Countries

Most of the names of countries should not have the:

However, some country names do require the:

• the United Kingdom
• the United States of America
• the People's Republic of China

Here are some guidelines for countries (or groups of countries referred to by a single name):

• Countries which have a plural word in their name need the (the Philippines, the Bahamas).
• Countries which have of in their name also need the (the Republic of China).
• Countries which have a word such as Republic, Commonwealth or Kingdom need the (the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic).
• If a country name needs the, also use the when only the initials are used (the US).

You may have noticed that many countries have more than one name:

• the Netherlands = Holland
• the People's Republic of China = China

States and Provinces

The rules for states and provinces are similar to the rules for countries. A simple state or province name does not require the:

However, use the in the longer title (which contains of or a plural):

• the State of California
• the Hawaiian Islands

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