Countries Closest to Australia

Try to name the 20 countries that are geographically closest to Australia.
Excludes offshore territories and uninhabited islands
Quiz by TenThousand
Rate:
Last updated: February 22, 2017
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedAugust 9, 2014
Times taken131,460
Average score80.0%
Rating4.99
3:00
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 ...
km
country
miles
4
Papua New Guinea
2
123
Indonesia
76
461
East Timor
286
1303
New Zealand
810
1391
Solomon Islands
864
1744
Vanuatu
1084
1778
F. S. Micronesia
1105
1920
Philippines
1193
1995
Palau
1240
2250
Malaysia
1398
2402
Brunei
1493
2591
Fiji
1610
2798
Singapore
1738
2863
Nauru
1779
3086
Kiribati
1918
3199
Tuvalu
1988
3228
Tonga
2006
3266
Marshall Islands
2029
3391
Thailand
2107
3413
Vietnam
2121
+2
Level 48
Oct 26, 2014
Got them all first go, 1:24 left on clock
+4
Level 82
Nov 28, 2014
How far away is Argentina?
+15
Level 34
Dec 7, 2014
long way away
+3
Level 82
Oct 30, 2015
It was over 12,000 km on google. I thought maybe it would be closer around the south pole but apparently not.
+6
Level 76
Feb 13, 2017
The shortest distance is 8573 km, from Tasmania to the southern end of Argentina.
+3
Level 82
Jun 1, 2016
Just over 7000 km, at the closest point I can find. Although by that route Chile is closer, at about 6917 km between Macquarie Island, Tasmania and Islote Mendoza in Chile's Diego Ramirez Islands. Of course this is still more than twice the distance between Australia and Vietnam. The thing is the southern continents really don't go far enough south for polar distortions of standard map projections to come much into play, as happens with the surprisingly short distances between the far north of Europe and North America (Sweden and Canada are about the same distance apart as LA and Houston).
+2
Level 74
Jan 31, 2018
Not that anybody lives in that part of Canada.
+2
Level 55
Jan 26, 2018
That would depend on where you are, I would think.
+3
Level 29
Dec 16, 2014
What about New Caledonia aka France? From Cathy
+7
Level 76
Dec 16, 2014
Please note the instructions ("excludes external territories")
+3
Level 86
Oct 11, 2015
This time I agree, New Caledonia is "just a territory". The distance must be taken with Réunion, which is of course too far to be in the top 20.
+1
Level 76
Feb 2, 2024
Also, if you think (as we do) that the world has 205 countries, Niue comes in at 19th but Cook Islands are too far away to make the list.
+1
Level 23
Dec 24, 2014
You do know that Phillipines is spelt with two ls. You should accept that as a correct answer because it wouldn't work for me.
+13
Level 76
Dec 24, 2014
Philippines is spelt with one L - an easy way to remember that is to note it was named after a king named Philip.
+3
Level 74
Jan 31, 2018
Philip had two "p"s in his name :p
+5
Level 44
Jun 23, 2016
*facepalm*
+6
Level 84
Jul 28, 2017
Don't forget about the silent "m" and the soft "w" in Philippines.
+12
Level 92
Oct 12, 2015
Was surprised Samoa didn't make the cut, it's right there with Tonga and Fiji right? Apparently my sense of distance over water is not accurate.
+3
Level 30
May 16, 2022
Samoa is definitely closer to Aus than Kiribati
+3
Level 75
Oct 30, 2015
I only missed one (Brunei) yet only received three points. Tough competition, but enjoyed the quiz.
+1
Level 44
May 28, 2017
I know, that happens to me too. Weird.
+1
Level 75
Jan 26, 2018
Missed the same one again, but got five points today. Must have something to do with global warming. :)
+6
Level 54
Oct 30, 2015
what about Samoa?
+1
Level 31
Nov 3, 2015
Maldives?
+1
Level 76
Nov 3, 2015
No, it's well further away.
+3
Level 74
Nov 22, 2015
I think I only got 100% because I want to move to Australia
+4
Level 74
Sep 1, 2020
...why
+1
Level 27
Feb 1, 2024
...why not??
+1
Level 76
Feb 2, 2024
I think the main why is why Jeremy (no relation) replied to himself with a why 5 years after his first post
+7
Level 65
Feb 22, 2016
It won't be long before you'll have to add China to this list if they keep making islands in the South China Sea! ;)
+1
Level 82
Jun 1, 2016
I think you got the distance to Indonesia wrong. Boigu Island in Queensland is only about 120 km from the PNG-Indonesia border.
+1
Level 76
Jun 1, 2016
You're right. Quiz being updated.
+1
Level 42
Jan 26, 2024
It's even shorter: the distance from Warul Kawa/Deliverance Island is only 74 km (46 mi).
+1
Level 76
Jan 26, 2024
True, but our policy is to just work with inhabited islands. In several of our Countries Closest quizzes, when we included tiny empty islands like these to calculate inter-country distances, some island countries would be apparently way nearer each other than a look at a world map would suggest. You can argue this one either way (as we have!) but we're comfortable with the approach we're taking.
+2
Level 61
Jun 1, 2016
Missed Micronesia and Kiribati!
+2
Level 70
Jun 4, 2016
What about Samoa?!?! It has to be there if Kiribati is there!
+1
Level 76
Jun 4, 2016
Samoa is 3499 km / 2174 mi away
+1
Level 65
May 16, 2022
And Kiribati?
+1
Level 24
Sep 7, 2016
I am so disappointed I forgot Singapore and Vietnam...
+1
Level 61
Feb 16, 2017
Got them all with 28 seconds to spare. East Timor took about a minute and a half of hard thinking to come up with.
+1
Level 71
Feb 21, 2017
Good quiz, try my 'Australia Quiz' for an all round challenge.
+3
Level 59
Mar 23, 2017
I think there's scope for a "195 countries closest to Australia" quiz...
+1
Level 44
May 28, 2017
If anybody ever creates that quiz, they would have to use the yellow box.
+1
Level 57
May 28, 2017
Good old geography quiz... 5/5 on first try. Pondered also Samoa..
+1
Level 44
May 28, 2017
5/5? But there's 20 answers...
+1
Level 64
Jan 26, 2018
points
+1
Level 41
Jul 5, 2017
I neary forgot Micronesia but got them all in the end with a minute plus to spare
+2
Level 30
Jul 6, 2017
I think France should be considered as New Caledonia is very close, which is a region of France
+2
Level 75
Jan 26, 2018
I read the Wikipedia article and I'm still confused as to what it is, but New Caledonia is not a region of France. Apparently it is a special collectivity called a territory "sui generis" meaning in a class by itself. It seems to be heading toward independence even though some do not want it. It even has two national flags representing the two factions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia
+2
Level 57
Jul 27, 2017
You've forgotten Samoa.
+1
Level 76
Jul 27, 2017
See my answer to alisonchen, above.
+1
Level 65
May 16, 2022
Kiribati is 6,592 km and Samoa is 5,773km away according to Google.
+2
Level 50
Aug 26, 2017
this whole thing is wrong. you didnt factor in christmas island and the Cocos/Keelings islands
+4
Level 76
Aug 27, 2017
No it's not - please see the instructions. Norfolk Island isn't included either.
+1
Level 49
Nov 6, 2017
Someday I'm going to go live on Rotuma...
+1
Level 58
Jan 26, 2018
How did I miss Fiji?! I could have sworn that I guessed that D:
+2
Level 64
Jan 26, 2018
Nearest misses: Cambodia, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Laos
+1
Level 74
Jan 26, 2018
Burmyanmar must be close to those too?
+1
Level 63
Jan 26, 2018
I can't believe I for Brunei! Dang!
+1
Level 66
Jan 26, 2018
Like many geography quizzes on this site, you have to get a perfect score to get 5 points. I forgut Brunei the first time around, but after finding out what I missed I was able to get a perfect on the second try.
+2
Level 76
Jan 28, 2018
Forgive me asking but are you sure about Kiribati? Looks almost as far away from Samoa as Samoa is from Australia.
+2
Level 76
Jan 28, 2018
Mackay looks to be about the closest point to both and Google tells me Apia, Samoa is 4,208 km away and Poland Kiribati is 6,327 km, a difference of over 2000km's.
+1
Level 67
Mar 19, 2019
Kiribati covers an enormous area of ocean. It is made up of three main groups The Gilbert group is a permanently inhabited atoll near the equator. As such it is much closer than Samoa - even though if you look at a map of the Pacific it looks like Samoa is equidistant to the main part of Kiribati
+1
Level 76
Apr 3, 2018
how did you get such a short distance for New Zealand if you were missing out uninhabited islands or overseas territories?

surely the shortest distance in that case is from Southeastern Tasmania to Fiordland, which is over 1500?

+2
Level 76
Apr 4, 2018
The nearest point of Australia to NZ is Lord Howe Island, which is a part of New South Wales.
+1
Level 23
Jan 30, 2019
I only missed Kiribati, damn :D
+1
Level 91
Mar 18, 2019
Can't believe that I got less than half right. As an Australian, I'm ashamed.
+1
Level 56
Mar 18, 2019
100% on my first try
+1
Level 41
May 23, 2019
Can you make one that includes offshore territories of both Australia & Other countries?

e.g including Australia's Heard & McDonalds Islands

+1
Level 53
Aug 14, 2019
As an australian this was a cinch
+1
Level 37
Dec 17, 2020
You forgot France, as New Caledonia is close to Australia
+5
Level 73
Jan 26, 2021
You forgot to read the instructions.....

Which countries are closest to Australia?

Excludes offshore territories and uninhabited islands

+2
Level 43
Jan 26, 2021
Happy Australia Day! Great quiz to feature
+1
Level 25
Jan 26, 2021
cool
+1
Level 28
Jan 30, 2021
how could I forget about Malaysia and the Philippines? :(
+1
Level 60
Mar 16, 2021
Got Brunei with 3 seconds left
+1
Level 20
Apr 25, 2021
I like this quiz
+2
Level 22
Jun 26, 2021
Samoa?
+2
Level 76
Jun 26, 2021
3762 km
+2
Level 22
Jun 26, 2021
Myanmar is close
+2
Level 76
Jun 26, 2021
3922 km
+1
Level 39
Nov 26, 2021
Hey, Do you forget France (New Caledonia)? Its close to Australia
+2
Level 76
Nov 26, 2021
Please note the instructions.
+1
Level 67
Jan 3, 2022
1:55 remaining
+1
Level 59
Jan 4, 2022
lol,i'm a Portuguese nationalist so I just call it "Timor-Leste"
+1
Level 75
Jan 30, 2022
Isn't Portugal already a nation?
+3
Level 39
Feb 8, 2023
im sorry but that's not what nationalism is, its a political ideology
+3
Level 55
May 16, 2022
How about Samoa?
+3
Level 35
May 16, 2022
Samoa?
+1
Level 36
Jun 23, 2022
Was going to comment this, where is Samoa?
+1
Level 66
May 16, 2022
personal apology to the Phillipines, who i continue to forget in countless quizzes
+1
Level 46
May 17, 2022
Sometimes, when you live in Australia, it feels like everywhere is a long way away.
+1
Level 49
Aug 1, 2022
i think overseas territories should count
+1
Level 50
Nov 17, 2022
Can't believe I missed Papua New Guinea- 16/20
+1
Level 27
Dec 14, 2022
We have “Countries closest to x”, so now we need “Countries Farthest From x”.
+1
Level 34
Jan 2, 2023
SAMOA?
+1
Level 36
Sep 1, 2023
i was wondering what the one country i was missing was until time ran out and it was new zealand...
+1
Level 68
Nov 24, 2023
19/20, I forgot Singapore…
+1
Level 53
Jan 26, 2024
tady jsou zas všichni chytří, kreténi
+1
Level 22
Jan 27, 2024
omgg can't believe that missed phillipines