English — articles with geographical names
English uses the with certain geographical names but no article with others. Groups like oceans, rivers and mountain ranges take the (the Pacific, the Nile, the Alps), while continents, single countries, cities and lakes take no article (Asia, France, Lake Como).
How it works
Use the with oceans and seas (the Atlantic), rivers (the Amazon), mountain ranges (the Andes), deserts (the Sahara), and plural or descriptive country names (the USA, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the United Kingdom). Use no article with continents (Africa), most simple country and city names (Japan, Tokyo), names beginning with Lake (Lake Victoria), and most single mountains (Everest). Some lexicalized names are exceptions, such as The Gambia and The Hague.
Examples
| Type of place | the + name | No article |
|---|---|---|
| Oceans / rivers | the Pacific, the Thames | — |
| Mountain ranges / single mountains | the Alps, the Himalayas | Everest, Mont Blanc |
| Deserts | the Sahara, the Gobi | — |
| Countries (plural / grouped) | the USA, the Netherlands | France, Japan |
| Continents | — | Africa, Asia, Europe |
| Cities / lakes | — | Tokyo, Lake Como |
Good to know
Watch out for names ending in Republic, Kingdom, States or Union: they take the even when they refer to one country — the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the United States. But the short forms of ordinary countries stay bare: France, Germany, not the France.