Countries That Start With M

Sovereign countries (18)

Eighteen sovereign UN member states have English names beginning with M, making it one of the most heavily populated letters of the country alphabet. Five of the eighteen are small island nations — Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, Maldives and Mauritius nearby, and Marshall Islands and Micronesia in the Pacific. A handful of inhabited territories also start with M and are listed below in their own section. The total count of "M" entries depends on which list you consult, but the sovereign-nation answer is fixed at eighteen.

Madagascar

Antananarivo · Africa

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Malawi

Lilongwe · Africa

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Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur · Asia

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Maldives

Malé · Asia

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Mali

Bamako · Africa

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Malta

Valletta · Europe

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Marshall Islands

Majuro · Oceania

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Mauritania

Nouakchott · Africa

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Mauritius

Port Louis · Africa

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Mexico

Mexico City · North America

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Micronesia (Federated States of)

Palikir · Oceania

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Moldova

Chișinău · Europe

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Monaco

Monaco · Europe

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Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar · Asia

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Montenegro

Podgorica · Europe

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Morocco

Rabat · Africa

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Mozambique

Maputo · Africa

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Myanmar

Naypyidaw · Asia

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Territories and other entities (4)

Inhabited territories, dependencies, and special administrative regions whose English names also begin with M. These are not sovereign UN member states but have their own administrative status.

Macao

Special Administrative Region of China

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Martinique

Overseas region of France

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Mayotte

Overseas department of France

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Montserrat

British Overseas Territory

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Browsing the alphabet is a popular way to teach geography. Try the neighbouring letters:

Countries That Start With L — Six nations from Laos to Luxembourg.
Countries That Start With N — Eight nations, from Namibia to North Macedonia.
Countries That Start With A — Eleven nations from Afghanistan to Azerbaijan.

Quick answer for skimmers

Q: How many countries start with M?
A: Eighteen sovereign UN member states. Several inhabited territories and special administrative regions also begin with M.

Q: Is Myanmar the same as Burma?
A: Yes. The country was renamed in 1989, and both names remain in use today. The United States government still uses "Burma" in some official documents, while the United Nations and most international bodies use "Myanmar".

Q: What is the difference between Mauritania and Mauritius?
A: Mauritania is a large West African country bordering the Sahara, while Mauritius is a small Indian Ocean island nation east of Madagascar. The names sound similar but the two countries are on opposite sides of the African continent and share no political or historical connection.

Country profiles mentioned in this post: