6 Geographical Terms With Shortest Names in the World

Have you heard of the river with the name "D", or village with the name "Å"? There are a small number of geographic terms in the world, whose names consist of only one letter. Each of these one-letter names have special meanings in local languages.

1. "Å" Village, Norway

The frequently photographed road sign approaching Å in the municipality of Moskenes  link

Å is a village in the municipality of Moskenes, in Lofoten, Norway. This village is traditionally a fishing village, specialising in stockfish, but now also features tourism. The town contains the Lofoten Stockfish Museum and the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum. 

Å i Lofoten  link

The place is sometimes referred to as Å i Lofoten ("i" means "in") to distinguish it from other places named Å (seven villages in Norway have the name Å). In Scandinavian languages, "Å" means "river". [link, map]

2. "D" River, USA

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The D River is a river in Lincoln City, Oregon, United States. The once-nameless river, known as the "shortest river in the world" was listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's shortest river at 440 feet (130 m). This title was lost in 1989 when Guinness named the Roe River in Montana as the world's shortest.

"D" River, Oregon, US  link

The river flows from Devils Lake, under U.S. Route 101, and into the Pacific Ocean, entirely within the city limits of Lincoln City. This river had been known by several names, including simply "the outlet", and earned its short name in a contest. [link, map]

3. "Ø" Hills, Denmark

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Ø is a piece of land in the valley of the Nørreå in the eastern part of Jutland, Denmark. Its name means island (ø in the Danish language) and probably comes from the island-like approach to this piece of land, although it is completely landlocked and surrounded by meadows. Ø is famous among lexicographers for the extreme brevity of its name: the single letter Ø. [link]

4. "E" River, UK

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The River E is a river in the Highlands of Scotland. It begins in the north-west of the Monadh Liath, to the south-east of Loch Ness. This river runs in a north-westerly direction for about 10 km (6 mi), before flowing into Loch Mhòr. The River E has the shortest river name in Scotland and beyond. [link, map]

5. "Å" Village, Sweden

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Å (pronounced: "Aw") is a small village and a parish in Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden. It has a population of about 200. There are also at least 12 other places in Sweden called Å, most of them only a farm or a few houses. Å, which means stream or small river, is a contender for the title of shortest place-name in the world - although other places named Å as well as Ö and Y can make the same claim. As a consequence, many tourists have ventured to the village for the sole purpose of either taking photos of the place-name sign. [link]

6. "Y" Village, France

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Y (pronounced: "i") is a village in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France. This village bears the shortest place name in France, and one of the shortest in the world. The inhabitants call themselves Ypsilonien(ne)s. Y is situated 32 miles (50 km) east of Amiens, at the junction of the D15 and D615 roads, in the far eastern side of the department. [link, map]