|
Country
|
Least guessed question
|
Answer
|
|
Afghanistan
|
Which poet was born in 1207 in the city of Balkh and now, according to some, is the best-selling poet of all time in the United States?
|
Rumi
|
|
Albania
|
Deepest and oldest lake in Southern Europe, a UNESCO site
|
Lake Ohrid
|
|
Algeria
|
Two-letter country code
|
DZ
|
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Andorra
|
One of two co-princes of Andorra
|
Bishop of Urgell
|
|
Angola
|
Group of people that displaced the original San and Khoi populations in the first millenium B.C.
|
Bantu
|
|
Antigua and Barbuda
|
Last name of father/son leaders Vere and Lester
|
Bird
|
|
Argentina
|
Argentinian style of barbecue
|
Asado
|
|
Armenia
|
Lake which makes up about 4% of Armenia's surface area
|
Lake Sevan
|
|
Australia
|
What you won't find in South Australia's Nullarbor Plain
|
Trees
|
|
Austria
|
Tallest mountain
|
Grossglockner
|
|
Azerbaijan
|
Azerbaijan has 400 of these "volcanoes", the most of any country (note: they are not actual volcanoes)
|
Mud Volcanoes
|
|
Bahamas
|
Largest island
|
North Andros
|
|
Bahrain
|
Tiny man-made island shared by Bahrain and that country
|
Passport Island
|
|
Bangladesh
|
Currency of Bangladesh
|
Taka
|
|
Barbados
|
Fruit discovered by accident in Barbados that is a cross of an orange and a pomelo
|
Grapefruit
|
|
Belarus
|
The national animal of Belarus is the wisent, also known as the ...
|
European Bison
|
|
Belgium
|
Painter who will tell you what a pipe isn't
|
René Magritte
|
|
Belize
|
Giant marine sinkhole that is a popular scuba destination
|
Great Blue Hole
|
|
Benin
|
Beninese-American actor who starred in "Blood Diamond" and "Gladiator"
|
Djimon Hounsou
|
|
Bhutan
|
Former capital until 1955
|
Punakha
|
|
Bolivia
|
City at an elevation of 4090 meters, site of the richest vein of silver ever discovered
|
Potosí
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
River that forms the northern border
|
Sava
|
|
Botswana
|
Currency of Botswana
|
Pula
|
|
Brazil
|
Waterfalls on the Argentina border
|
Iguazu Falls
|
|
Brunei
|
Full name of the country
|
Brunei Darussalam
|
|
Bulgaria
|
Southern Bulgaria is part of this ancient region starting with T
|
Thrace
|
|
Burkina Faso
|
Most-spoken native language (hint: starts with M)
|
Mossi
|
|
Burundi
|
Burundi's two biggest exports
|
Coffee
|
|
Cambodia
|
That temple complex is located this city, with initials SR
|
Siem Reap
|
|
Cameroon
|
Largest type of frog, found mostly in Cameroon (hint: a Bible character)
|
Goliath Frog
|
|
Canada
|
Viking settlement established around 1000 A.D.
|
Vinland
|
|
Cape Verde
|
Currency of Cape Verde
|
Escudo
|
|
Central African Republic
|
Official languages
|
Sango
|
|
Chad
|
One third of the population belong to this ethnic group (hint: also a common English girl's name)
|
Sara
|
|
Chile
|
War in which Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile
|
War of the Pacific
|
|
China
|
What were the four "Great Inventions" of ancient China?
|
Printing
|
|
Colombia
|
Nobel Prize-winning author of "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
|
Gabriel García Márquez
|
|
Comoros
|
These make up 40% of Comorian exports
|
Spices
|
|
Costa Rica
|
Pacific island sometimes called the southernmost point in North America
|
Cocos Island
|
|
Croatia
|
Roman emperor who built a palace in Split
|
Diocletian
|
|
Cuba
|
Most famous cabaret and nightclub (hint: starts with T)
|
Tropicana
|
|
Cyprus
|
What is the nickname for the UN buffer zone that separates the two parts of the country?
|
Green Line
|
|
Czech Republic
|
Writer who served as President from 1993 to 2003
|
Václav Havel
|
|
D.R. Congo
|
Who was dictator of the country during that period?
|
Mobutu Sese Seko
|
|
Denmark
|
Famous existential philosopher
|
Søren Kierkegaard
|
|
Djibouti
|
Ancient kingdom said to exist around Djibouti before 1000 B.C. * hint: starts with P
|
Land of Punt
|
|
Dominica
|
Dominica's Boiling Lake is the second-largest of these in the world
|
Hot Spring
|
|
Dominican Republic
|
Dictator nicknamed "El Jefe" who the capital was once named for
|
Rafael Trujillo
|
|
East Timor
|
Official languages
|
Tetum
|
|
Ecuador
|
Type of iguana found only on those islands
|
Marine iguana
|
|
Egypt
|
What ancient Egyptian has been called history's first architect and doctor?
|
Imhotep
|
|
El Salvador
|
Second largest city (hint: a saint)
|
Santa Ana
|
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
Largest ethnic group (hint: starts with F)
|
Fang
|
|
Eritrea
|
Ancient kingdom that covered most of the territory of Eritrea from 100–940 AD
|
Aksum
|
|
Estonia
|
According to Hemingway, at least two Estonians can be found in every one of these places
|
Port
|
|
Eswatini
|
Current absolute monarch of Eswatini
|
Mswati III
|
|
Ethiopia
|
City in Ethiopia that was the center of an empire that lasted from 100–940 AD
|
Aksum
|
|
Federated States of Micronesia
|
Largest island by area
|
Pohnpei
|
|
Fiji
|
City with the most tourists and the largest airport
|
Nadi
|
|
Finland
|
Long-distance runner and 12-time Olympic medalist
|
Paavo Nurmi
|
|
France
|
Woman who "personifies" France
|
Marianne
|
|
Gabon
|
Second most populous city in Gabon
|
Port-Gentil
|
|
Gambia
|
Gambia is known by this name
|
The Smiling Coast
|
|
Georgia
|
Largest Georgian city on that sea
|
Batumi
|
|
Germany
|
Longest rivers
|
Elbe
|
|
Ghana
|
Ethnic group to which 47.5% of the population belongs
|
Akan
|
|
Greece
|
Island - Odysseus's home
|
Ithaca
|
|
Greenland
|
Large bovid which lives in northern Greenland
|
Muskox
|
|
Grenada
|
Another name for the above question: "Holiday period which Grenada celebrates in August, unlike other countries which celebrate it before Lent"
|
Spicemas
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|
Guatemala
|
Ancient city of the Mayas also called Yax Mutal
|
Tikal
|
|
Guinea
|
Largest ethnic group (starts with F)
|
Fula
|
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
National independence hero assassinated in 1973
|
Amílcar Cabral
|
|
Guyana
|
Guyana and its neighbors are situated on this part of the Earth's crust
|
Guiana Shield
|
|
Haiti
|
Haiti's first democratically-elected President, in 1991
|
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
|
|
Honduras
|
Ocean gulfs that Honduras borders
|
Gulf of Fonseca
|
|
Hungary
|
Hungarian-American mathematician considered to be one of the most intelligent people of all-time
|
John von Neumann
|
|
Iceland
|
The Alþingi, founded in 930 A.D. is said to be the world's oldest ______, at least 200 years older than England's
|
Parliament
|
|
India
|
Most common first languages
|
Marathi
|
|
Indonesia
|
Supervolcano that erupted 74,000 years ago, nearly causing humans to become extinct
|
Lake Toba
|
|
Iran
|
Mountain range starting with Z
|
Zagros
|
|
Iraq
|
Former U.S. prison where detainees were abused
|
Abu Ghraib
|
|
Ireland
|
City where famous crystal was made
|
Waterford
|
|
Israel
|
The two Israelis who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Yasser Arafat in 1994 (name either)
|
Yitzhak Rabin / Shimon Peres
|
|
Italy
|
Tallest mountain
|
Monte Bianco
|
|
Ivory Coast
|
Tree sap product that is one of the Ivory Coast's most important exports
|
Rubber
|
|
Jamaica
|
Neighborhood in the capital known as the birthplace of that genre
|
Trenchtown
|
|
Japan
|
Main islands
|
Shikoku
|
|
Jordan
|
Current queen consort
|
Queen Rania
|
|
Kazakhstan
|
Holiday celebrated on January 7
|
Christmas
|
|
Kenya
|
1952–1960 revolt against that country
|
Mau Mau Uprising
|
|
Kiribati
|
Type of bird that appears on the flag of Kiribati (hint: a type of ship)
|
Frigatebird
|
|
Kosovo
|
Kingdom whose territory encompassed modern-day Kosovo before it was conquered by Rome in 28 BC
|
Dardania
|
|
Kuwait
|
"W" word that refers to a landform of a dry riverbed
|
Wadi
|
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
Epic poem that tells of the formation of the Kyrgyz people - thought to be more than 1,000 years old and 20 times longer than Homer's Odyssey
|
Epic of Manas
|
|
Laos
|
Meat salad considered to be the unofficial national dish of Laos
|
Larb
|
|
Latvia
|
Series of events that led to the independence of Latvia and two of its neighbors
|
Singing Revolution
|
|
Lebanon
|
Largest Christian denomination in Lebanon
|
Maronite Church
|
|
Lesotho
|
Lesotho's colonial name
|
Basutoland
|
|
Liberia
|
Brutal warlord convicted of crimes against humanity by the Hague in 2012
|
Charles Taylor
|
|
Libya
|
"M" word that refers to the old part of a town in North African countries
|
Medina
|
|
Liechtenstein
|
Most populous municipality
|
Schaan
|
|
Lithuania
|
In addition to an Easter Bunny, Lithuania has an Easter _____ who delivers eggs
|
Granny
|
|
Luxembourg
|
Current monarch
|
Henri
|
|
Madagascar
|
Gigantic bird that weighed five times as much as an ostrich (driven to extinction by 1200 AD)
|
Elephant Bird
|
|
Malawi
|
Former name of Malawi
|
Nyasaland
|
|
Malaysia
|
Malaysian city just north of Singapore
|
Johor Bahru
|
|
Maldives
|
Official language
|
Dhivehi
|
|
Mali
|
"G" word that refers to a West African bard or storyteller
|
Griot
|
|
Malta
|
Most populous municipality
|
St. Paul's Bay
|
|
Marshall Islands
|
Unincorporated territory of the United States claimed by the Marshall Islands, site of a WWII battle
|
Wake Island
|
|
Mauritania
|
Meaning of capital's name
|
Place of the Winds
|
|
Mauritius
|
Second largest island
|
Rodrigues
|
|
Mexico
|
Richest man
|
Carlos Slim
|
|
Moldova
|
Currency of Moldova
|
Leu
|
|
Monaco
|
The royal family
|
House of Grimaldi
|
|
Mongolia
|
Currency of Mongolia
|
Tögrög
|
|
Montenegro
|
Largest lake in Southern Europe
|
Lake Skadar
|
|
Morocco
|
K word that refers to a fortress or keep
|
Kasbah
|
|
Mozambique
|
Mozambique-born footballer known as the "Black Panther"
|
Eusébio
|
|
Myanmar
|
U.N. Secretary General, 1961-71
|
U Thant
|
|
Namibia
|
Group of islands named for the birds that inhabit them
|
Penguin Islands
|
|
Nauru
|
Former name of Nauru
|
Pleasant Island
|
|
Nepal
|
This was abolished in 2008 after the Constituent Assembly elections
|
Monarchy
|
|
Netherlands
|
Scientist who was the first to see single-cell organisms
|
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
|
|
New Zealand
|
Longest river
|
Waikato River
|
|
Nicaragua
|
River forming much of Nicaragua's northern border
|
Coco River
|
|
Niger
|
Empire that ruled the region c. 1464–1591
|
Songhai
|
|
Nigeria
|
Largest ethnic groups
|
Hausa
|
|
North Korea
|
The year in which the men's football (soccer) team first appeared in the World Cup
|
1966
|
|
North Macedonia
|
One of the most populous cities in Europe in the year 1000 A.D., which shares its name with the lake on which it lies
|
Ohrid
|
|
Norway
|
3x Olympic figure skating champion
|
Sonja Henie
|
|
Oman
|
Monarch of Oman, 1970-2020
|
Qaboos
|
|
Pakistan
|
National flower (Hint: it's white)
|
Jasmine
|
|
Palau
|
UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of two hundred small, forested islands
|
Rock Islands
|
|
Palestine
|
Most populous city in the territory controlled by the PNA
|
Hebron
|
|
Panama
|
What Spanish explorer discovered the Pacific coast of the Americas, and is today the namesake of Panama's currency?
|
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
|
|
Papua New Guinea
|
Highest mountain
|
Mount Wilhelm
|
|
Paraguay
|
Second largest city, found near Iguazu Falls
|
Ciudad del Este
|
|
Peru
|
Former President who rid the country of the guerrilla Shining Path, but was convicted of human rights abuses and fled to Japan
|
Alberto Fujimori
|
|
Philippines
|
Largest islands
|
Samar
|
|
Poland
|
Wild cattle that went extinct in 1627
|
Aurochs
|
|
Portugal
|
Former currency
|
Escudo
|
|
Qatar
|
Traditional sailing vessel whose name starts with "D"
|
Dhow
|
|
Republic of the Congo
|
Ethnic group of half the population
|
Kongo
|
|
Romania
|
Last king of Romania, forced to abdicate by the Soviets in 1947, but who lived for 70 years after
|
Michael
|
|
Russia
|
Metal boiler for making tea
|
Samovar
|
|
Rwanda
|
Great Lake that Rwanda borders
|
Lake Kivu
|
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
Shallow channel between the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
The Narrows
|
|
Saint Lucia
|
Island chain that Saint Lucia is part of
|
Windward Islands
|
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
Former British fort overlooking the capital, named after the wife of King George III
|
Fort Charlotte
|
|
Samoa
|
The two main islands of Samoa (name either)
|
Savai'i / Upolu
|
|
San Marino
|
Largest settlement
|
Dogana
|
|
São Tomé and Príncipe
|
Currency of São Tomé and Príncipe
|
Dobra
|
|
Saudi Arabia
|
Bordering seas and gulfs
|
Gulf of Aqaba
|
|
Senegal
|
Largest ethnic group hint: starts with W
|
Wolof
|
|
Serbia
|
The capital is built on the confluence of these two rivers
|
Sava
|
|
Seychelles
|
"Benevolent dictator" who led Seychelles from 1977–2004
|
France-Albert René
|
|
Sierra Leone
|
Currency of Sierra Leone
|
Leone
|
|
Singapore
|
Term for an open-air food court
|
Hawker Centre
|
|
Slovakia
|
Slovak-born woman who won 5 Grand Slam titles
|
Martina Hingis
|
|
Slovenia
|
Currency before Euro
|
Tolar
|
|
Solomon Islands
|
Most-spoken language
|
Pijin
|
|
Somalia
|
What ancient kingdom around northern Somalia was an essential trading partner of ancient Egypt?
|
Land of Punt
|
|
South Africa
|
Longest river
|
Orange
|
|
South Korea
|
Self-proclaimed religious messiah who died in 2012
|
Sun Myung Moon
|
|
South Sudan
|
Vast swamplands that stymied early efforts to find the source of White Nile
|
Sudd
|
|
Spain
|
Red spice that flavors paella
|
Saffron
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Chain of island and shallow waters connecting India and Sri Lanka
|
Adam's Bridge
|
|
Sudan
|
Biggest city by that sea
|
Port Sudan
|
|
Suriname
|
River on which the capital is located
|
Suriname
|
|
Sweden
|
Gulf between Sweden and Finland
|
Gulf of Bothnia
|
|
Switzerland
|
Fictional woman who personifies Switzerland
|
Helvetia
|
|
Syria
|
Minority branch of Islam to which the ruling class of Syria belongs (starts with A)
|
Alawites
|
|
Taiwan
|
Taiwanese company that makes iPhones in China
|
Foxconn
|
|
Tajikistan
|
Term for the struggle between Great Britain and Russia for control of this area during the 19th century
|
The Great Game
|
|
Tanzania
|
Historic language of Zanzibar
|
Arabic
|
|
Thailand
|
Name for the capital in Thai (short version)
|
Krung Thep
|
|
Togo
|
Among the African countries, Togo has the highest percentage of population who follow this type "ism" religion
|
Animism
|
|
Tonga
|
Main island of Tonga
|
Tongatapu
|
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
Most populous municipality
|
Chaguanas
|
|
Tunisia
|
Northernmost point on the African mainland (a female name)
|
Cape Angela
|
|
Turkey
|
What does wearing a nazar amulet supposedly protect you from?
|
The Evil Eye
|
|
Turkmenistan
|
Meaning of the capital's name
|
City of Love
|
|
Tuvalu
|
Former name of Tuvalu
|
Ellice Islands
|
|
Uganda
|
Leader of that group
|
Joseph Kony
|
|
Ukraine
|
Protests that happened in 2004 after vote-rigging and the poisoning of a Presidential candidate
|
Orange Revolution
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
Third-most populous city
|
Sharjah
|
|
United Kingdom
|
Longest river
|
River Severn
|
|
United States
|
Highest mountain
|
Denali
|
|
Uruguay
|
River that forms Uruguay's western border
|
Uruguay River
|
|
Uzbekistan
|
Warlord born in the city of Shahrisabz in 1336 whose conquests killed an estimated 5% of the world population
|
Timur
|
|
Vanuatu
|
Vanuatu's second most populous city and that island's main city
|
Luganville
|
|
Vatican City
|
Official residence of the pope
|
Apostolic Palace
|
|
Venezuela
|
"T" word that refers to the table-top mountains of southeastern Venezuela
|
Tepui
|
|
Vietnam
|
River that flows through the capital
|
Red
|
|
Yemen
|
Cool-looking trees of Yemen's largest island
|
Dragon's Blood Tree
|
|
Zambia
|
Name one of Zambia's five most-spoken native languages
|
Bemba | Nyanja | Tonga | Lozi | Chewa
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
National symbol
|
Zimbabwe Bird
|
Thank you for pointing that out!