Straight Shot to Antarctica

Name all the countries in the world where you could sail due south and reach Antarctica without hitting any other land mass first.
We start at the Prime Meridian and move eastward, but each country is shown only once
Includes overseas regions, territories, etc...
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: April 2, 2019
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First submittedMarch 31, 2019
Times taken30,877
Average score72.5%
Rating4.77
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Country
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Norway
São Tomé and Príncipe
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Rep. of the Congo
Angola
Namibia
South Africa
Mozambique
Kenya
Madagascar
Somalia
Seychelles
Yemen
France
Oman
Mauritius
Iran
Pakistan
India
United Kingdom
Maldives
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Myanmar
Indonesia
Australia
Papua New Guinea
Russia
F.S. Micronesia
Marshall Islands
Japan
Solomon Islands
New Zealand
Fiji
Tonga
Samoa
United States
Kiribati
Canada
Mexico
Chile
Ecuador
Guatemala
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Peru
Argentina
Uruguay
Brazil
Denmark
Portugal
Iceland
Cape Verde
Spain
Senegal
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Sierra Leone
Liberia
Ivory Coast
+13
Level ∞
Mar 31, 2019
I am even less sure about this one than I am the Arctic Ocean version. Please let me know where I'm wrong.
+1
Level 51
Jan 16, 2020
I also think Comoros should be there because not even a part of the country hits into a landmass while going down.
+2
Level 73
Jan 30, 2020
As I see it, Madagascar is in between. The westernmost point in Comoros is on Grande Comoros just south of the capital Moroni. It is 45.228° east. Madagascar's westernmost point is 43.220° east. But it is very close and if Comoros was 10 km to the west they should be in the quiz. My source is Google Maps and Google Earth, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
+1
Level 44
Aug 17, 2020
Colombia needs to be added to the quiz I think:

Malpelo Island is a small Island in the pacific, 500km off the coast of Colombia (to which it belongs) located at around 81°36′32″ W.

---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpelo_Island

That's further west than the westernmost point of mainland South America which is at 81°19′35″ W.

---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_Pari%C3%B1as

+5
Level 70
Mar 31, 2019
Another nice quiz! :-) Nicaragua and Senegal missing, I guess. Angola and Gambia could be in as well, but requires some further investigation.
+1
Level 84
Mar 31, 2019
Yes. Dakar sticks out far enough, and there's no question about Nicaragua.
+5
Level 76
Apr 1, 2019
From what I can tell using some tools on Google Earth, all four should be added, along with the Republic of the Congo, Spain (Canary Islands) and Norway (Bouvet Island). I'm also quite skeptical about Tuvalu, where I think Fiji and New Zealand get in the way.
+1
Level 76
Apr 2, 2019
I agree, Tuvalu is blocked.
+6
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
@georgekotz, I double-checked everything you said and it looks like you are 100% correct. Made the appropriate changes.
+2
Level 95
Mar 31, 2019
Hi Quizmaster,

I have doubts regarding Honduras and the lack of Nicaragua... I believe Nicaragua must definitely count in this quiz...

+1
Level 84
Apr 1, 2019
Nicaragua needs to be on there, but Honduras just makes it by a tiny sliver.
+1
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
Nicaragua has been added. Honduras seems to be just barely blocked by El Salvadorian islands in the Gulf of Fonseca.
+13
Level 78
Mar 31, 2019
Would this include Norway's Bouvet Island?
+4
Level 84
Mar 31, 2019
Yes, I was surprised by the absence of Norway.
+3
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
This has been added.
+10
Level 94
Apr 3, 2019
lucky you! i was totally baffled by norway's presence!

aaaaand another little patch put on my blanket of ignorance :)

+1
Level 84
Mar 31, 2019
Looks like you mixed up Nicaragua and Honduras. Nicaragua has a clear path, and Honduras doesn't. Mainland Honduras is blocked by El Salvadorian and Nicaraguan islands in the Gulf of Fonseco. Tiger Island is blocked by mainland Nicaragua, and Isla Garrobo is blocked by Meanguera del Golfo.

The westernmost point of Gambia is at roughly 16.812619 W. It just squeaks by the westernmost point of Senegal to the south at roughly 16.791712 W, and then has a clear shot to Antarctica.

+3
Level 76
Mar 31, 2019
Nicaragua should definitely be on there. But from what it looks like to me, there is a narrow path from the Honduran mainland that threads the needle through the islands in the gulf of Fonseca. Just east of the Isla Martin Perez, but west of Meanguera del Golfo.
+1
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
I think Honduras is just barely blocked. Westernmost point of Meanguera del Golfo is -87.729. Eastermost point of Isla Martin Perez is -87.734.
+3
Level 71
Apr 2, 2019
This is the pinnacle of quibbling, but I think you've got it backwards. Those are indeed the coordinates, but that means that there is a corridor 0.005 degrees wide (less than 500m) that the line passes through. Isla Martin Perez (87.734 W) is farther west than Meanguera del Golfo (87.729 W).

Really appreciate the effort put forth on this.

+2
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
Just when I was out... they pull me back in. You are right of course @GrandMo. Okay, that's it. I think I am done editing this quiz for now. I don't want to reset the stats again after this.
+1
Level 84
Apr 2, 2019
I'm not shocked, but I didn't want to put in the effort to find out if there was 0.005 degrees that made it through. Less than 500 metres, huh? Wow.
+1
Level 73
Jan 30, 2020
I found another passage between the Ecuadorian islands of Meanguera del Golfo and Isla Meanguerita but it hit Nicaraguan mainland with a margin of 10 meters(!) Really nice quiz!
+1
Level 65
May 20, 2023
Albert, I think you mean El Salvadorian lol, although western Honduras is the same longitude as the Galapagos.
+1
Level 88
Mar 31, 2019
I'm just not fast enough without auto fill working on this site.
+2
Level 76
Mar 31, 2019
Spain is missing. It's a straight shot from El Hierro or La Palma.

And, as others said, so are Nicaragua, Senegal, the Gambia and Norway.

And can I just say: Holy cow, the Comoros are close. They just miss out by 0.008'.

+1
Level 59
Apr 1, 2019
Angola should not be on the list as it is blocked by Namibia.

Honduras should not be on the list as it is blocked by El Salvador and Nicaragua. Instead, Nicaragua should be on the list.

Also, the Gambia, Senegal and the Republic of Congo should be on the list.

Besides, Chile should be put just behind Mexico because of its Hanga Roa Island.

+2
Level 84
Apr 1, 2019
Angola gets on with Baia dos Tigres. Honduras manages to get in through a small gap between Nicaragua and El Salvador. You're right, Nicaragua should be on the list, Senegal too, Gambia by the slimmest of margins, and also the Republic of the Congo.
+2
Level 71
Apr 1, 2019
I made pretty much the same quiz a few years ago here
+8
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
The source that you used was not accurate.
+2
Level 84
Apr 1, 2019
Republic of the Congo squeezes past Angola. I've got a westernmost longitude of 11.153 degrees for RC and 11.66 on the Angolan island of Baia Dos Tigres.
+1
Level 74
Apr 1, 2019
quite good. It makes you think twice about what could or could not be on sight .
+1
Level 48
Apr 1, 2019
You missed Norway....
+2
Level 79
Apr 2, 2019
What about Minamitori (Japan)? At 153 59'11"E is that blocked by any of the Papuan or Solomon Islands? Looks like it just misses Rossel Island (just slightly further to the east) and then nothing all the way to Antarctica.
+1
Level 76
Apr 2, 2019
I think you're right. Most of the island is blocked by Rossel Island, but not the western shore.
+1
Level ∞
Apr 2, 2019
Yep. Added that one. So many countries just barely qualify or are just barely blocked.
+1
Level 82
Apr 3, 2019
Got everything except for Canada. :P
+2
Level 84
Apr 4, 2019
Isn't Equatorial Guinea further west than Sao Tome and Principe because of Annabon?
+1
Level 69
Apr 6, 2019
I really could have used more time on this. Because of lying on my side with my iPad, I am doing (albeit speedily) a one-handed hunt-and-peck, and I never ran out of countries, so I was typing pretty much constantly. I could've used at least 2 more minutes.
+1
Level 82
Jun 3, 2019
got them all this time. I could have used 2 fewer minutes.
+1
Level 47
Jun 3, 2019
I Think Angola should definitely be added since they have the Island of Baía dos tigres, or is it who are wrong?
+1
Level 48
Jun 3, 2019
I always forget Costa Rica for some reason...
+1
Level 47
Jun 3, 2019
great quiz!!! :D
+1
Level 77
Jun 4, 2019
I guess I'm just a slow typist.
+1
Level 28
Jun 18, 2019
this one confused me at first.

Is the idea behind this that you could take a boat to sea and follow a path to antartica without hitting anything??

got 58/69

+1
Level 66
Oct 27, 2021
yep.
+2
Level 70
Jan 17, 2020
Somehow I missed the most guessed one? How in the world did I miss Australia? Maybe I thought I had it already and just didn't type it.
+1
Level 82
Feb 29, 2020
I missed Argentina. It was literally the only one I missed. These things happen.
+1
Level 71
Jun 13, 2020
I was not aware of Bouvet Island. I now am. Great quiz
+1
Level 50
Sep 23, 2020
You may want to clarify that dependencies and the like (e.g. Bouvet Island, Falklands) are considered for this quiz. They aren't usually considered to be **part** of their parent countries.
+1
Level 65
Nov 16, 2020
Almost forgot Russia because I was so focused south of the equator.
+1
Level 61
Mar 16, 2021
Got the last one (Uruguay) with 4 seconds left, great quiz!
+1
Level 36
Sep 6, 2021
got gambia but not argentina or chile
+1
Level 59
Oct 29, 2021
brilliant quiz congratulations
+1
Level 61
Jan 8, 2022
Interestingly, in Norway you can sail due north and hit Antarctica because you start going south again and miss all land.
+1
Level 68
Feb 21, 2022
Comoros BARELY makes it. On the western coast of Madagascar there are 3 small islands very close to the main island of Madagascar, the largest of which is Nosy Andranombala. A straight shot from the western-most point of the island Ngazidja, in Comoros, cuts right between the 3 islands and mainland Madagascar.

P.S. I spent a solid 30 minutes trying to get Vanuatu to work but it doesn't. Oh well.

+1
Level 73
Mar 11, 2022
Got my last one with 4 seconds left. Great quiz!!
+1
Level 56
Jun 26, 2022
I got all countries...but South Africa :|
+1
Level 68
Aug 22, 2022
only missed Sout Africa :(
+1
Level 65
May 20, 2023
Noice quiz!😉 So proud of myself for getting Bouvet Island, TAAF, BIOT, Greenland, the Azores, Iceland, and the Canaries!
+1
Level 56
Sep 19, 2023
i refuse to believe i missed brazil i know i typed that down