Actually

Originally all Romance languages put articles before (most) country names. Funnily, they are no longer even considered correct usage in Spanish - though they are still commonly used in many countries, even by educated speakers. Of course, they are still compulsory in French (except for islands and city-states) and at least considered correct in most other Romance languages. Romanian, with its postponed article, is the egregious exception (though some more complex names that include a non-geographic word include articles, like Statele Unite ale Americii).