Geography is weird. You’d think naming countries with the letter e would be a breeze since "e" is the most common vowel in the English language, but people blank out the second they're put on the spot. It's funny. You can probably name Germany or France in a heartbeat, yet your brain might totally skip over the fact that "E" is tucked into almost every major power player on the map.
Honestly, it’s not just about listing them. It's about how these places actually function and why they dominate our travel itineraries and news cycles. If you look at a globe, the letter "e" is basically the glue holding the names of our continents together.
The Heavy Hitters You Probably Missed
Let's look at Europe. I mean, the name of the continent literally starts with it. Most people think of the big ones first. United Arab Emirates is a mouthful, but it's a massive hub for anyone flying between the West and Asia. Then you've got Germany. It's the economic engine of the EU. If Germany sneezes, the rest of Europe catches a cold. That’s just facts.
Then there is Mexico. People often forget that "e" is right there in the middle. It’s not just a vacation spot for tacos and beaches; it’s a manufacturing titan. If you live in North America, half the stuff in your house probably came across that border.
- United Kingdom
- Belgium
- Sweden
- Greece
See? They are everywhere. But here is where it gets tricky.
The "E" Starters: Rare Gems
Starting a country name with "E" is actually way rarer than just having one in the middle. You’ve basically got a handful of players here. Egypt is the obvious one. History books love it. Every kid knows the pyramids. But Estonia? That’s the one tech nerds obsess over. They’ve basically moved their entire government to the cloud. You can become an "e-resident" there without ever stepping foot in the Baltics. It’s wild.
Then you have Ecuador. It’s named after the equator, which makes sense. If you go there, you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere, though locals will tell you the "official" monument is actually a few hundred yards off from the actual GPS line. Science is hard.
Eswatini is the one that trips people up in trivia. It used to be Swaziland. The King changed it in 2018 because he was tired of people confusing it with Switzerland. Fair enough. It's a small, landlocked kingdom in Southern Africa with some of the most intense traditional festivals you’ll ever see.
Why Some "E" Countries Are Ghosting Your Memory
Ever heard of Eritrea? Probably not unless you’re into geopolitical deep dives or high-level cycling. They have a massive cycling culture—a relic of Italian colonial influence—but the country is notoriously difficult to visit. It’s often called the "North Korea of Africa" because of its isolationist government.
And then there's Equatorial Guinea. It’s the only country in Africa where Spanish is an official language. It’s wealthy due to oil but has massive wealth inequality. You don't see it on many "Top 10 Places to Visit" lists, mostly because getting a visa is like trying to win the lottery while being struck by lightning.
The Linguistic Quirk of the Letter E
In English, we use "e" for everything. But if you look at these countries in their native tongues, the "e" often vanishes. Germany becomes Deutschland. Greece becomes Hellas. Egypt is Misr.
This is why "countries with the letter e" is specifically an English-language puzzle. It’s a byproduct of how we’ve translated endonyms (what they call themselves) into exonyms (what we call them).
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The Travel Reality of These Destinations
If you’re actually planning to visit some of these, the vibe shifts are insane.
- Ethiopia: You aren't just going for the coffee, though it's the best on Earth. You're going for the 13th-century rock-hewn churches in Lalibela. They literally carved buildings into the ground. It’s mind-bending.
- Czech Republic (or Czechia): It’s the beer capital. People drink more beer per capita there than anywhere else. Including Germany.
- Slovenia: It’s the "hidden gem" everyone mentions so much it’s not hidden anymore. But Lake Bled is still worth the hype.
Fact-Checking the "E" List
There are 195 countries in the world. A massive chunk of them contain the letter "e." In fact, it's harder to find countries without the letter "e" (like China, Laos, or Togo) than it is to find ones that have it.
People get confused by United States. Does it count? Yes. It's the United States of America. Two for one. France? Yep. Senegal? Two e's. Venezuela? Three.
The complexity comes when you look at territories vs. sovereign states. Greenland has an "e," but it's part of the Kingdom of Denmark (which also has an "e"). Puerto Rico? Nope. No "e" there.
The Economic Power of "E"
Look at the G7.
United States. United Kingdom. Germany. France. Italy. Canada. Japan.
Only Japan and Canada (in English) escape the "e" trap. The letter is practically a requirement for global economic dominance. Just kidding, that's a correlation, not causation, but it's a funny pattern to notice when you're staring at a map.
Common Misconceptions About These Places
A lot of people think El Salvador is just "Salvador." Nope. The "El" is part of the name. It means "The Savior." It’s the smallest country in Central America and recently made waves by making Bitcoin legal tender. Whether that's working out is a matter of heated debate among economists, but it definitely put them on the map for a new generation of people.
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Then there's East Timor. Or Timor-Leste. Depending on who you ask. It’s one of the youngest countries in the world, having gained independence in 2002. It’s rugged, beautiful, and almost nobody goes there because it's so hard to reach.
Actionable Steps for the Geography Obsessed
If you want to actually master this list or use it for your next trivia night, stop trying to memorize a list of 100+ names. It’s useless. Instead, categorize them by region.
- Focus on the "Starts with E" group first: Egypt, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea. That's only eight. It's manageable.
- Look for the "-ia" endings: Almost every "-ia" country has an "e" if the prefix demands it, like Georgia (no "e") vs Armenia (has an "e").
- Check the "New" countries: Places like Montenegro or South Sudan are often forgotten because they weren't in the textbooks we used in the 90s.
Geography isn't static. It changes. Borders move. Names shift. But for now, the letter "e" remains the undisputed king of the world map.
Next steps for your geography journey:
Download a blank map of Africa and try to place the eight "E" countries. It’s significantly harder than it sounds, especially when you get to the tiny ones like Eswatini or the coastal ones like Equatorial Guinea. Once you can do that, move on to the "e" heavy hitters in the Balkans like Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Master the map, master the trivia.