Ever tried to pronounce a place name and felt like your tongue was doing yoga? Welcome to the club. Today, we’re embarking on a globetrotting adventure to locales whose names are longer than a Monday morning. Buckle up; it’s going to be a mouthful.

The Longest Place Names in the World

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand

Let’s kick things off with a hill in New Zealand that boasts a name longer than most people’s grocery lists. Clocking in at 85 letters, it holds the world record for the longest place name on the planet. This Māori moniker translates to “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.”

Frankly, we’re a lot more interested in the whole “land swallower” bit than whether he played his nose flute to his crush. We hesitate to ask for details, however, for fear that it will trigger an even longer and more-impronounceable response.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Wales

Next, we hop over to Wales, where the whole language seems to have been developed by someone who spilled soda on the keyboard and hasn’t figured out how to get certain keys to stop sticking.

It is in Wales that we find a village on the Isle of Anglesey that decided that brevity is overrated. This 58-character name translates to “The church of St Mary at the pool of the white hazels near the fierce whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave.” Locals, perhaps out of necessity, have mercifully shortened it to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair PG, which is admittedly shorter, but is still something that should not be spoken by anyone who is wearing false teeth.

Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, USA

Stateside, we have a lake in Webster, Massachusetts, with a 45-letter name that translates from Nipmuc as “Fishing Place at the Boundaries – Neutral Meeting Grounds.” It’s believed to be the longest official one-word place name in the United States. Locals often refer to it as Lake Chaubunagungamaug or simply Webster Lake, possibly to avoid hyperventilation.

In the 1950s, a plan to shorten the official name of the lake inspired a poem of doggerel verse which concludes:

“Touch not a g!” No impious hand
Shall wrest one from that noble name
Fifteen in all their glory stand
And ever shall the same.
For never shall that number down,
Tho Gogg and Magogg shout and thunder;
Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg’s renown
Shall blaze, the beacon of the town,
While nations gaze and wonder.

Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein, South Africa

Heading to South Africa, we find a farm with a 44-letter Afrikaans name meaning “The spring where two buffaloes were shot stone-dead with one shot.” It’s the longest one-word place name in Africa and a testament to the locals’ descriptive naming conventions.

Since shooting two buffaloes with one shot is a pretty impressive accomplishment, we’re left wondering more about the identity of the person who pulled this off than we are about the place where it happened.

Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkä, Finland

In Finland, there’s a bog region with a 35-letter name that’s the longest official one-word place name in the country. The etymology is unknown, and it’s possibly gibberish, but since 2020 and Brexit, it holds the record of having the longest place name in the European Union.

Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik, Canada

Canada’s contribution is a 31-letter Cree name for a lake in Manitoba, translating to “Where the wild trout are caught by fishing with hooks.” That seems like quite a mouthful just to say, “The Fishing Spot.” It’s the longest official one-word place name in Canada and a dream destination for anglers with a penchant for linguistics.

Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta, India

In India, there’s a village in Andhra Pradesh with a 28-letter Telugu name meaning “Venkatanarasimharaju’s city.” It’s the longest one-word place name in India and a delightful challenge for railway announcers.

India is no stranger to unnecessarily complicated communication. It is, after all, the nation that produced an almost incomprehensible 570-page court ruling for a case that lasted nearly 20 years.

Bovenendvankeelafsnysleegte, South Africa

Back to South Africa, we find another lengthy name—a 27-letter Afrikaans term meaning “Upper end of throat-cut valley.” It’s a farm in the Upper Karoo and a reminder that sometimes, less is more.

Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya, Australia

Australia joins the list with a 26-letter Pitjantjatjara name for a hill in South Australia, translating to “Where the devil urinates.” It’s the longest official one-word place name in Australia.

We mention this, not only because it ties into the topic for this article, but also because it was a shock to us. We always assumed the place the devil urinates is Valparaiso, Indiana.

Gasselterboerveenschemond, Netherlands

Finally, we visit the Netherlands, where a hamlet in Drenthe sports a 25-letter Dutch name meaning “Delta of Gasselt’s (surname) farmer’s bog.” It’s the longest official one-word place name in the country and a charming tongue-twister for Dutch speakers.

So, there you have it—a whirlwind tour of places that make you question the character limit on signposts. Next time you’re planning a trip, consider one of these destinations; just make sure your GPS can handle the input.

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