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The vast majority of countries do not take the definite article unless they are qualified by an adjective or adjectival phrase:
Voy a España
I'm going to Spain
Es de México
He's from Mexico
but
en la Italia de hace cincuenta años
in the Italy of fifty years ago
en el Chile contemporáneo
in contemporary Chile
However, there are a number of countries, both masculine and feminine, which may be preceded by the definite article. They are indicated in Chapter 10 as follows: (el) Japón, (los) Estados Unidos, (la) Argentina. Generally speaking, the use of the article is more typical of the written registers. One or two countries, notably El Salvador, have a definite article as part of their name, and it must always be used. As with names of towns (eg El Ferrol) where the article forms an integral part of the name, the article does not combine with de or a in very formal usage, eg:
en el norte de (la (R2–3)) Argentina
in the north of Argentina
el Primer Ministro de(l R2–3) Japón
the Prime Minister of Japan
la capital de El (R3) / del (R1–2) Salvador
the capital of El Salvador
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