Honestly, if you tried to name every country ending in the letter L right now, you’d probably get stuck after the first two. It’s one of those weirdly specific trivia questions that feels like it should have a dozen answers, but the reality is much slimmer. Only a handful of sovereign states actually fit the bill.
It's weird.
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We think of the world as this massive, sprawling place with nearly 200 nations, yet the linguistic patterns of country names are surprisingly consistent. Most end in "a" or "ia." Think about it. Russia, China, Canada, India. The letter "L" is a rarity, a linguistic outlier that mostly pops up in Brazil, Nepal, and a few others that people constantly argue about in pub quizzes.
The Core List of Countries End in L
Let's look at the heavy hitters first. These are the undisputed members of the "L" club.
Brazil is the undisputed king of this category. It’s the largest country in South America, both by landmass and population. Most people don't realize that the name itself actually refers to a tree—the brazilwood tree (Caesalpinia echinata). Back in the day, Portuguese explorers found this wood produced a deep red dye that looked like glowing embers, or brasa in Portuguese. Hence, Brasil.
Then you have Nepal. Nestled in the Himalayas, it’s basically the roof of the world. It’s one of the few countries that hasn't just kept its "L" ending in English but also carries a name that is ancient and somewhat mysterious in its origin. Some scholars suggest it comes from the Sanskrit Nepa, meaning "those who settle at the foot of the mountains." Others point to the Sage "Ne" who supposedly protected the valley. It's a land of extremes. You have the humid Terai plains and then, obviously, Everest.
Israel is another major one. Located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, its name has deep etymological roots in the Hebrew Bible. It literally means "he who wrestles with God," referring to the patriarch Jacob. It’s a tiny sliver of land, but it carries an outsized weight in global politics and history.
Finally, we have Senegal. Way over on the western tip of Africa. It’s a place known for its "Teranga"—a Wolof word that basically means hospitality on steroids. The name likely comes from the Senegal River, which forms its northern and eastern borders. Some folk etymologies claim it comes from the Wolof phrase sunu gaal, meaning "our boat," though historians are still debating if that’s just a nice story or actual fact.
The Tricky Ones: Dependencies and Disputes
This is where things get messy. If you're looking for countries end in l to win a game of Scrabble or a geography bee, you have to be careful about what counts as a "country."
Take Marshall Islands. Does it end in L? No. It ends in S. But people often just say "The Marshall," which is wrong.
What about Greenland? Nope. Ends in D.
Montserrat? No.
However, we do have Anguilla. Wait, no, that ends in A. See how easy it is to trip up?
The real confusion usually stems from territories that feel like countries but aren't technically sovereign states. Marshall Islands is a sovereign nation, but it ends in S. Israel, Brazil, Nepal, and Senegal are the "Big Four."
Some people try to throw Portugal into the mix. It works! How did I miss that? Portugal is the fifth member of the group. It sits on the Iberian Peninsula, famous for port wine, Fado music, and a history of maritime exploration that changed the map of the world. The name comes from the Roman settlement Portus Cale, which is now the city of Porto.
So, the official tally of sovereign nations recognized by the UN that end in L is:
- Brazil
- Israel
- Nepal
- Portugal
- Senegal
That’s it. Five. Out of 195 countries, only five end in the twelfth letter of the alphabet. It’s a 2.5% occurrence rate. Pretty rare.
Why Does "L" Appear So Infrequently?
Linguistics is a funny thing. Most country names in English are Latinized. Latin loves a good vowel ending. If a name didn't end in a vowel originally, we usually slapped an "ia" or an "a" on the end to make it sound more like a place.
Think about "Germania" (Germany) or "Britannia."
The countries that kept the "L" often did so because their names weren't derived from Latin descriptors of people groups in the same way. Brazil was named after a commodity. Nepal and Senegal have indigenous roots that didn't get smoothed over by the Roman tongue.
A Closer Look at Senegal’s Identity
Senegal is fascinating because it’s a French-speaking nation in West Africa that has maintained a very specific cultural identity despite colonial history. If you visit Dakar, you see this blend of chaos and beauty. The city sits on the Cap-Vert peninsula. It’s the westernmost point of the African continent.
The "L" in Senegal feels firm. It’s a hard stop. Unlike the flowing "ia" of Nigeria or Gambia, Senegal sounds definitive.
The Brazil vs. Brasil Debate
You’ve probably seen it spelled with an "s" and a "z." In Portuguese, it’s Brasil. In English, we use Brazil. Both end in that "L" sound, but the "z" version is what you’ll see on most English maps. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s the heavyweight champion of the L-ending countries.
Brazil is basically a continent masquerading as a country. It covers nearly half of South America. It has the Amazon. It has the Pantanal. It has Rio. When you talk about countries end in l, Brazil is the one that does the heavy lifting for the group's GDP.
Misconceptions and Trivia Traps
People love to get pedantic about this. You'll hear someone shout "What about Bengal?"
Bengal is a region. It’s split between the Indian state of West Bengal and the sovereign country of Bangladesh. Neither of those is a country ending in L.
Then there’s Equatorial Guinea. No.
Central African Republic. Ends in C.
How about South Sudan? Ends in N.
It’s actually quite difficult to find names that fit. This makes the five we have—Brazil, Israel, Nepal, Portugal, and Senegal—somewhat of a prestigious club.
Nepal’s Unique Standing
Nepal is the only country in this group (and one of the few in the world) that doesn't have a rectangular flag. It has two stacked triangles. It also uses a lunar calendar that makes it roughly 56 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. If you're looking for a country that defies the "norm" in every way, not just its ending letter, Nepal is it.
The Role of "L" in Geography
Why does this even matter? For most, it doesn't. But for SEO nerds, trivia buffs, and people trying to learn the globe, these patterns help with memory retention. Categorizing the world by its suffixes is a classic mnemonic device.
If you remember "The Five L's," you suddenly have a mental map that spans four continents.
- South America: Brazil
- Europe: Portugal
- Asia: Israel & Nepal
- Africa: Senegal
North America and Oceania are completely left out of the "L" party. Sorry, Australia. Better luck next time, Canada.
Traveling Through the "L" Countries
If you were to plan a world tour based only on countries end in l, you’d actually have a pretty incredible itinerary.
You’d start with the street food and Atlantic breezes of Portugal. Maybe grab a pastel de nata in Lisbon. Then you’d hop over to the vibrant, rhythmic streets of Dakar in Senegal. From there, a long flight takes you to the Mediterranean vibes and tech hubs of Israel. Then, you head into the high-altitude spirituality of Nepal. Finally, you finish with a massive party in Brazil.
It’s a diverse trip. You cover the Sahara's edge, the world's highest peaks, the largest rainforest, and the oldest borders in Europe (Portugal has had the same borders since 1139, more or less).
Actionable Takeaways for Geography Buffs
If you want to master this niche bit of knowledge or use it for your next trivia night, here is the breakdown of what to remember.
- Memorize the Big Five: Brazil, Israel, Nepal, Portugal, Senegal.
- Watch for the "S" trap: Don't let "Marshall Islands" or "Solomon Islands" trick you. They end in S.
- Verify Sovereignty: Places like "French Guiana" or "Wallis and Futuna" might have different regional names, but they aren't independent nations.
- Etymology Matters: Remember that Brazil is a tree and Senegal is a river. It helps the names stick.
The world is full of these weird linguistic patterns. Next time you're looking at a map, try to find countries that end in "H." (Hint: There's basically just Bangladesh). Or try "O." (Lesotho, Togo, Congo, etc.).
Learning the "L" countries is just the tip of the iceberg in understanding how we name the places we live. It’s a mix of colonial history, indigenous roots, and sometimes, just the way a Portuguese sailor decided to describe a piece of wood 500 years ago.