The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

The zero article with geographical names

Certain geographical names do not take an article:

Continents

Africa

Antarctica

Asia

Australia

Europe

North America

South America

But:

the Americas

(North and South America)

the Antarctic

the Arctic

Names of countries

Most country names do not take an article:

Chile

France

Kazakhstan

Namibia

New Zealand

But:

the Czech Republic

the Netherlands

the People's Republic of China

the Philippines

the United Kingdom (UK)

the United States of America (USA)

Lakes

Lake Geneva

Lake Lopnor

Lake Michigan

Lake Victoria

Loch Ness

Mountain peaks

Mawson Peak

Mont Blanc

(Mount) Everest

Mount Kenya

Mount Washington

But:

the Matterhorn

Cities

Beijing

Bucharest

New York

Reykjavík

Rio de Janeiro

But:

the Hague

the Vatican

Streets and roads

Downing Street

Michigan Avenue

But:

the High Street

the Mall

the E5

Related topics:

The definite article with geographical names