We Bet Even The Biggest Travelers Can't Guess The Country From Just 3 Clues
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Lifestyle
Depending on whether or not one considers Taiwan as an official country - most, including the United States, do not - there is either 195 or 196 countries in the world. A total of 193 of those are United Nation members, while two countries are non-member observer states. By that count, one could conceivably visit every country in the world in a full calendar year, although they wouldn't be able to spend more than a day in each place once travel and accommodations are factored. Still, seeing the entire world could be done within a few years if planned accordingly and, of course, if proper resources, namely money, was readily available. It's a dream that most people have, but one that hardly anybody can achieve, which is unfortunate because there's beauty in every corner of the earth. Most people, however, either don't leave their country of birth or only visit one or two countries.
Still, it doesn't take a travel enthusiast to name all of the countries listed in this quiz. Thanks to the beauty of the internet, anybody can learn whatever they want about any country in the world. They can even see famous landmarks and buildings in each respective county via Google Earth.
Tacos. 127.5 million people. Mayan ruins.
Located in the southernmost portion of North America, this country includes states like Jalisco, Oaxaca, and Puebla, among others and has a population of 127.5 million as of 2016 World Bank statistics. The country boasts a diverse landscape of deserts, jungles, and mountains and is home to the ancient ruins of the Mayan city. Other attractions include Chichen Itza, Copper Canyon, and El Arco. Enrique Peña Nieto has served as president of the country since 2012, but is coming to the end of his tenure on November 30, 2018.
Pasta. Rome. Renaissance art.
Known for its love of pasta dishes, Renaissance art, and its boot-shaped land, this country has a long Mediterranean coastline and boasts a population of more than 60 million. It's home to iconic landmarks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum and is a must-visit tourist destination for anyone visiting Europe. For Netflix lovers, it was the setting for the first few episodes in the second season of Master of None. It also shares borders with France, Switzerland, San Marino, and Slovenia.
Bob Marley. Tropical. Kingston.
This country is a popular travel destination for anyone who wants to avoid the snow and cold climate in the winter. The fourth-largest Caribbean island country has a population of 2.9 million people and its people predominantly speak English. The capital of the country, Kingston, has a population of just under one million. The country was under Spanish rule from 1509 to 1655, when it was overtaken by British forces. It gained complete independence in 1962, four years after becoming a province in the Federation of the British West Indies.
Abu Dhabi. Dubai. Buraj Khalifa.
This Middle East country is actually comprised of seven member emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are two of the most well-known and populated. Dubai, for instance, is responsible for two-thirds of the country's tourism economy and is unsurprisingly the top tourism destination in the entire Middle East. The country has grown considerably in recent years due to innovation in technology and infrastructure and is home to the world's tallest man-made structure: the Burj Khalifa, which reaches 828 meters into the sky.
Barcelona. Madrid. Xavi.
This country is rich in history and architecture and is home to some of the most renowned landmarks in the world, most of which are located in either Barcelona or Madrid, which serves as the country's capital city. The country shares a border with Portugal and has a population of 46 million. World Heritage Sites in the country include the Roman Walls of Lugo, Silk Exchange of Valencia, Burgos Cathedreal, and the Garajonay National Park. It's a dominant soccer nation with stars like Xavi, Iker Casillas, and Andres Iniesta.
Adriatic Sea. 2018 World Cup Finalist. Zagreb.
This country is located in the Balkans and has a long coastline along the Adriatic Sea. It has both a leader (Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic) and elected official (Andrej Plenkovic), both of whom govern the country of more than four million citizens. The country surprised many when its national soccer team advanced all the way to the finals of the 2018 World Cup before losing to France by a score of 4-2. Finally, the capital city of the Eastern Europe country is Zagreb.
Seinfeld. Kiev. St. Sophia's Cathedral.
Seinfeld fans should immediately guess the country with this clue: in an episode in which Newman and Kramer are playing Risk on the subway, Kramer tells Newman the country is "weak" and "feeble," to which a fellow passenger and native of the country responds angrily by defending his homeland and ruining the game. For non-Seinfeld fans, the country shares borders with Belarus, Poland, and Romania and boasts a population of more than 45 million. Its capital is Kiev, which features the beautiful St. Sophia's Cathedral.
Santo Domingo. 10.65 million people. Los Haitses National Park.
Some might might not recognize this, but this Caribbean country is actually part of North America and regarded as one of the world's premier travel destinations for its warm climate, sandy beaches, and breathtaking clear blue ocean and lake water. It's also known for its incredible resorts, rain forests and highlands. Other attractions include Catalina Island and Los Haitses National Park. The native population of the country is 10.65 million according to 2016 estimates and its capital is Santo Domingo. The island country shares a border with Haiti.
Pyramids. Great Sphinx. Giza.
This country has a population of more than 95 million people and links the Middle East with Northeast Africa. It sits along the Nile River Valley and is home to world-renowned landmarks and attractions like the Pyramids in Giza and the Great Sphinx. Its capital is Cairo, which is home to the Muhammad Ali Mosque and Tahrir Square. For diehard soccer fans, the country is the birthplace of one of the best strikers in the world today: 26 year old Mohamed Salah of Liverpool F.C.
Casablanca. Rabat. Hassan Tower.
This country borders the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea and is defined by its Arab and Europe influences. Its leader, Saadeddine Othmani, has been in power since 2017 and was previously the country's minister of foreign affairs. The capital, Rabat, sits along the shores of the Bouregreg River and is home to the culturally-historic Kasbah of the Udayas royal fort and the Hassan Tower. Its largest city, however, is Casablanca, which has a population of more than three million people. The country itself, meanwhile, is home to more than 35 million people.
Reykjavik. Hot springs. Viking.
The name of this country often confuses people as its climate is not as cold and arctic as it might suggest. The Nordic island nation is actually home to numerous volcanoes, lava fields, and hot springs; however it also boasts massive glaciers, which are protected in a pair of national parks. The majority of the country's 350,000 people live in its capital city of Reykjavik, which was founded in 1786 as a trading center and has since developed into a national center of commerce that also happens to be among the cleanest and safest cities in the entire world.
Pubs. Dublin. Accordion.
People who visit this country do so in hopes of soaking up some of its storied tradition and cultural customs. A trip isn't complete with hearing some of its distinct music while sitting in a pub and eating some stew or shepherd's pie with a pint of beer to wash it down. The North Atlantic island is divided politically into two states, one of which is independent while the other is part of the United Kingdom. The independent state is home to nearly 4.8 million people, most of whom reside in the capital of Dublin.
2018 World Cup host. Alex Ovechkin. Moscow.
This country hosted the 2018 World Cup, but is predominantly known as a hockey super power. It won the most recent Olympic hockey gold medal and is the home of accomplished NHL players like Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Artemi Panarin. The country, which also extends across Northern Asia and has a population of more than 144 million, shares land borders with Finland, Norway, Latvia, Poland, and Georgia, among other countries. Its capital, Moscow, is one of the world's biggest cities.
Ronaldo. Lisbon. Antonio Costa.
This country borders Spain and sits along the Atlantic Ocean, which has helped define a large portion of its culture; for instance, the national dishes of the country are grilled sardines and salt cod, while it was once a powerful maritime empire. The country is home to more than 10 million people and its capital city of Lisbon has an estimated population of 505,000 people, although roughly three million reside in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Antonio Costa is the head of the country, but its most well-known resident on a global scale is soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.
St. Andrews. Open Championship. Kilts.
The northernmost country in the United Kingdom is characterized by its mountainous landscape such as the Northwest Highlands and Cairngorms, but perhaps best known for being the birthplace of modern golf. The first ever game was played in the 1400s at the Old Course at St. Andrews, which still regularly hosts the PGA's Open Championship. The capital of the country, Edinburgh, hosts numerous art festivals and boasts an iconic hilltop castle, while Glasgow, one of its other major city centers, is a growing cultural hub.
Teemu Selanne. Skiing. Helsinki.
This country shares borders with Russia and Norway, among others, and is surrounded by the Baltic Sea. Although it boasts a decent national soccer team, it is a cold-weather country whose athletes excel in winter sports. The country is the birthplace of NHL Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne and is often atop the leaderboard at the Olympics in regard to medals won in alpine, downhill, and cross country skiing. It is home to more than 5.5 million people and its capital city is Helsinki.
Castro. Cigars. Tamales.
This Caribbean island nation is known primarily for its beautiful beaches and tobacco fields, which contribute significantly to the production of its highly-regarded cigars. The capital city of Havana has a population of 2.1 million people and is characterized by its unique colonial architecture. The entire country has a population of just over 11 million. It is a founding member of the United Nations and is regarded as a regional power in Latin America. It gained independence from Spanish rule in 1868.
Muscat. 1.56 million people. Nizwa Fort.
This country is located along the Arabian Peninsula and is an ever-developing tourist destination with a variety of hotels and attractions as well as historical and cultural points of interest such as the Sharqiya Sands, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Jebel Shams, and Nizwa Fort. Its capital, Muscat, is a port community surrounded by desert and mountains and, as of May 2017 estimates, was home to 1.56 million people. Arabic is the most common language spoken in the country, but English and Swahili is also regularly spoken.
Hockey. Ottawa. Sorry.
One of the biggest countries in the world in regard to land, this country boasts well-known cities like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and its capital, Ottawa, which is the location of Parliament Hill, a popular tourist destination and governmental precinct. Despite its massive size, the country has a modest population of just over 36 million and boasts incredibly diverse natural surroundings such as mountainous regions found in Banff National Park on the West Coast as well as vast swaths of wilderness and numerous lakes on its East Coast.
Famous river. Petra. Dead Sea.
This Middle East country is an Arab nation that is home to nature reserves, seaside resorts, and ancient monuments as well as the world-renowned archaeological site of Petra, which lies along a narrow valley with monuments, temples, and tombs carved into pink sandstone cliffs. The country has a population of just under 10 million people according to recent estimates. Its capital city, meanwhile, is Amman, which also boasts numerous ancient ruins and has a population of more than four million people.
Bohemia. Jaromir Jagr. Prague.
This former Soviet nation is regarded for its ornate castles and storied history. Its capital, Prague, is home to the historic ninth-century Prague Castle as well as the statue-lined Charles Bridge and a well preserved medieval town. Previously known as the Kingdom of Bohemia and Czechoslovakia, it now boasts a population of more than 10 million people and is considered one of the top 10 best hockey countries with native players like Jaromir Jagr, Dominik Hasek, and Jakub Voracek, among others.
Olives. Athens. Mount Olympus.
This Balkans region country is one of the biggest influencers on Western civilization dating back to ancient times. For instance, its capital, Athens, hosted the first ever Olympic Games, and is regarded as the birthplace of democracy some 8,000 years ago. The country is primarily in a mountainous region and its highest peak is Mount Olympus, which reaches more than 9,500 feet in the air. As of 2017, its estimated population was just over 10.7 million. Natives of the country refer to it as the Hellenic Republic.
Bicycling. Amsterdam. Canals.
A must-visit tourist destination, this nation is known among travelers for its easygoing lifestyle, cycling routes, and canals. It's also very liberal in regard to its policies and laws. The country is second to only the United States in exporting food and agricultural products due to its mild climate, fertile soil, and intensive farming. The capital of the country is Amsterdam, which has a population of just under one million people; the country as a whole, meanwhile, boasts a population of 17.3 million.
Soccer. Christ the Redeemer. Neymar.
This country is 3.2 million square miles in area and has a population of more than 208 million people, making it the fifth- and sixth-largest country in the world in regard to area and population respectively. Given its size, it borders every country in South America save for Chile and Ecuador and covers nearly 50 percent of the entire continent. It ranks 13th in the world in regard to the amount of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is a dominant soccer power that has won the World Cup a record five times.
9.8 million people. Budapest. Danube River.
This landlocked country shares borders with Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, and Romania, among others. Its capital and largest city is Budapest, which has a population of 1.7 million people and serves as a significant economic hub; it's also regarded as a leading global city heavily involved in global trade and renowned for its high-tech infrastructure and financial power. The country itself has a population of 9.8 million people, most of which identify as Christian. It's also Europe's 11th most popular tourist destination, according to the World Tourism Organization.
Scandanavia. Meatballs. IKEA.
Comprised of thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, this Scandinavian country boasts a population of 9.9 million people. Its capital, Stockholm, extends across 14 islands and has more than 50 bridges as well as medieval landmarks and structures. It operates a social welfare system that provides free post-secondary education and universal health care to its citizens and ranks high across a variety of metrics, including quality of life, human development, and economic competitiveness. Its main spectator sports include hockey and football, although it is also the birthplace of former top-ranked tennis player Bjorn Borg.
2022 World Cup host. 2.6 million people. Doha.
This Middle East country, with a population of 2.6 million (2.3 million of which are expatriates), has the highest per capita income in the world and is regarded as the most advanced Arab state in regard to human development. It also has the world's third-largest oil and natural gas reserves. The state was founded by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani in the early 19th century and has been ruled by the House of Thani ever since, although it didn't gain independence until 1971. In 2022, it will become the first Arab nation to host the World Cup.
Copenhagen. Christiansborg Palace. Caroline Wozniacki.
Considered home by tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and film actors Brigitte Nielsen and Viggo Mortensen, this Scandinavian country is home to numerous royal palaces, many of which are located in the capital of Copenhagen, which sits on the coastal islands of Amager and Zealand. Historic landmarks found there include the Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg Palace, and Amalienborg Palace. A little more than 775,000 people reside in the capital city, while the country itself has a population of 5.8 million people. Its government is led by is Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
Eiffel Tower. Paris. Romance.
The only hint as to what country this is that one might need is noticeable in the accompanying photo: the Eiffel Tower. However, if that wasn't enough, the popular tourist destination also includes famed landmarks like the classical art museum, the Lovre, and is renowned for its sophisticated cuisine and wines. Its leader is Emmanuel Macron and its population, as of 2016 World Bank estimates, is 66.9 million. It won the 2018 World Cup with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Anime. Tokyo. Sushi.
Shinzo Abe is the leader of this East Asia island nation that is characterized by mountainous national parks, imperial palaces, and historic shrines and temples. Despite being relatively small in regard to land mass, the country has a population of 127 million people, which makes it the 10th most populated country in the world. Roughly 9.1 million of those people reside in the country's capital city of Tokyo. It is also regarded as one of the world's most educated countries and has the eighth-largest military budget, which it employs for peacekeeping and self-defense.
Kiwis. Sheep. Peter Jackson.
This sovereign island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean is actually comprised of two land masses (North and South Island) characterized by glaciation and volcanoes. The capital of the country, Wellington, is on the North Island and home to Te Papa Tongarewa, which serves as its national museum. Its most populous city, however, is Auckland. It has a population of 4.7 million people and is the birthplace of celebrities such as Russell Crowe, Keith Urban, Peter Jackson, and Anna Paquin.
Gardens by the Bay. Jurong Bird Park. Near Malaysia.
A lot of people forget this is a country and not the capital city of Malaysia. It is, however, an island city-state that is in close proximity to Malaysia and regarded as a global financial center with a diverse population of 5.6 million people. The nation was founded as a British colony and British East India Company trading post in 1819 and gained independence in 1963, when it formed Malaysia along with other former British territories. It became a sovereign nation two years later due to ideological differences.
Shakespeare. The Beatles. London.
The birthplace of some of the most talented writers, artists, and musicians over the course of the past 500 years, this country is known for Shakespeare, The Beatles, and David Beckham, the latter of which was a longtime member of its national football team, of which the country's 53 million citizens are incredibly passionate about. The island nation has numerous large city centers like Manchester, Liverpool, and Bristol, but its capital is London, which is home to the Big Ben clock tower and is the largest city in the EU.
EU Headquarters. Chocolate. Brussels.
This country is home to the headquarters of both the EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. While the majority of its 11.4 million people speak French, it also has Dutch- and German-speaking regions. Its capital, Brussels, is an official bilingual region in which French and Dutch are the primary languages. It is one of six founding EU nations and is also a founding member of NATO, the World Trade Organization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
1.4 billion people. Beijing. 2008 Olympic hosts.
The world's most populous country, this nation has a population of more than 1.4 billion people who live across the country's 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities, and two special administrative regions (Macau and Hong Kong). It had one of the world's earliest civilizations with hereditary monarchy rule dating back to the Xia dynasty of the 21st century BCE. Not surprising given its population, the country also boasts the second-largest defense budget as well as its largest standing army.
Warsaw. Pierogis. Baltic Sea.
This country shares a border with Germany, Austria, and Slovakia, among other countries, and is populated by more than 38 million people. World-renowned cities in the country include Karkow, which is rich in Jewish history and contains the historic Wawel Castle, and Warsaw, the country's capital that is characterized by Gothic churches, modern skyscrapers, and neoclassical palaces. The democratic country ranks high in terms of education (it offers free university education to its citizens), safety, quality of living, and economic freedom.
Riyadh. Jeddah. Oil and gas.
This Middle East country occupies the majority of land in the Arabian Peninsula and has coastlines along the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Considered the birthplace of Islam, it's home to sacred mosques like Masjid al-Haram (Mecca) and Masjid an-Nabawi (Medina). Its capital and most populous city is Riyadh, which is a prominent financial center, while its second-most populous city, Jeddah, serves as a cultural and entertainment hub; it recently hosted the first ever WWE show in the country. Oil is its biggest source of income.
Lionel Messi. Andes mountains. Buenos Aires.
The home country of one of the world's best football players, Lionel Messi, this South America country is known for its tango music and dancing styles as well its the Andes mountains, which encompasses a large percentage of its land mass. A total of 43.85 million people reside in the country as of 2016 World Bank estimates. Its capital city is Buenos Aires, which is ranked as one of the best Latin America countries in regard to quality of life. It is also the most-visited South America city.
Odin. Oslo. Vikings
This prominent Scandinavian country has a total area of 148,747 square miles and a population of just over 5.3 million people. Its coastline faces the Barents Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. The country has both a king (King Harald V of the Dano-German House of Glucksburg) and elected official (Erna Solberg). Oslo, which serves as the country's capital, has a population of 673,469 and includes world famous landmarks like the Oslo Opera House, Akershus Fortress, and the Astrup Fearnley Museum.
Persian Gulf. Manama. Middle East.
This Middle East kingdom is a constitutional monarchy in the Persian Gulf that is located between Saudi Arabia and Qatar and boasts a population of 1.2 million, half of which are non-nationals. It is the third-smallest nation in Asia with land mass equaling a total area of 295.5 square miles. The country declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1971 and was admitted to the United Nations that same year. Its most popular sports include football, cricket, rugby, and horse racing.
Chris Hemsworth. Sydney. Canberra.
This Oceanic country is the sixth-largest in the world in regard to total area and has a population of 25 million people, most of whom reside near the eastern seaboard either in its capital (Canberra) or its largest city (Sydney), the latter of which is home to the uniquely-shaped Sydney Opera House, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scott Morrison is the country's leader, while some of its more well-known natives include Chris Hemsworth, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Hugh Jackman.
Baltic state. Former Soviet nation. Vilnius.
The southernmost country of Europe's Baltic states, this former Soviet bloc nation shares borders with Belarus, Latvia, and Poland and is known for its Gothic, baroque, and Renaissance architecture as well as the Hilltop Gediminas' Tower. As of 2017, the country had a population of 2.8 million people, the majority of which lived in its capital and largest city, Vilnius, which was once one of the most predominant Jewish centers in all of Europe. It achieved its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and was admitted to NATO in 2004.
Narcos. Bogota. Coffee.
This country is a constitutional republic with 32 departments and was originally inhabited by indigenous groups such as the Quimbaya, Tairona, and Muisca. It was first occupied by the Spanish in 1499 and, more than 100 years later, became the New Kingdom of Granada. It gained its independence in 1819 and its current constitution was drafted in 1991. It is the world's 29th-most populated country with nearly 50 million people and its capital is Bogota, which is located on the elevated Bogota savanna plateau.
Oktoberfest. Munich. Berlin.
This nation is defined by its love of football, sausage, and beer, the latter two of which can be consumed heavily at its annual Oktoberfest, which takes place in Munich, one of its larger city centers. Its capital, Berlin, has a population of approximately 3.7 million, while the country as a whole is home to nearly 83 million people and is the most populous country in the EU. In regard to football, the country's biggest stars are Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, and Thomas Muller.
Ghandi. Curry. Mumbai.
This country was the home of activist Mahatma Ghandi, who led its fight for independence from British rule following World War II through nonviolent civil disobedience. Today, the country is the second-most populous country in the world behind only China with an estimated 1.2 billion people. It gained its independence in 1950 and now operates as a federal parliamentary constitutional socialist republic. Its capital is New Delhi, although its most populous region is Mumbai, which was once known as Bombay.
Chocolate. Watches. Roger Federer.
Known for its mountainous regions that offer incredible skiing experiences as well as chocolate, watches, and being the birthplace of Roger Federer, this landlocked nation is geographically divided between the Swiss Plateau, Jura, and the Alps, and expands across 15,940 square miles of land. The country is home to more than eight million people, the majority of which reside in the plateau global cities and economic centers of Geneva and Zurich. Despite the country not officially having a capital city, Bern, its fifth-most populous city, is regarded by natives as their Bundesstadt (federal city).
Seoul. Moon Jae-in. 2018 Winter Olympics host.
This nation is located along the Korean Peninsula and is regarded for its green countryside and centuries-old Buddhist temples. It also has a diverse mix of sub-tropical islands, coastal fishing villages, and high-tech urban centers like Seoul, which is the capital and most populous city in the country. It ranks 18th in the world on the Human Development Index and has a population of more than 50 million people spanning across 38,375 square miles of land. Its leader is Moon Jae-in.
Vienna. Hofburg. Mozart.
This nation is known for its mountainous villages and rugged Alpine terrain. It has a population of 8.8 million people, most of whom speak German and reside in its capital city of Veinna. Famous landmarks in the country include the Hofburg and Schonbrunn palaces as well as the Danube River and Bohemian Forest, while some of its most well-known residents have included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sigmund Freud, and Johann Strauss. The country shares a border with Germany, Slovenia, and Hungary, among others.
Topkapi Palace. Ankara. Istanbul.
This country straddles the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia and maintains cultural connections to Ottoman, Greek, Roman, and Persian empires. Its most populous city is Istanbul, which is home to the Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia. Because of its background and importance in political affairs, Ankara, which is home to more than 4.5 million people, serves as the country's capital; it was where the country's current government declared itself the official government of the state before eventually gaining independence from Ottoman rule in 1922.
Cross River National Park. Abuja. Lagos.
This nation located on the Gulf of Guinea is home to dense rain forests and rare primate habitats, most of which can be found in wildlife reserves and protected areas such as the Yankari National Park and Cross River National Park. One of its most renowned landmarks is the 725-meter monolith, which sits just outside the country's capital of Abuja and is pictured on its national currency. The republic was under rule of England until 1963 and currently has a population of more than 190 million people, making it the seventh-most populous country in the world.