Question: What are the only two countries to formally start with “The”?
Answer: According to the US Department of State and other authoritative sources, only The Gambia and The Bahamas should formally include the article. The routine use of “the” is quite prevalent, and in some cases, grammar dictates that it should be used when referring to certain countries. Governments from several nations have made formal declarations on their correct English names. Countries like Ukraine have dismissed the use of “the Ukraine” about the country.