . Wallis and Futuna are small and distant , influenced by their Polynesian roots and French governance .
While the islands are n’t often in the global spotlight , they are a bewitching model of how compound history has shaped modern personal identity .
2. Western Sahara: A Land in Limbo
Moving to the south to North Africa , we find Western Sahara , a quarrel territory with a complicated yesteryear . formally , it ’s know as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , but not all countries recognize it as a sovereign state .
The name " Western Sahara " is fairly straight , describe its geographical positioning on the western edge of the Sahara Desert . But this disputed territory located between Morocco and Mauritania has been at the center of a long - standing difference .
The country has a rich story go steady back to ancient times , and its modern political situation became even more complex follow Spain ’s decolonisation of the region in 1975 .
Today , Morocco claims Western Sahara , but the Indigenous Sahrawi masses , represented by the Polisario Front , seek independence . Despite this ongoing difference , Western Sahara has its own government - in - exile and maintain control over certain parts of the realm .
It ’s a home where account , politics and culture collide in a gripping but contentious way .
3. Western Ukraine: A Region with a Complicated History
While not a body politic , Western Ukraine is a part worth mentioning . Its culture and history are deeply influenced by its geographic position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia .
Throughout history , Western Ukraine has been part of various empires , including the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth , the Austro - Hungarian Empire and the Soviet Union .
It ’s a property where history runs deep ; today , Western Ukraine is an integral part of modern Ukraine , with cities like Lviv standing as cultural hub for the country .
