A recent Al Jazeera visual explainer dived into the origins and meanings behind the names of African countries, revealing that most of their common names are rooted in colonial history. Nevertheless, many African nations have names for themselves that are derived from their languages. For example, Egypt proudly calls itself Masr, a name believed to come from the ancient “Mizraim” meaning “border” or “port.” Liberia derives its name from the Latin “liber,” which means free, while South Africa’s informal nickname, Mzansi, comes from the Zulu word for “south.” Ethiopia is locally referred to as “Ityop’iya.” The name has its roots in Greek and means “Land of burnt faces.” Zambia, meanwhile, gets its name from the Zambezi River.
Source: Aljazeera