User:Sj/the

May 28 AfD, deleted in 20 hrs

A limited number of proper names in English take the definite article. The list below is of special cases that must be memorized.

Rules
Names which always take the definite article:
 * Plural nouns and implicit plural nouns (mountain ranges)
 * Adjectival names, such as the names of rivers, or abbreviated names of regions whose full name ends in a generic noun
 * Titles (the Pope, the Aga Khan, the Dalai Lama)

Stars and celestial objects

 * The Sun (Sol)
 * The Moon (Luna)
 * The Solar System
 * The Milky Way
 * The Universe

Countries and regions
Countries
 * The Gambia
 * The Congo
 * The Sudan

Names that occasionally or formerly took the definite article
 * Ukraine - formerly "The Ukraine" when it was a region; now that is considered offensive
 * Lebanon

Ambiguously plural countries and abbreviations
 * The Netherlands
 * The USSR
 * The USA
 * the DPRC, the DPRK, ....

Regions
 * The Amazon
 * The Caucasus
 * The Maghreb

Cities and neighborhoods

 * The Hague
 * The Bronx

Geographic regions
Mountains
 * The Mattehorn