Country Loop-Circuit Challenge

This is the third in a series of puzzle challenges. If you haven't already, have a go at nos. 1 and 2!

In this challenge, you must spell out the names of four hidden countries by travelling 360º around a loop of letters from four different starting points, marked 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Use the following training example to learn the rules:

• Loop 1 starts at L-C-E and continues clockwise 360º to end at S-F-L
• Loop 2 starts at L-F-S and continues counter-clockwise 360º to end at E-C-L
• Loop 3 starts at G-E-A and continues clockwise 360º to end at A-N-G
• Loop 4 starts at G-N-A and continues counter-clockwise 360º to end at A-E-G

Throughout each of these four loops, you must spell out the name of a country. In addition to the directional travel requirements noted above, the following rules apply:

1. The first and last letter of the country must lie within the grey region of the 360º loop.
• i.e., the country hidden around Loop 1 must begin with L, C or E, and end in S, F or L. The country hidden around Loop 4 must begin with G, N or A, and end in A, E or G. The grey cells at the mid-point of each loop are not relevant to this rule.

2. Each letter in the country must be claimed as soon as you first hit it during the loop.

Here are two valid solutions highlighted in yellow, one starting from Point 2, and one from Point 4.



Note than an individual letter may be used in more than one country; the E in the top row is common to both FRANCE and GREECE. Some letters in the loop may not be a part of any country at all.

Now look at an example of an incorrect answer, starting at Point 3. Although this spells GABON, the N does not lie in the final grey region to complete the 360º loop (Rule 1). Skipping over this N to jump to the N in the final grey region is not allowed, as you must claim the letter as soon as you hit it (Rule 2). Thus, GABON fails.

Test yourself by finding the correct solutions that start at Points 1 and 3!