1815 as a name for a distinct region that had been partly settled by Europeans; 1910 as the name of a nation.
city in north-central France, Roman Senones, the capital of the Gaulish people of the same name.
people and language of West Africa (Ghana and surrounding regions), 1690s, a native name.
1970 in reference to a febrile disease of tropical Africa, from Lassa, name of a village in northeastern Nigeria.
one of a Bantu people of South Africa, 1824, a native name. As radio code word for -z- from 1960.
island off East Africa, from Zengi, name of a local people, said to mean "black," + Arabic barr "coast, shore." Related: Zanzibari.
capital of Afghanistan, named for its river, which carries a name of unknown origin.
principal language of Ethiopia, 1813, from Amhara, name of a central province in Ethiopia. It is in the Semitic family.
also Kirghiz, Turkic people of western Central Asia, 1650s; their name is of disputed origin.
Russian capital, named for the Moskva River, the name of which is of unknown origin. Moscow mule vodka cocktail is attested from 1950.