Random Mode Keyboard shortcut: Command/Ctrl + Shift + R
thumbnail

20 Countries on a Topological Map #2

Can you guess these 20 countries, highlighted in blue, on a topological map of the world?
A topological map is a type of diagram that has been simplified so that only vital information, such as borders, remains. Other details, such as size and shape, have been removed.
The black areas represent large bodies of water
Some island countries are omitted
Check out the whole series here
Quiz by zwerth66
Rate:
Last updated: April 17, 2021
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedSeptember 21, 2020
Times taken14,855
Average score65.0%
Rating4.49
4:00
Enter answer here
0
 / 20 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
 
Country
Bangladesh
Cambodia
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Country
Gambia
Georgia
Iran
Latvia
Lesotho
Country
Liechtenstein
Mali
Moldova
Oman
Paraguay
Country
Qatar
Rwanda
Spain
Tajikistan
United States
+7
Level 56
Sep 21, 2020
Just as amazing as first one! Nice!
+6
Level 66
Sep 22, 2020
Great quiz!
+2
Level 54
Apr 28, 2021
gREAT job 18/20
+2
Level 57
Sep 5, 2021
Loved it, nice!
+1
Level 61
Apr 8, 2022
love these
+10
Level 46
Jul 15, 2022
Seriously?? My right brain failed me on this one!

congrats to those who prevailed.

+3
Level 65
Jun 19, 2023
That's great - took me a while to get the hang of it, but good fun once you see what it's doing
+2
Level 72
Oct 23, 2023
Congrats for the feature!
+1
Level 82
Oct 24, 2023
Canada borders Denmark now!
+1
Level 68
Oct 24, 2023
Very true! However, I don't include borders from overseas territories (such as Hans Island) similar to what is specified in this quiz: https://www.jetpunk.com/quizzes/one-border-countries-quiz
+6
Level 71
Oct 24, 2023
This is nonsensical.
+4
Level 72
Oct 24, 2023
It's a puzzle. Once you begin understanding it, it gets a lot better.
+3
Level 79
Oct 26, 2023
On the contrary, it's quite logical once you understand what the shapes represent.
+3
Level 84
Oct 24, 2023
Just when I think I understand one of these, I get Bangladesh tucked around a corner, behind some black "large body of water." Is there some practical application for these things? I can't imagine how or why a map like this would be in any way useful.
+5
Level 79
Oct 24, 2023
Your typical subway map is topological. I don't know any specific use for this map other than for a fun, tricky quiz, but if you wanna talk about things with no practical application a lot of refrigerators these days can connect to the Internet, so...
+3
Level 79
Oct 26, 2023
The Americas are on the left. Europe is in the centre-top, Africa is in the centre-bottom and Asia wraps around the right connecting to Europe at the top but only joins Africa in a small zone in the middle of the diagram (Egypt/Israel). The Arabian Peninsula doesn't directly border the rest of Asia apart from a few countries, so it's isolated in a horseshoe shaped area with those black borders representing the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea (clockwise, respectively).

I really enjoyed the challenge of re-processing information that I already had mentally stored in one way, but in a new way. Guess not everyone will find that, but props to the maker - great quiz.

+2
Level 65
Oct 28, 2023
Is Bangladesh not tucked between Myanmar and India, next to the Bay of Bengal?
+2
Level 82
Oct 26, 2023
Yay there's another one! I enjoy these, it's a fun brain teaser. Definitely takes a second to wrap your head around it
+1
Level 68
Oct 27, 2023
Fun quiz! Well done!
+1
Level 43
Oct 28, 2023
Great concept!
+1
Level 35
Oct 29, 2023
Great Idea. A bit more time would've been nice though.
+1
Level 54
Oct 29, 2023
No, I can't. 0/20 :)
+1
Level 57
Oct 30, 2023
What is most head-scratching about this is that there is definitely north-south and east-west fidelity for the most part (US is north, Paraguay and Ecuador are south, Asia is east, etc.), but then within continents that pretty much goes out the window, and you have Spain in the far NW corner of Europe, for example, and Egypt south of Gambia, taking up most of western Africa. Not sure how that makes sense.
+2
Level 68
Oct 30, 2023
Overall, the cardinal directions have little significance in the map – I only positioned the continents in their "normal" regions of the world to provide some needed context. Other than that, the positions of individual countries are only dependent on the borders they share with other countries. Size and shape also have no significance. I can see how it can be confusing, so I hope this helps!
+1
Level 42
Oct 30, 2023
I haven't attempted this yet, as I have questions the description raises but does not answer. For instance, if size and shape have been omitted, why are they shown with different shapes and sizes? Are they roughly the same size relative to one another, or is the size purely arbitrary? What about shape? Are rectangles longer in their east-west orientation, or is that arbitrary too?

I include all these as suggestions for clarifying the description.

Overall, an intriguing premise.

+1
Level 68
Oct 30, 2023
Size and shape are purely arbitrary and do not have significance on which country is which. It is necessary, however, to make each country different shapes and sizes to maintain the correct borders between countries (and to fit them into a neat, organized map).

As an example, one common type of topological map is a subway map which usually does not convey distances between stops, but merely the order of stations and at which stations the subway lines intersect. As such, this quiz only illustrates the borders between countries while leaving shape and size largely arbitrary.

+1
Level 67
Oct 30, 2023
Interesting concept...

Managed to get 19/20 though some of it was pretty difficult, thought of Gambia just as time ran out, so close

+1
Level 63
Oct 30, 2023
why is Senegal bordering (what I think must be ) the Mediterranean?
+1
Level 68
Oct 30, 2023
The bodies of water don't necessarily have the same strict borders as they do on a geographic map of the world – the black areas are simply meant to indicate that certain countries border a body of water.
+1
Level 77
Dec 27, 2023
I still don't fully understand what these are...but i keep getting perfect scores. Like I was able to instinctively know that Moldova was one with no guessing.
+1
Level 49
Mar 27, 2024
That’s intuition for you!
+1
Level 47
Feb 4, 2024
I got one. Absolutely no clue how this is supposed to work.
+1
Level 68
Feb 17, 2024
I love these.

Idk which "type of intelligence" is supposed to be needed for this but I find them super intuitive and logical.

+1
Level 49
Mar 27, 2024
Intuition and some level of knowing borders. But this is mainly intuition for me.