As of 2020, according to Guinness World Records, which country is home to the longest place name in the world?

People who live in Mamungkukuumpurangkuntjunya Hill, Australia, need a little patience when it comes to learning to spell their hometown's name. So do the people from Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in the American state of Massachusetts and Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein, South Africa.

None of them have quite as much work to do when jotting down their address as those who live in Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand, though. At 85 letters long, this is the longest place name in the world.

Its location is on the North Island, New Zealand. The name in Maori translation means: "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". Guinness World Records lists it as the longest official place name in the world.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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29 Comments

Lorna Shipton

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales is also somewhere that people have a bit of a time when they give their address at 58 characters long!

Johnny Rock

Now there's a spelling bee word for the kids.

tyafter

What do they write on envelopes...addresses, etc.?

JRW

jonbroberts, not 'according to Guinness World Records'. Which the question states.

Chris Brown

It is located 6 km outside a small village called Porangahau, Central Hawke's Bay on the East Coast, of Aotearoa/New Zealand's North Island.

kgb

Lorna Shipton, why???

Helga U. Williams

I always wonder what the reasoning would be behind these long words. No one could possibly remember it well! 🙄

dmarkc

Tell me about your town. I just did.

Lisa Rodrigues

Near Porangahau in Hawke’s Bay is an unassuming hill known as "Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu", which translates into English as "the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater’, played his flute to his loved one." Locals simply call it Taumata Hill.

John W Shreve

June Dutt, It doesn't matter. Except for natives, no one will know if you got it right or not.

John W Shreve

Jayne Ross, I think it did. I met a Welshman and asked him to speak the name of that town. He laughed and told it to me.

Sally Onyett

June Dutt, with difficulty 😜

RJE Dobbin

Doris Dallaire, you mean llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Richard G Schwartz

There was a man from Germany and who passed away in Pennsylvania 24 years ago who had the longest name. So as you can see I skipped over the 20/20 part.