Countries by Google Maps Description #2

______ is a landlocked country in South America, home to large swaths of swampland, subtropical forest and chaco, wildernesses comprising savanna and scrubland. The capital on the banks of a river that shares the name of the country, is home to the grand Government Palace and the Museo del Barro, displaying pre-Columbian ceramics and ñandutí lacework, the latter available in many shops.

____ is a Caribbean country. Though it’s still recovering from a 2010 earthquake, many of its landmarks dating to the early 19th century remain intact. These include Citadelle la Ferrière, a mountaintop fortress, and the nearby ruins of Sans-Souci Palace, the baroque former royal home of King Henry I.

______ is a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture. Among its important sites are Lalibela with its rock-cut Christian churches from the 12th–13th centuries. Aksum is the ruins of an ancient city with obelisks, tombs, castles and Our Lady Mary of Zion church.

_____ is a nation, and former Soviet republic. Among the earliest Christian civilizations, it’s defined by religious sites including the Greco-Roman Temple of Garni and 4th-century Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Khor Virap Monastery is a pilgrimage site near Mount Ararat, a dormant volcano.

_____ is a European nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its principal cities are all coastal. Its capital is built on 14 islands. It has more than 50 bridges, as well as the medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces and museums such as open-air Skansen.

______ is an Asian country known for its beaches, rainforests and mix of local, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences. The capital is home to colonial buildings, busy shopping districts such as Bukit Bintang and skyscrapers such as the iconic, 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers.

________, in the Pacific, is a country of immense cultural and biological diversity. It’s known for its beaches and coral reefs. Inland are active volcanoes, granite Mt. Wilhelm, dense rainforest and hiking routes like the Kokoda Trail. There are also traditional tribal villages, many with their own languages.

______ is a country with Caribbean Sea coastlines. In the tropical rainforest near its borders, the ancient Mayan ceremonial site Copán has stone-carved hieroglyphics and stelae, tall stone monuments. In the Caribbean Sea are the Bay Islands, a diving destination that's part of the 1,000km-long Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

_______ is a country in the Americas with diverse natural attractions. Along its Caribbean coast are tropical resort islands including Isla de Margarita and the Los Roques archipelago. To the northwest are the Andes Mountains and the colonial town of Mérida, a base for visiting Sierra Nevada National Park.

______ is a landlocked country in Europe. Its capital is bisected by the Danube River. Its cityscape is studded with architectural landmarks from its medieval Castle Hill and grand neoclassical buildings along Andrássy Avenue to the 19th-century Chain Bridge. Turkish and Roman influence on its culture includes the popularity of mineral spas, including at thermal Lake Hévíz.