What country/region has the most elements named after it?

California has at least 2 that I know about. I am NOT a Science guy, but I don't know of any other area that has two.

California, unless I'm forgetting something, only has one element named after the state (although even that is really named after the State University of California). There is also has one named after Berkely.

I should be more specific...
I included the "region" because one of the names refers to a former name for the country.
The names refer to the entire country.

Bonus question once this is answered:
What other element(s) is/are named after places within this country?

I'll take a stab at this and go with Sweden...specifically the village of Ytterby which is near Vaxholm:
Erbium
Terbium
Yttrium
Ytterbium
and then Holmium which comes from the word "Holmia" which means Sweden.

Here are some other elements named after countries...and planets!
Americium - America
Europium - Europe
Darmstadtium and Germanium - Germany
Polonium - Poland
Thulium and Scandium - Scandinavia
Gallium and Francium - France
Strontium - Scottland
Hafnium - Coppenhagan

Neptunium - Neptune
Uranium - Uranus
Plutonium - Pluto

I'm sure I have left some off the list but this should help you some!

I am confused. Gallium & Francium/France, but Americum has Californium & Berelium, and Ruthenia has one, as does Germany. Scandanavia seems to be represented. There are so many that seem to be named after regions of Europe. Without looking at each one, and why it was so named, I am at a loss to answer.

Georgia - The Ytterby answers don't work because they refer don't refer to a country (see my clarification).
The answers I was looking for were gallium and francium, but thulium and scandium work equally well (I have to admit I had forgotten thulium).

Holmium, by the way, comes from the word "Stockholm," not sweden.

Now, care to try the bonus question?

Region...country....I got confused! But my history for the origin of Holmium states that it came from the Greek word "Holmia"

What was the next question? OH...elements named after places in France...
Man you're wearing me out! How about Rhenium? For the Rhine River....

Holmium comes from the "New Latin" word Holmia, meaning Stockholm. New Latin consists of latin-sounding words coined since the late middle ages. It is often used in science as well as by colleges in their seals (e.g. Indianensis Universitatis Sigillum).



Good job with Rhenium... there's at least one more.

(btw... you might want to take a crack at Elements #1

Yeah - I checked out Elements 1....haven't a clue - sorry. Still trying to figure out more elements relating to France area. Parisium isn't an element is it? Just Kidding! How about Lutetium - named for the ancient name of Paris - Lutecia?

[This message was edited by Georgia85 on 07-23-03 at 08:42 PM.]

That's the one I was thinking of.

If you check out Elements #1 now, you'll notice that Jelp has (correctly) given the answer you first gave here .

LOL - good going Jelp! Guess my incorrect answer here musta helped him out!