(name of country) - she or it?

Question

Do you say If Britain/France/Thailand goes to war, she will.... or if Britain/France/Thailand goes ot war, it will...
Is a country a she or an it?

Answer 1

Traditionally ships, even ships named after men such as USS Barry, countries, and oceans have been referred to using the feminine pronouns. The origins of this practice are not certain, and it is currently in decline (though still more common for ships, particularly in nautical usage, than for countries). In modern English, calling objects "she" is an optional figure of speech, and is advised against by The Chicago Manual of Style.[2]

Practical advice:

Use "it" in English, regardless of the country or whether the name sounds like a collection (e.g., the United States, the Maldives). There are rules about using the feminine form for a number of things in English like countries and ships, but they are generally considered outdated. Similarly, other languages make use of a grammatical gender, but that should not be translated directly.

Answer 2

Countries in European tradition are she's, and as the other response says, so are ships. Maybe it comes from mother, I don't know. Russia is almost always referred to by it's people as "Mother Russia".



It doesn't matter what any book says, it's just how it is.

Answer 3

If your country has breast and a vagina then call it a she, if it has a penis then call it a he. if it has neither call it my country right or wrong.