World map

A map of 200 countries with their capital, currency, language and dialling code. Click a country to see our articles about it and where to book a flight or accommodation.

Countries by continent

Click a country to see its capital, currency, language, dialling code and where to book your trip next to the map, and its population, facts and our articles below the map.

Capitals, currencies and facts for every country

Europe

Albania

Capital Tirana; currency Albanian Lek (ALL); language Albanian; 2,349,580 inhabitants (2025).

Under the communist regime, hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers were built here, and many still stand today.
Mother Teresa was of Albanian origin.
The ancient city of Butrint near Saranda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From 1967 to 1990 it was officially an atheist state.

Andorra

Capital Andorra la Vella; currency Euro (EUR); language Catalan; 82,904 inhabitants (2025).

Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an altitude of over 1,000 m.
It is a principality jointly headed by the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell.
It has no airport of its own.
The official language is Catalan.

Austria

Capital Vienna; currency Euro (EUR); language German; 9,208,163 inhabitants (2025).

Schönbrunn Zoo, founded in 1752, is the oldest zoo in the world still operating.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg.
The Alps cover about two thirds of the country.
Sachertorte comes from Vienna.

Belarus

Capital Minsk; currency Belarusian Ruble (BYN); languages Belarusian, Russian; 9,085,991 inhabitants (2025).

Wild European bison live in the Białowieża Forest on the border with Poland.
Forests cover about 40% of the country.
It has more than 10,000 lakes.
The painter Marc Chagall was born in Vitebsk.

Belgium

Capital Brussels; currency Euro (EUR); languages German, French, Dutch; 11,941,781 inhabitants (2025).

It has three official languages: Dutch, French and German.
Brussels is home to the main institutions of both the EU and NATO.
The saxophone was invented by a Belgian, Adolphe Sax.
Belgians claim chips as their own invention.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Capital Sarajevo; currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM); languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian; 3,140,095 inhabitants (2025).

Daredevils jump into the Neretva River from the 16th-century stone bridge in Mostar.
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914.
It reaches the sea only near the town of Neum, and its coastline is about 20 km long.

Bulgaria

Capital Sofia; currency Euro (EUR); language Bulgarian; 6,433,302 inhabitants (2025).

Here a nod of the head means no and a shake of the head means yes.
The Rose Valley near Kazanlak supplies a large share of the world’s rose oil.
The Cyrillic script developed in the medieval Bulgarian Empire.
The Rila Monastery is the largest monastery in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Croatia

Capital Zagreb; currency Euro (EUR); language Croatian; 3,876,200 inhabitants (2025).

It has more than a thousand islands.
The necktie comes from Croatia, and the word cravat comes from the word Croat.
Dubrovnik was a filming location for the series Game of Thrones.
The Plitvice Lakes are made up of 16 lakes linked by waterfalls.

Cyprus

Capital Nicosia; currency Euro (EUR); languages Greek, Turkish; 1,370,754 inhabitants (2025).

Nicosia is the last divided capital city in Europe.
According to legend, Aphrodite was born here from the sea foam.
It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean.
Halloumi cheese comes from Cyprus.

Czechia

Capital Prague; currency Czech Koruna (CZK); languages Czech, Slovak; 10,886,878 inhabitants (2025).

People here drink more beer per person than anywhere else in the world.
The sugar cube was invented in Dačice in 1843.
Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world.
The word robot was coined by Josef Čapek, brother of the writer Karel Čapek.

Denmark

Capital Copenhagen; currency Danish Krone (DKK); language Danish; 6,009,169 inhabitants (2025).

Greenland, the largest island in the world, belongs to Denmark.
LEGO bricks were created in the Danish town of Billund.
The Danish flag is the oldest national flag still in use.
The Tivoli amusement park in Copenhagen opened in 1843.

Estonia

Capital Tallinn; currency Euro (EUR); language Estonian; 1,366,475 inhabitants (2025).

It was the first country in the world to allow online voting in a national election.
Skype was developed by Estonian programmers.
Forests cover roughly half of the country.
It has more than 2,000 islands.

Finland

Capital Helsinki; currency Euro (EUR); languages Finnish, Swedish; 5,646,436 inhabitants (2025).

It has more than 180,000 lakes.
By some estimates, there are around three million saunas here.
In Lapland there is a midnight sun in summer and a polar night in winter.
Nokia was founded in 1865 as a paper mill.

France

Capital Paris; currency Euro (EUR); language French; 68,720,337 inhabitants (2025).

Thanks to its overseas territories, it has more time zones than any other country, as many as 12.
It is the most visited country in the world.
The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair.
The Tour de France has been held since 1903.

Germany

Capital Berlin; currency Euro (EUR); language German; 83,491,249 inhabitants (2025).

Large parts of the motorway network have no speed limit.
Printing with movable type was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz.
It has the largest economy in Europe.
Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest beer festival in the world.

Greece

Capital Athens; currency Euro (EUR); language Greek; 10,413,962 inhabitants (2025).

It has around 6,000 islands, more than 200 of them inhabited.
The Olympic Games began in ancient Olympia.
Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe.
It has the longest coastline of any Mediterranean country.

Hungary

Capital Budapest; currency Hungarian Forint (HUF); language Hungarian; 9,514,251 inhabitants (2025).

Hévíz is the largest thermal lake in the world that you can swim in.
The Rubik’s Cube was invented by the Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik.
The Budapest metro, from 1896, is the oldest in continental Europe.
Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe.

Iceland

Capital Reykjavík; currency Icelandic Króna (ISK); language Icelandic; 392,404 inhabitants (2025).

It has no standing army.
Almost all of its electricity comes from hydroelectric and geothermal power plants.
The Althing, founded in 930, is one of the oldest parliaments in the world.
The Geysir hot spring gave its name to all geysers.

Ireland

Capital Dublin; currency Euro (EUR); languages English, Irish; 5,484,367 inhabitants (2025).

Halloween has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain.
St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, is a public holiday.
Guinness has been brewed in Dublin since 1759.
There are no wild snakes here.

Italy

Capital Rome; currency Euro (EUR); language Italian; 58,915,656 inhabitants (2025).

Two independent states lie within its territory, Vatican City and San Marino.
It is one of the countries with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
It has the most active volcanoes in Europe, such as Etna and Vesuvius.
Both pizza and espresso come from Italy.

Kosovo

Capital Pristina; currency Euro (EUR); languages Albanian, Serbian; 1,576,876 inhabitants (2025).

It declared independence in 2008 and is recognised by roughly half of UN member states.
It uses the euro, even though it is not in the eurozone.
It has one of the youngest populations in Europe.
The Visoki Dečani Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Latvia

Capital Riga; currency Euro (EUR); language Latvian; 1,847,785 inhabitants (2025).

Forests cover more than half of the country.
Riga has the largest number of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe.
Its coastline of sandy beaches is about 500 km long.
According to tradition, a Christmas tree was decorated here for the first time in 1510.

Liechtenstein

Capital Vaduz; currency Swiss Franc (CHF); language German; 41,024 inhabitants (2025).

Together with Uzbekistan, it is one of only two countries in the world whose neighbours are all landlocked too.
It is one of the world’s largest makers of false teeth.
It has no currency of its own and uses the Swiss franc.
It has no army.

Lithuania

Capital Vilnius; currency Euro (EUR); language Lithuanian; 2,888,774 inhabitants (2025).

More than 100,000 crosses stand on the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai.
According to one measurement, the geographical centre of Europe lies near Vilnius.
The most popular sport is basketball.
The Curonian Spit is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Luxembourg

Capital Luxembourg; currency Euro (EUR); languages German, French, Luxembourgish; 686,970 inhabitants (2025).

In 2020 it became the first country in the world to make public transport free nationwide.
It is the only grand duchy in the world.
It is one of the founding members of the European Union.
It is one of the countries with the highest GDP per person in the world.

Malta

Capital Valletta; currency Euro (EUR); languages English, Maltese; 579,704 inhabitants (2025).

It is the smallest country in the European Union.
The megalithic temples of Malta are older than the Egyptian pyramids.
The official languages are Maltese and English.
The film Gladiator and the series Game of Thrones were both filmed here.

Moldova

Capital Chișinău; currency Moldovan Leu (MDL); language Romanian; 2,360,527 inhabitants (2025).

The Mileștii Mici winery has the largest wine collection in the world.
The tunnels of the Cricova underground cellars stretch for more than 100 km.
Wine makes up a significant part of its exports.
The monastery at Orheiul Vechi is carved into the rock.

Monaco

Capital Monaco; currency Euro (EUR); language French; 38,341 inhabitants (2025).

It is the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world.
The Monte Carlo Casino opened in 1863.
The Formula 1 circuit runs through the city streets.
Citizens of Monaco are not allowed to gamble in the local casino.

Montenegro

Capital Podgorica; currency Euro (EUR); language Montenegrin; 623,129 inhabitants (2025).

Although it is not in the eurozone, it uses the euro.
The Bay of Kotor looks like a fjord.
The Tara River Canyon is one of the deepest in Europe.
It gained independence in 2006.

Netherlands

Capital Amsterdam; currency Euro (EUR); language Dutch; 18,087,633 inhabitants (2025).

About a quarter of the country lies below sea level.
There are more bicycles here than people.
It is the second largest food exporter in the world.
In 2001 it became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.

North Macedonia

Capital Skopje; currency Macedonian Denar (MKD); language Macedonian; 1,820,909 inhabitants (2025).

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in Europe.
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje.
In 2019 it changed its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia.
According to legend, Ohrid had a church for every day of the year.

Norway

Capital Oslo; currency Norwegian Krone (NOK); languages Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmål, Sami; 5,610,870 inhabitants (2025).

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, the others in Stockholm.
Svalbard is home to the Global Seed Vault.
North of the Arctic Circle the midnight sun shines in summer.
Most new cars sold here are electric.

Poland

Capital Warsaw; currency Polish Zloty (PLN); language Polish; 36,435,861 inhabitants (2025).

The Wieliczka Salt Mine has an underground chapel carved entirely out of salt.
Marie Curie-Skłodowska was born in Warsaw.
Malbork Castle is the largest castle in the world by area.
Nicolaus Copernicus came from Toruń.

Portugal

Capital Lisbon; currency Euro (EUR); language Portuguese; 10,804,871 inhabitants (2025).

It is the world’s largest producer of cork.
Its alliance with England from 1373 is still in force today.
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe.
In Nazaré people surf some of the biggest waves in the world.

Romania

Capital Bucharest; currency Romanian Leu (RON); language Romanian; 19,020,271 inhabitants (2025).

The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest is the heaviest building in the world.
Bran Castle is linked to the legend of Dracula.
The Danube Delta is the best preserved river delta in Europe.
The Carpathians are home to the largest bear population in the European Union.

Russia

Capital Moscow; currency Russian Ruble (RUB); language Russian; 143,513,328 inhabitants (2025).

It is the largest country in the world and spans 11 time zones.
Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world, at more than 9,000 km.
Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space, was Russian.

San Marino

Capital San Marino; currency Euro (EUR); language Italian; 34,109 inhabitants (2025).

It is one of the oldest republics in the world, founded in 301 according to tradition.
It is the third smallest country in Europe.
It is surrounded on all sides by Italy.
The three towers on Mount Titano also appear on the flag.

Serbia

Capital Belgrade; currency Serbian Dinar (RSD); language Serbian; 6,549,143 inhabitants (2025).

Belgrade lies at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava.
Nikola Tesla was of Serbian origin.
The EXIT festival is held in the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad.
It is one of the world’s largest producers of raspberries.

Slovakia

Capital Bratislava; currency Euro (EUR); language Slovak; 5,413,813 inhabitants (2025).

It makes more cars per person than any other country in the world.
Bratislava is the only capital city that borders two countries, Austria and Hungary.
There are more than 6,000 caves here.
Dobšinská Ice Cave is one of the largest ice caves in Europe.

Slovenia

Capital Ljubljana; currency Euro (EUR); language Slovenian; 2,130,986 inhabitants (2025).

Forests cover almost 60% of the country.
A little train has been running through Postojna Cave since 1872.
Its coastline is only about 47 km long.
The olm, a blind amphibian, lives in its caves.

Spain

Capital Madrid; currency Euro (EUR); language Spanish; 49,355,143 inhabitants (2025).

At the Tomatina festival in Buñol, people throw tomatoes.
The Sagrada Família in Barcelona has been under construction since 1882.
It is the world’s largest producer of olive oil.
The siesta is a traditional afternoon rest.

Sweden

Capital Stockholm; currency Swedish Krona (SEK); language Swedish; 10,596,620 inhabitants (2025).

In Jukkasjärvi a hotel is built from ice anew every winter.
Apart from the Peace Prize, the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm.
It has more than 260,000 islands, more than any other country.
IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943.

Switzerland

Capital Bern; currency Swiss Franc (CHF); languages Swiss German, French, Italian; 9,092,436 inhabitants (2025).

It has four official languages.
At 57 km, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world.
It has been neutral since 1815.
Victorinox has been making Swiss Army knives since 1884.

Ukraine

Capital Kyiv; currency Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH); language Ukrainian; 38,980,376 inhabitants (2025).

It is the largest country that lies entirely in Europe.
Arsenalna station in Kyiv is one of the deepest metro stations in the world.
Its black earth is among the most fertile soils in the world.
The An-225 Mriya was the largest aircraft in the world.

United Kingdom

Capital London; currency British Pound (GBP); language English; 69,487,000 inhabitants (2025).

It has no constitution written down in a single document.
The modern rules of both football and tennis were drawn up in England.
The London Underground, opened in 1863, is the oldest in the world.
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

Vatican City

Capital Vatican City; currency Euro (EUR); languages Italian, Latin.

It is the smallest country in the world, with an area of less than half a square kilometre.
It has its own post office and railway station.
The Papal Guard is made up of Swiss men.
More wine is drunk here per person than anywhere else in the world.

Asia

Afghanistan

Capital Kabul; currency Afghan Afghani (AFN); languages Dari, Pashto, Turkmen; 43,844,111 inhabitants (2025).

Two giant Buddha statues stood in the Bamiyan Valley until the Taliban destroyed them in 2001.
Kabul lies at an altitude of about 1,800 m.
Lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone, has been mined in Badakhshan province for thousands of years.
The national sport is buzkashi, a game played on horseback over a goat carcass.

Armenia

Capital Yerevan; currency Armenian Dram (AMD); language Armenian; 3,086,700 inhabitants (2025).

It was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion, in 301 according to tradition.
From Yerevan you can see Mount Ararat, which now lies in Turkey.
Yerevan was founded in 782 BC, which makes it older than Rome.
The Armenian alphabet was created around 405.

Azerbaijan

Capital Baku; currency Azerbaijani Manat (AZN); languages Azerbaijani, Russian; 10,246,996 inhabitants (2025).

It is nicknamed the Land of Fire. On the slopes of Yanar Dag, escaping natural gas burns non-stop.
Baku lies about 28 m below sea level and is the lowest capital city in the world.
Oil has been extracted here on an industrial scale since the 19th century.
About half of all the world’s mud volcanoes are found here.

Bahrain

Capital Manama; currency Bahraini Dinar (BHD); language Arabic; 1,600,366 inhabitants (2025).

A 25 km causeway across the sea links it to Saudi Arabia.
It is the smallest country in the Persian Gulf.
A Formula 1 Grand Prix has been held here since 2004.
The Tree of Life grows in the middle of the desert with no visible source of water.

Bangladesh

Capital Dhaka; currency Bangladeshi Taka (BDT); language Bangla; 175,686,899 inhabitants (2025).

It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
The Sundarbans on the border with India are the largest mangrove forest in the world.
The Bengal tiger lives in the Sundarbans.
The beach at Cox’s Bazar is over 100 km long.

Bhutan

Capital Thimphu; currencies Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN), Indian Rupee (INR); language Dzongkha; 796,682 inhabitants (2025).

Alongside the economy, the government officially measures Gross National Happiness.
Under the constitution, forests must cover at least 60% of the country.
Gangkhar Puensum is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world.
Tourists pay a daily Sustainable Development Fee.

Brunei

Capital Bandar Seri Begawan; currencies Brunei Dollar (BND), Singapore Dollar (SGD); language Malay; 466,330 inhabitants (2025).

The Sultan’s palace, Istana Nurul Iman, is the largest residential palace in the world.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has reigned since 1967.
Rainforest covers most of the country.
Kampong Ayer is a large village built on stilts over a river.

Cambodia

Capital Phnom Penh; currencies Cambodian Riel (KHR), US Dollar (USD); language Khmer; 17,847,982 inhabitants (2025).

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and also appears on the national flag.
The Mekong River is the country’s main transport artery.
The Tonle Sap River reverses its flow during the rainy season.
Both the riel and the US dollar are used here.

China

Capital Beijing; currency Chinese Yuan (CNY); language Chinese; 1,406,585,000 inhabitants (2025).

The whole country uses a single time zone, even though it spans five.
With all its branches, the Great Wall of China is more than 21,000 km long.
The giant panda lives in the wild only in China.
Paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing are known as the Four Great Inventions of China.

Georgia

Capital Tbilisi; currency Georgian Lari (GEL); language Georgian; 3,935,766 inhabitants (2025).

Wine has been made here for about 8,000 years, traditionally in clay vessels called qvevri.
The Georgian alphabet is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Ushguli is one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe.
Human remains about 1.8 million years old were found at Dmanisi.

Hong Kong

Currency Hong Kong Dollar (HKD); languages English, Chinese; 7,498,900 inhabitants (2025).

Britain handed it over to China in 1997, but it has its own currency and borders.
It has more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world.
Double-decker trams have been running here since 1904.
More than 40% of its territory is country parks.

India

Capital New Delhi; currency Indian Rupee (INR); languages English, Hindi, Tamil; 1,463,865,525 inhabitants (2025).

It is the most populous country in the world.
The constitution recognises 22 languages.
Chess originated in India.
The Taj Mahal was built by an emperor in memory of his wife.

Indonesia

Capital Jakarta; currency Indonesian Rupiah (IDR); language Indonesian; 285,721,236 inhabitants (2025).

With more than 17,000 islands, it is the largest island country in the world.
It is home to the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world.
It is the most populous Muslim country in the world.
Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

Iran

Capital Tehran; currency Iranian Rial (IRR); language Persian; 92,417,681 inhabitants (2025).

The New Year, Nowruz, is celebrated here on the day of the spring equinox.
Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire.
The Caspian Sea to the north is the largest lake in the world.
It is the world’s largest producer of saffron.

Iraq

Capital Baghdad; currency Iraqi Dinar (IQD); languages Arabic, Aramaic, Central Kurdish; 47,020,774 inhabitants (2025).

Cuneiform, one of the world’s first writing systems, was invented in Mesopotamia, between the Euphrates and the Tigris.
Ancient Babylon lay not far from Baghdad.
The ancient city of Ur is linked to the biblical Abraham.
The Euphrates and the Tigris join to form the Shatt al-Arab.

Israel

Capital Jerusalem; currency Israeli New Shekel (ILS); languages Arabic, Hebrew; 10,122,800 inhabitants (2025).

The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest point on land, around 430 m below sea level.
Jerusalem is holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Hebrew was revived as a spoken language in the 19th and 20th centuries.
There are coral reefs in the Red Sea near Eilat.

Japan

Capital Tokyo; currency Japanese Yen (JPY); language Japanese; 123,366,734 inhabitants (2025).

A 2023 count found more than 14,000 islands.
Shinkansen bullet trains have been running since 1964.
There are more than 100 active volcanoes here.
The highest mountain is Mount Fuji (3,776 m).

Jordan

Capital Amman; currency Jordanian Dinar (JOD); language Arabic; 11,520,684 inhabitants (2025).

The rock-cut city of Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The Dead Sea, the lowest point on land, lies on its border.
The Wadi Rum desert is nicknamed the Valley of the Moon.
You cannot sink in the Dead Sea, because the water is very salty.

Kazakhstan

Capital Astana; currency Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT); languages Kazakh, Russian; 20,843,754 inhabitants (2025).

It is the largest landlocked country in the world.
Yuri Gagarin was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 1961.
It is the ninth largest country in the world.
Wild apple trees, the ancestors of today’s apples, come from the area around Almaty.

Kuwait

Capital Kuwait City; currency Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD); language Arabic; 4,865,298 inhabitants (2025).

The Kuwaiti dinar is the most valuable currency in the world.
It does not have a single permanent river or lake.
It has large oil reserves.
In summer, temperatures regularly exceed 45 °C.

Kyrgyzstan

Capital Bishkek; currency Kyrgyz Som (KGS); languages Kyrgyz, Russian; 7,343,064 inhabitants (2025).

Mountains make up more than 90% of the country.
Lake Issyk-Kul does not freeze even in winter.
The World Nomad Games festival is held here.
The flag shows the roof of a yurt.

Laos

Capital Vientiane; currency Laotian Kip (LAK); language Lao; 7,873,046 inhabitants (2025).

During the Vietnam War it became the most heavily bombed country in the world per head of population.
It is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia.
The town of Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Plain of Jars is scattered with hundreds of large stone vessels.

Lebanon

Capital Beirut; currency Lebanese Pound (LBP); languages Arabic, French; 5,849,421 inhabitants (2025).

The cedar on the flag has been a symbol of the country since ancient times.
Beirut was once nicknamed the Paris of the Middle East.
Baalbek is home to some of the largest Roman temples.
You can ski in winter at the Mzaar resort.

Macao

Currency Macanese Pataca (MOP); languages Portuguese, Chinese; 685,900 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only place in China where casinos are legal.
It was a Portuguese colony until 1999.
It is one of the most densely populated places in the world.
A 55 km bridge links it to Hong Kong.

Malaysia

Capital Kuala Lumpur; currency Malaysian Ringgit (MYR); languages English, Malay; 35,977,838 inhabitants (2025).

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004.
The rafflesia, the largest flower in the world, grows here.
It is divided into a mainland part and a part on the island of Borneo.
Orangutans live in the wild only on Borneo and Sumatra.

Maldives

Capital Malé; currency Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR); language Divehi; 529,676 inhabitants (2025).

It is the lowest-lying country in the world, with its highest point only about 5 m above sea level.
It is made up of around 1,200 islands.
It is the smallest country in Asia.
In 2009 the government held a meeting underwater to draw attention to rising sea levels.

Mongolia

Capital Ulaanbaatar; currency Mongolian Tugrik (MNT); language Mongolian; 3,568,978 inhabitants (2025).

It is the most sparsely populated independent country in the world.
Some of the most important dinosaur finds were made in the Gobi Desert.
Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire here, the largest contiguous empire in history.
Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city in the world.

Myanmar

Capital Naypyidaw; currency Myanmar Kyat (MMK); language Burmese; 54,850,648 inhabitants (2025).

In Bagan, more than 2,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas stand on the plain.
The capital, Naypyidaw, was built from scratch and has been the capital since 2006.
The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is covered in gold.
The fishermen on Inle Lake row with one leg.

Nepal

Capital Kathmandu; currency Nepalese Rupee (NPR); language Nepali; 29,618,118 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country in the world without a rectangular flag.
Eight of the fourteen eight-thousanders are here, including Mount Everest (8,849 m).
The Buddha was born in Lumbini.
Its time differs from world time by 5 hours and 45 minutes.

North Korea

Capital Pyongyang; currency North Korean Won (KPW); language Korean; 26,571,036 inhabitants (2025).

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang is one of the largest stadiums in the world.
It is separated from South Korea by a demilitarised zone 4 km wide.
Mount Paektu is sacred to Koreans.
It uses its own Juche calendar, which counts from the birth of Kim Il Sung.

Oman

Capital Muscat; currency Omani Rial (OMR); language Arabic; 5,494,691 inhabitants (2025).

Frankincense has been harvested here from frankincense trees for thousands of years.
The dunes of the Wahiba Sands desert are more than 100 m high.
Green sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach at Ras al-Jinz.
Wadi Shab is a canyon with turquoise pools.

Pakistan

Capital Islamabad; currency Pakistani Rupee (PKR); languages English, Urdu; 255,219,554 inhabitants (2025).

K2, the second highest mountain in the world, lies on the border with China.
The Karakoram Highway is one of the highest international roads in the world.
Mohenjo-daro was one of the largest cities of the ancient world.
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize winner, comes from here.

Palestine

Capital Ramallah; currencies Israeli New Shekel (ILS), Jordanian Dinar (JOD); language Arabic; 5,413,596 inhabitants (2025).

Jericho is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
The Church of the Nativity stands in Bethlehem.
Hebron is known for its blown glass and pottery.
Olive trees are a symbol of the land, and olives have been grown here for thousands of years.

Philippines

Capital Manila; currency Philippine Peso (PHP); languages English, Filipino; 116,786,962 inhabitants (2025).

It has more than 7,000 islands.
It is the largest Catholic country in Asia.
The rice terraces at Banaue are about 2,000 years old.
It is home to the Philippine tarsier, one of the smallest primates.

Qatar

Capital Doha; currency Qatari Riyal (QAR); language Arabic; 2,972,215 inhabitants (2025).

In 2022 it became the first country in the Middle East to host the football World Cup.
It is one of the countries with the highest GDP per person in the world.
It has huge reserves of natural gas.
Doha is the home of the Al Jazeera television network.

Saudi Arabia

Capital Riyadh; currency Saudi Riyal (SAR); language Arabic; 36,973,555 inhabitants (2025).

It does not have a single river that flows all year round.
Mecca is the holiest city of Islam.
The Rub’ al Khali is the largest continuous sand desert in the world.
Women have been allowed to drive here since 2018.

Singapore

Capital Singapore; currency Singapore Dollar (SGD); languages English, Malay, Tamil; 6,111,175 inhabitants (2025).

It is a city-state: the whole country is one city.
Chewing gum has been banned from sale here since 1992.
In Gardens by the Bay stand artificial Supertrees up to 50 m tall.
Changi Airport has an indoor waterfall.

South Korea

Capital Seoul; currency South Korean Won (KRW); language Korean; 51,684,564 inhabitants (2025).

The Korean hangul alphabet was commissioned by King Sejong in the 15th century.
Samsung and Hyundai come from here.
Until 2023, age was traditionally counted so that a newborn was already one year old.
The 2018 Winter Olympics were held in Pyeongchang.

Sri Lanka

Capital Colombo; currency Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR); languages Sinhala, Tamil; 21,756,000 inhabitants (2025).

In 1960 Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first woman in the world to lead a government.
It is one of the largest exporters of tea.
A royal palace once stood on Sigiriya rock.
Kandy has a temple that keeps the Buddha’s tooth.

Syria

Capital Damascus; currency Syrian Pound (SYP); language Arabic; 25,620,427 inhabitants (2025).

Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Aleppo is also one of the oldest cities in the world.
Palmyra was a wealthy city on a caravan route.
Krak des Chevaliers is one of the best preserved Crusader castles.

Taiwan

Capital Taipei; currency New Taiwan Dollar (TWD); language Chinese.

The Taipei 101 skyscraper was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010.
Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s.
Mountains cover about two thirds of the island.
It is one of the world’s largest makers of semiconductor chips.

Tajikistan

Capital Dushanbe; currency Tajikistani Somoni (TJS); languages Russian, Tajik; 10,786,734 inhabitants (2025).

Mountains make up more than 90% of the country, and the Pamirs are nicknamed the Roof of the World.
The highest mountain is Ismoil Somoni Peak (7,495 m).
The Rogun Dam is set to be the tallest dam in the world.
Tajik is closely related to Persian.

Thailand

Capital Bangkok; currency Thai Baht (THB); language Thai; 71,619,863 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never a European colony.
The full Thai name of Bangkok is one of the longest city names in the world.
It is one of the largest exporters of rice.
Thai massage is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Timor-Leste

Capital Dili; currency US Dollar (USD); languages Portuguese, Tetum; 1,418,517 inhabitants (2025).

It gained independence in 2002, the first new country of the 21st century.
Alongside the Philippines, it is the only country in Asia with a Catholic majority.
The official languages are Tetum and Portuguese.
It uses the US dollar.

Turkey

Capital Ankara; currency Turkish Lira (TRY); language Turkish; 85,878,556 inhabitants (2025).

Istanbul lies on two continents, Europe and Asia.
Cappadocia is known for its hot-air balloon flights.
Hagia Sophia has stood since 537.
Tulips reached the Netherlands from the Ottoman Empire.

Turkmenistan

Capital Ashgabat; currency Turkmenistani Manat (TMT); languages Russian, Turkmen; 7,618,847 inhabitants (2025).

The Darvaza gas crater, known as the Gate to Hell, has been burning since 1971.
The Karakum Desert covers about 70% of the country.
It has some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world.
Akhal-Teke horses are a national symbol.

United Arab Emirates

Capital Abu Dhabi; currency United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED); language Arabic; 11,513,149 inhabitants (2025).

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world.
It is a federation of seven emirates.
Off Dubai there is an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree.
Foreigners make up most of the population.

Uzbekistan

Capital Tashkent; currency Uzbekistani Som (UZS); languages Russian, Uzbek; 37,053,428 inhabitants (2025).

Together with Liechtenstein, it is one of only two countries in the world whose neighbours are all landlocked too.
Samarkand was one of the main cities on the Silk Road.
The Aral Sea on the border with Kazakhstan has almost dried up.
The old town of Khiva is ringed by mud-brick walls.

Vietnam

Capital Hanoi; currency Vietnamese Dong (VND); language Vietnamese; 101,598,527 inhabitants (2025).

It is the second largest coffee producer in the world.
Ha Long Bay has hundreds of limestone islands and rock outcrops.
Son Doong is the largest cave in the world.
The town of Hoi An is known for its colourful lanterns.

Yemen

Capital Sanaa; currency Yemeni Rial (YER); language Arabic; 41,773,878 inhabitants (2025).

The town of Shibam, with its mud-brick high-rise houses, is nicknamed the Manhattan of the Desert.
On the island of Socotra grow plants found nowhere else, such as the dragon’s blood tree.
Mocha coffee is named after the Yemeni port of Mocha.
The Old City of Sana’a is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Africa

Algeria

Capital Algiers; currency Algerian Dinar (DZD); language Arabic; 47,435,312 inhabitants (2025).

It is the largest country in Africa.
The Sahara covers about 80% of its territory.
The Tassili n’Ajjer mountains hold thousands of rock paintings, some over 10,000 years old.
It gained independence from France in 1962.

Angola

Capital Luanda; currency Angolan Kwanza (AOA); language Portuguese; 39,040,039 inhabitants (2025).

Luanda is one of the largest Portuguese-speaking cities in the world.
The Kalandula Falls are among the largest in Africa.
The exclave of Cabinda is separated from the rest of the country by a strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is one of Africa’s largest oil producers.

Benin

Capital Porto-Novo; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 14,814,460 inhabitants (2025).

It is the cradle of the Vodun religion. On 10 January the country celebrates a national Vodun holiday.
The village of Ganvié stands on stilts in the middle of Lake Nokoué.
The Kingdom of Dahomey had a female army, known as the Dahomey Amazons.
The official capital is Porto-Novo, but the government sits in Cotonou.

Botswana

Capital Gaborone; currency Botswanan Pula (BWP); languages English, Tswana; 2,562,122 inhabitants (2025).

The Okavango Delta is a large river delta that never reaches the sea but disappears into the Kalahari Desert.
It has more elephants than any other country in the world.
It is one of the largest diamond producers.
The Kalahari Desert covers most of the country.

Burkina Faso

Capital Ouagadougou; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 24,074,580 inhabitants (2025).

The capital, Ouagadougou, hosts FESPACO, the largest film festival in Africa.
Until 1984 it was called Upper Volta.
The country’s name means land of upright people.
The Great Mosque in Bobo-Dioulasso is built of mud.

Burundi

Capital Gitega; currency Burundian Franc (BIF); languages French, Rundi; 14,390,003 inhabitants (2025).

Lake Tanganyika, the second deepest lake in the world, lies on its border.
Gitega has been the capital since 2019, before that it was Bujumbura.
It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa.
The ritual dance of the royal drum is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Cameroon

Capital Yaoundé; currency Central African CFA Franc (XAF); languages English, French; 29,879,337 inhabitants (2025).

It is nicknamed Africa in miniature, with desert, savannah, mountains and rainforest.
Mount Cameroon is the highest mountain in West and Central Africa.
The official languages are French and English.
In 1990 its footballers became the first African team to reach a World Cup quarter-final.

Cape Verde

Capital Praia; currency Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE); language Portuguese; 527,326 inhabitants (2025).

It is made up of 10 volcanic islands.
The singer Cesária Évora came from here.
The highest mountain is the Fogo volcano.
The official language is Portuguese.

Central African Republic

Capital Bangui; currency Central African CFA Franc (XAF); languages French, Sango; 5,513,282 inhabitants (2025).

It lies almost in the middle of the African continent.
In Dzanga-Sangha, forest elephants gather in clearings in the rainforest.
The official languages are French and Sango.
The Boali Falls are about 50 m high.

Chad

Capital N'Djamena; currency Central African CFA Franc (XAF); languages Arabic, French; 21,003,705 inhabitants (2025).

Lake Chad, which gave the country its name, has shrunk by about 90% since the 1960s.
The Emi Koussi volcano in the Tibesti Mountains is the highest point in the Sahara.
The Ennedi Plateau, with its rock arches, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
More than 120 languages are spoken here.

Comoros

Capital Moroni; currency Comorian Franc (KMF); languages Arabic, French, Comorian; 882,847 inhabitants (2025).

On the island of Grande Comore stands Karthala, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world.
It is one of the largest producers of ylang-ylang essence.
It is made up of three islands, while the fourth island of the archipelago, Mayotte, belongs to France.
The coelacanth, a fish known as a living fossil, lives off the coast.

Côte d’Ivoire

Capital Yamoussoukro; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 32,711,547 inhabitants (2025).

It is the world’s largest producer of cocoa.
The basilica in Yamoussoukro is one of the largest churches in the world.
The official capital is Yamoussoukro, while the largest city is Abidjan.
Taï National Park, with its rainforest, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Capital Kinshasa; currency Congolese Franc (CDF); languages French, Kongo, Lingala; 112,832,473 inhabitants (2025).

The Congo River is the deepest river in the world, over 220 m deep in places.
It is the second largest country in Africa.
Bonobos live here and nowhere else in the world.
Kinshasa is the largest French-speaking city in the world.

Djibouti

Capital Djibouti; currency Djiboutian Franc (DJF); languages Arabic, French; 1,184,076 inhabitants (2025).

Lake Assal lies 155 m below sea level and is the lowest point in Africa.
Lake Assal is saltier than the Dead Sea.
It lies on the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Several world powers have military bases here.

Egypt

Capital Cairo; currency Egyptian Pound (EGP); language Arabic; 118,365,995 inhabitants (2025).

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.
The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
The Nile is one of the two longest rivers in the world.
Most of the population lives in the Nile Valley and Delta, on about 5% of the country’s land.

Equatorial Guinea

Capital Ciudad de la Paz; currency Central African CFA Franc (XAF); languages French, Portuguese, Spanish; 1,938,431 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country in Africa where Spanish is an official language.
The capital, Malabo, lies on the island of Bioko, not on the mainland.
A new capital, Ciudad de la Paz, is being built on the mainland.
Thanks to oil, it is one of the African countries with the highest GDP per person.

Eritrea

Capital Asmara; currency Eritrean Nakfa (ERN); languages Arabic, English, Tigrinya; 3,607,003 inhabitants (2025).

The capital, Asmara, is on the UNESCO list for its modernist architecture from the 1930s.
It gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993.
The Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea belongs to Eritrea.
The narrow-gauge railway from the port of Massawa to Asmara climbs from sea level to over 2,300 m.

Eswatini

Capital Lobamba; currencies Swazi Lilangeni (SZL), South African Rand (ZAR); languages English, Swati; 1,256,174 inhabitants (2025).

It is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world.
Until 2018 it was called Swaziland.
The traditional Umhlanga Reed Dance is held here every year.
It has two capitals, Mbabane and Lobamba.

Ethiopia

Capital Addis Ababa; currency Ethiopian Birr (ETB); language Amharic; 135,472,051 inhabitants (2025).

It uses its own calendar, which runs 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian one.
Coffee comes from the Ethiopian Highlands.
Apart from a brief Italian occupation, it was never a colony.
The churches of Lalibela are carved out of the rock.

Gabon

Capital Libreville; currency Central African CFA Franc (XAF); language French; 2,593,130 inhabitants (2025).

Rainforest covers almost 90% of the country.
It has more forest elephants than anywhere else in Africa.
National parks make up about a tenth of the country.
Albert Schweitzer founded a hospital here in Lambaréné.

Gambia

Capital Banjul; currency Gambian Dalasi (GMD); language English; 2,822,093 inhabitants (2025).

It is the smallest country on mainland Africa. It stretches in a narrow strip along the Gambia River.
Apart from its coast, it is surrounded on all sides by Senegal.
The Gambia River is navigable for hundreds of kilometres inland.
Kunta Kinteh Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ghana

Capital Accra; currency Ghanaian Cedi (GHS); language English; 35,064,272 inhabitants (2025).

In 1957 it became the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence.
It is one of the world’s largest cocoa producers.
Lake Volta is the largest artificial lake in the world by surface area.
The prime meridian and the equator cross in the Gulf of Guinea, not far off its coast.

Guinea

Capital Conakry; currency Guinean Franc (GNF); language French; 15,099,727 inhabitants (2025).

Both the Niger and the Senegal rivers rise here.
It has the largest bauxite reserves in the world.
The Fouta Djallon highlands are nicknamed the water tower of West Africa.
The Mount Nimba nature reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Guinea-Bissau

Capital Bissau; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); languages Portuguese, Upper Guinea Creole; 2,249,515 inhabitants (2025).

The Bijagós Archipelago is made up of more than 80 islands.
Sea turtles lay their eggs on the Bijagós Islands.
It is one of the largest growers of cashew nuts.
The official language is Portuguese.

Kenya

Capital Nairobi; currency Kenyan Shilling (KES); languages English, Swahili; 57,532,493 inhabitants (2025).

Every year the great wildebeest migration passes through the Maasai Mara reserve.
Kenyan runners have won a great many marathons and Olympic medals.
The equator runs through the country.
Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa.

Lesotho

Capital Maseru; currencies Lesotho Loti (LSL), South African Rand (ZAR); languages English, Southern Sotho; 2,363,325 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country in the world whose entire territory lies above 1,000 m.
It is surrounded on all sides by South Africa.
People here wear woollen blankets as traditional dress.
It is home to the Afriski ski resort.

Liberia

Capital Monrovia; currency Liberian Dollar (LRD); language English; 5,731,206 inhabitants (2025).

It was founded in the 19th century by freed slaves from the USA.
Its flag resembles the American one.
The capital, Monrovia, is named after the American president James Monroe.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first elected female president in Africa here.

Libya

Capital Tripoli; currency Libyan Dinar (LYD); language Arabic; 7,458,555 inhabitants (2025).

Desert makes up more than 90% of the country.
Leptis Magna is one of the best preserved Roman cities.
It has the largest oil reserves in Africa.
The Great Man-Made River system brings water from beneath the Sahara to the cities.

Madagascar

Capital Antananarivo; currency Malagasy Ariary (MGA); languages French, Malagasy; 32,740,678 inhabitants (2025).

About 90% of its plants and animals live nowhere else in the world.
Lemurs live in the wild only here.
It is the fourth largest island in the world.
A large share of the world’s vanilla comes from here.

Malawi

Capital Lilongwe; currency Malawian Kwacha (MWK); languages English, Nyanja; 22,216,120 inhabitants (2025).

Lake Malawi has more species of fish than any other lake in the world.
Lake Malawi takes up about a fifth of the country.
It is nicknamed the Warm Heart of Africa.
The highest mountain is Mulanje (3,002 m).

Mali

Capital Bamako; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 25,198,821 inhabitants (2025).

The Great Mosque of Djenné is the largest mud-brick building in the world.
In the Middle Ages, Timbuktu was a centre of Islamic learning.
The ruler Mansa Musa is often called the richest person in history.
Inland, the Niger River forms a large delta here.

Mauritania

Capital Nouakchott; currency Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRU); language Arabic; 5,315,065 inhabitants (2025).

The Richat Structure, known as the Eye of the Sahara, can be seen even from space.
The iron ore train is one of the longest trains in the world, up to 3 km long.
The town of Chinguetti is known for its old libraries.
Slavery was not officially abolished here until 1981.

Mauritius

Capital Port Louis; currency Mauritian Rupee (MUR); languages English, French, Morisyen; 1,243,741 inhabitants (2025).

The dodo, a bird that died out in the 17th century, lived here.
Near Le Morne mountain, the sand under the water looks like an underwater waterfall.
Chamarel has the Seven Coloured Earth.
Mark Twain wrote that God made Mauritius first and then modelled heaven on it.

Morocco

Capital Rabat; currency Moroccan Dirham (MAD); languages Arabic, Berber; 38,430,770 inhabitants (2025).

The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez is the oldest university in the world still operating.
Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrakesh is full of magicians, musicians and food stalls.
The houses in the town of Chefchaouen are painted blue.
Argan oil is made from argan trees, which grow almost only in south-western Morocco.

Mozambique

Capital Maputo; currency Mozambican Metical (MZN); language Portuguese; 35,631,653 inhabitants (2025).

Its national flag features an AK-47 rifle.
It has more than 2,400 km of coastline.
Dugongs live around the Bazaruto Archipelago.
The official language is Portuguese.

Namibia

Capital Windhoek; currencies Namibian Dollar (NAD), South African Rand (ZAR); languages English, Afrikaans, German; 3,092,816 inhabitants (2025).

The dunes at Sossusvlei are among the highest in the world.
It was the first country in the world to write environmental protection into its constitution.
The Namib Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world.
Dead trees hundreds of years old stand in the Deadvlei valley.

Niger

Capital Niamey; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 27,917,831 inhabitants (2025).

The Sahara Desert covers most of the country.
Dinosaur skeletons have been found near the town of Agadez.
The Niger River, which gives the country its name, flows through the south-west.
The last wild West African giraffes live here.

Nigeria

Capital Abuja; currency Nigerian Naira (NGN); language English; 237,527,782 inhabitants (2025).

It is the most populous country in Africa.
Nigeria’s Nollywood makes more films a year than Hollywood.
Lagos is one of the largest cities in Africa.
More than 500 languages are spoken here.

Republic of the Congo

Capital Brazzaville; currency Central African CFA Franc (XAF); languages French, Kongo, Lingala; 6,484,437 inhabitants (2025).

Brazzaville and Kinshasa, two capital cities, are separated only by the Congo River.
The equator runs through the country.
Rainforest covers most of the country.
Lowland gorillas live in Odzala-Kokoua National Park.

Rwanda

Capital Kigali; currency Rwandan Franc (RWF); languages English, French, Kinyarwanda; 14,569,341 inhabitants (2025).

Plastic bags have been banned here since 2008.
Mountain gorillas live in the mountains.
It has the highest share of women in parliament in the world.
Once a month, residents take part in a day of community work called umuganda.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Capital São Tomé; currency São Tomé & Príncipe Dobra (STN); language Portuguese; 240,254 inhabitants (2025).

The equator passes through the islet of Rolas in the south of the country.
It is the second smallest country in Africa.
Cocoa was once its main export.
Pico Cão Grande is a needle-shaped volcanic peak rising more than 300 m above its surroundings.

Senegal

Capital Dakar; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 18,931,966 inhabitants (2025).

Lake Retba is pink because of algae.
Dakar is the westernmost city of mainland Africa.
Gorée Island was a centre of the slave trade.
The famous Dakar Rally used to finish in Dakar.

Seychelles

Capital Victoria; currency Seychellois Rupee (SCR); languages Seselwa Creole French, English, French; 122,730 inhabitants (2025).

The coco de mer palm grows here and has the largest seed of any plant.
Giant tortoises live on Aldabra Atoll.
It is the smallest country in Africa.
Aldabra is one of the largest atolls in the world.

Sierra Leone

Capital Freetown; currency Sierra Leonean Leone (SLE); language English; 8,819,794 inhabitants (2025).

The capital, Freetown, was founded by freed slaves.
Some of the largest diamonds in the world have been found here.
The old kapok tree known as the Cotton Tree was a symbol of Freetown until a storm brought it down in 2023.
The official language is English.

Somalia

Capital Mogadishu; currency Somali Shilling (SOS); languages Arabic, Somali; 19,654,739 inhabitants (2025).

It has the longest coastline on mainland Africa.
Somali did not start to be officially written in the Latin alphabet until 1972.
More camels are kept here than anywhere else in the world.
The rock paintings at Laas Geel are among the oldest in Africa.

South Africa

Capitals Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town; currency South African Rand (ZAR); languages English, Zulu, Xhosa; 64,747,319 inhabitants (2025).

It has three capitals: the government sits in Pretoria, parliament in Cape Town and the Supreme Court in Bloemfontein.
It has 12 official languages.
Table Mountain in Cape Town is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
The world’s first heart transplant was performed in Cape Town in 1967.

South Sudan

Capital Juba; currency South Sudanese Pound (SSP); language English; 12,188,788 inhabitants (2025).

It is the youngest country in the world, having gained independence in 2011.
The Sudd is one of the largest wetlands in the world.
The official language is English.
The White Nile flows through the whole country.

Sudan

Capital Khartoum; currency Sudanese Pound (SDG); languages Arabic, English; 51,662,147 inhabitants (2025).

It has more pyramids than Egypt, with more than 200 standing in and around Meroë.
The White Nile and the Blue Nile meet near Khartoum.
It is the third largest country in Africa.
It is the largest producer of gum arabic.

Tanzania

Capital Dodoma; currency Tanzanian Shilling (TZS); languages English, Swahili; 70,545,865 inhabitants (2025).

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa (5,895 m).
The great migration of wildebeest and zebras takes place in the Serengeti.
Zanzibar is known for growing spices.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world.

Togo

Capital Lomé; currency West African CFA Franc (XOF); language French; 8,591,626 inhabitants (2025).

Its coastline is only about 56 km long, yet the country stretches more than 500 km inland.
Koutammakou, the land of mud tower houses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is a major producer of phosphates.
The official language is French.

Tunisia

Capital Tunis; currency Tunisian Dinar (TND); language Arabic; 12,348,573 inhabitants (2025).

Scenes from Star Wars set on the planet Tatooine were filmed here.
Carthage was a powerful city of the ancient world.
The amphitheatre in El Jem is one of the largest Roman amphitheatres.
Chott el Djerid is the largest salt lake in the Sahara.

Uganda

Capital Kampala; currency Ugandan Shilling (UGX); languages English, Swahili; 51,384,894 inhabitants (2025).

The White Nile flows out of Lake Victoria near the town of Jinja.
About half of the world’s mountain gorillas live here.
The equator runs through the country.
The Rwenzori Mountains are called the Mountains of the Moon.

Zambia

Capital Lusaka; currency Zambian Kwacha (ZMW); language English; 21,913,874 inhabitants (2025).

Victoria Falls lies on the border with Zimbabwe.
It is named after the Zambezi River.
South Luangwa National Park is known for walking safaris.
It is one of the largest copper producers in Africa.

Zimbabwe

Capital Harare; currencies US Dollar (USD), Zimbabwean Gold (ZWG); languages English, Shona, North Ndebele; 16,950,795 inhabitants (2025).

Victoria Falls lies on the border with Zambia.
In 2008 it issued a banknote worth 100 trillion dollars.
It is named after the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.
Lake Kariba on the border with Zambia is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world.

North and Central America

Antigua and Barbuda

Capital Saint John's; currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD); language English; 94,209 inhabitants (2025).

Locals say Antigua has 365 beaches, one for every day of the year.
Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The country is made up mainly of two islands, Antigua and Barbuda.
A large colony of frigatebirds nests on Barbuda.

Bahamas

Capital Nassau; currencies Bahamian Dollar (BSD), US Dollar (USD); language English; 403,033 inhabitants (2025).

It is made up of around 700 islands, of which only about 30 are inhabited.
On the island of Big Major Cay, pigs swim in the sea.
It was in the Bahamas that Columbus made landfall in 1492.
The beaches on Harbour Island have pink sand.

Barbados

Capital Bridgetown; currency Barbadian Dollar (BBD); language English; 282,623 inhabitants (2025).

Mount Gay rum has been made here since 1703 and is considered the oldest rum in the world.
The singer Rihanna comes from here.
It became a republic in 2021.
The grapefruit originated in Barbados as a natural hybrid.

Belize

Capital Belmopan; currency Belize Dollar (BZD); languages Belizean Creole, English, Spanish; 422,924 inhabitants (2025).

It is home to the Great Blue Hole, an underwater cave more than 300 m across.
It is the only country in Central America where English is the official language.
The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world.
The capital, Belmopan, is one of the smallest capital cities in the Americas.

Canada

Capital Ottawa; currency Canadian Dollar (CAD); languages English, French; 41,651,653 inhabitants (2025).

It has the longest coastline in the world.
It has more lakes than all the other countries in the world combined.
It is the second largest country in the world.
Basketball was invented by a Canadian, James Naismith.

Costa Rica

Capital San José; currency Costa Rican Colón (CRC); language Spanish; 5,152,950 inhabitants (2025).

It abolished its army in 1948.
About 5% of all the world’s plant and animal species live here.
It generates most of its electricity from renewable sources.
Pura vida is a common greeting and a philosophy of life.

Cuba

Capital Havana; currencies Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), Cuban Peso (CUP); language Spanish; 10,937,203 inhabitants (2025).

It is the largest island in the Caribbean.
Cuban cigars are among the best known in the world.
It is home to the bee hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world.
American cars from the 1950s still drive around Havana.

Dominica

Capital Roseau; currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD); language English; 65,871 inhabitants (2025).

It is home to the Boiling Lake, the second largest hot spring in the world.
It is nicknamed the Nature Island of the Caribbean.
Locals say it has 365 rivers.
The Indigenous Kalinago people live here.

Dominican Republic

Capital Santo Domingo; currency Dominican Peso (DOP); language Spanish; 11,520,487 inhabitants (2025).

Santo Domingo, founded in 1496, is the oldest European city in the Americas.
Pico Duarte is the highest mountain in the Caribbean.
The most popular sport is baseball.
It shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

El Salvador

Capital San Salvador; currency US Dollar (USD); language Spanish; 6,365,503 inhabitants (2025).

It is the smallest country in Central America.
In 2021 it became the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender.
It is nicknamed the Land of Volcanoes.
The national dish is pupusas, stuffed flatbreads.

Grenada

Capital St. George's; currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD); language English; 117,303 inhabitants (2025).

It is nicknamed the Spice Isle and is one of the largest exporters of nutmeg.
Nutmeg even appears on the national flag.
There is an underwater sculpture park off the coast.
It is made up of the islands of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Guatemala

Capital Guatemala City; currency Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ); language Spanish; 18,687,881 inhabitants (2025).

Tikal is one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya.
The quetzal bird appears on the flag and also gave its name to the currency.
There are more than 30 volcanoes here.
Lake Atitlán is surrounded by three volcanoes.

Haiti

Capital Port-au-Prince; currency Haitian Gourde (HTG); languages French, Haitian Creole; 11,906,095 inhabitants (2025).

In 1804 it became the first country born of a successful slave revolt.
It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.
The Citadelle Laferrière is the largest fortress in the Americas.
The official languages are French and Haitian Creole.

Honduras

Capital Tegucigalpa; currency Honduran Lempira (HNL); language Spanish; 11,005,850 inhabitants (2025).

The Maya city of Copán is known for the best preserved Maya sculptures and stelae.
The Bay Islands lie on the second largest coral reef in the world.
The term banana republic was coined for Honduras.
Locals say that near the town of Yoro it rains fish every year.

Jamaica

Capital Kingston; currency Jamaican Dollar (JMD); languages English, Jamaican Patois; 2,837,077 inhabitants (2025).

Reggae was born here.
Usain Bolt, the fastest sprinter in history, comes from here.
A Jamaican bobsleigh team competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most expensive in the world.

Mexico

Capital Mexico City; currency Mexican Peso (MXN); language Spanish; 131,946,900 inhabitants (2025).

Chocolate comes from Mesoamerica, where the Aztecs made a bitter drink from it.
Mexico City stands on the site of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.
Mexico City sinks by tens of centimetres every year.
Chichén Itzá is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Nicaragua

Capital Managua; currency Nicaraguan Córdoba (NIO); language Spanish; 7,007,502 inhabitants (2025).

Sharks live in Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America.
It is the largest country in Central America.
Granada is one of the oldest European cities on the American mainland.
You can board down the Cerro Negro volcano on volcanic sand.

Panama

Capital Panama City; currencies Panamanian Balboa (PAB), US Dollar (USD); language Spanish; 4,571,189 inhabitants (2025).

The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Both the US dollar and the balboa are used here.
The Panama hat is actually made in Ecuador.
The Darién jungle holds the only gap in the Pan-American Highway.

Puerto Rico

Capital San Juan; currency US Dollar (USD); languages English, Spanish; 3,184,835 inhabitants (2025).

It is an unincorporated territory of the USA, and its people hold US citizenship.
Mosquito Bay on the island of Vieques glows at night thanks to plankton.
El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System.
It uses the US dollar.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Capital Basseterre; currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD); language English; 46,922 inhabitants (2025).

It is the smallest country in the Americas.
It is made up of two islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the USA, was born on Nevis.
Brimstone Hill Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Saint Lucia

Capital Castries; currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD); language English; 180,149 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country in the world named after a woman, Saint Lucy.
The symbol of the island is the two volcanic peaks known as the Pitons.
It has two Nobel Prize winners, the most per person in the world.
At the Soufrière volcano you can walk right up to the crater.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Capital Kingstown; currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD); language English; 99,924 inhabitants (2025).

Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed at Wallilabou on St Vincent.
It is made up of 32 islands.
La Soufrière volcano last erupted in 2021.
The island of Mustique is popular with celebrities.

Trinidad and Tobago

Capital Port of Spain; currency Trinidad & Tobago Dollar (TTD); language English; 1,367,764 inhabitants (2025).

It is home to Pitch Lake, the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world.
The steel drum, or steelpan, was invented here.
The Carnival in Port of Spain is one of the largest in the world.
The calypso and soca music styles were born in Trinidad.

United States

Capital Washington, D.C.; currency US Dollar (USD); language English; 341,784,857 inhabitants (2025).

In 1872 Yellowstone became the first national park in the world.
Little and Big Diomede islands in the Bering Strait, one belonging to the USA and the other to Russia, are less than 4 km apart.
Alaska was bought from Russia in 1867.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.

South America

Argentina

Capital Buenos Aires; currency Argentine Peso (ARS); languages Guarani, Spanish; 45,851,378 inhabitants (2025).

It is home to Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside Asia (6,961 m).
Tango was born in the port districts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Ushuaia is considered the southernmost city in the world.
The Iguazú Falls on the border with Brazil are made up of around 275 cascades.

Bolivia

Capital Sucre; currency Bolivian Boliviano (BOB); languages Spanish, Aymara, Guarani; 12,581,843 inhabitants (2025).

Although it has no coastline, it has its own navy, which serves on Lake Titicaca.
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world.
La Paz is the highest seat of government in the world.
The Mi Teleférico cable cars in La Paz form the largest urban cable car network in the world.

Brazil

Capital Brasília; currency Brazilian Real (BRL); language Portuguese; 212,812,405 inhabitants (2025).

The largest part of the Amazon rainforest lies here.
It is the only country in South America where Portuguese is spoken.
It has won the football World Cup five times, more than any other country.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Chile

Capital Santiago; currency Chilean Peso (CLP); language Spanish; 19,859,921 inhabitants (2025).

It is about 4,300 km long but on average only 177 km wide.
The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert in the world.
Easter Island, with its moai statues, belongs to Chile.
It is the world’s largest producer of copper.

Colombia

Capital Bogotá; currency Colombian Peso (COP); language Spanish; 53,425,635 inhabitants (2025).

It is the world’s largest producer of emeralds.
It has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
The writer Gabriel García Márquez came from here.
It is one of the largest coffee producers.

Ecuador

Capital Quito; currency US Dollar (USD); language Spanish; 18,289,896 inhabitants (2025).

It is named after the equator, which runs through it.
The Galápagos Islands belong to Ecuador.
The summit of Chimborazo is the point farthest from the centre of the Earth.
It uses the US dollar.

Guyana

Capital Georgetown; currency Guyanaese Dollar (GYD); language English; 835,986 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country in South America where English is the official language.
Kaieteur Falls is one of the most powerful single-drop waterfalls in the world.
Forest covers more than 80% of the country.
The country’s name means land of many waters.

Paraguay

Capital Asunción; currency Paraguayan Guarani (PYG); languages Guarani, Spanish; 7,013,078 inhabitants (2025).

Guaraní is an official language alongside Spanish, and most people speak it.
The Itaipú Dam on the border with Brazil is one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world.
It generates almost all of its electricity from water.
The flag has a different emblem on each side.

Peru

Capital Lima; currency Peruvian Sol (PEN); languages Aymara, Quechua, Spanish; 34,576,665 inhabitants (2025).

The Inca city of Machu Picchu lies at an altitude of about 2,430 m.
Lake Titicaca on the border with Bolivia is the highest navigable lake in the world.
Potatoes come from the Peruvian Andes.
The Colca Canyon is one of the deepest in the world.

Suriname

Capital Paramaribo; currency Surinamese Dollar (SRD); language Dutch; 639,850 inhabitants (2025).

It is the smallest country in South America and the only one where Dutch is the official language.
Forest covers more than 90% of the country.
The cathedral in Paramaribo is one of the largest wooden buildings in the Americas.
In Paramaribo a mosque and a synagogue stand side by side.

Uruguay

Capital Montevideo; currency Uruguayan Peso (UYU); language Spanish; 3,384,688 inhabitants (2025).

In 1930 it hosted the first football World Cup and won it too.
In 2013 it became the first country in the world to legalise the sale of cannabis.
There are more cattle here than people.
Almost all of its electricity comes from renewable sources.

Venezuela

Capital Caracas; currency Venezuelan Bolívar (VES); language Spanish; 28,516,896 inhabitants (2025).

It is home to Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world.
It has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
Lightning flashes over Lake Maracaibo almost every night, a phenomenon called Catatumbo lightning.
Simón Bolívar was born in Caracas.

Australia and Oceania

Australia

Capital Canberra; currency Australian Dollar (AUD); language English; 27,614,411 inhabitants (2025).

By some estimates, there are more kangaroos here than people.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world.
It is the only country that covers an entire continent.
Canberra was built as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne.

Fiji

Capital Suva; currency Fijian Dollar (FJD); languages English, Fijian, Fiji Hindi; 933,154 inhabitants (2025).

It is made up of more than 300 islands.
The national sport is rugby.
The International Date Line bends here so that all the islands share the same date.
Most of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu.

Kiribati

Capital Tarawa; currencies Australian Dollar (AUD), KID (KID); languages English, Gilbertese; 136,488 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only country that lies in all four hemispheres.
On Kiritimati Island the New Year begins first in the world.
It is made up of 33 islands.
Most of the islands lie only a few metres above sea level.

Marshall Islands

Capital Majuro; currency US Dollar (USD); languages English, Marshallese; 36,282 inhabitants (2025).

Bikini Atoll, known for nuclear tests, gave its name to the swimsuit.
It is made up of 29 atolls and 5 islands.
Most of the country lies only about 2 m above sea level.
One of the largest merchant fleets in the world sails under its flag.

Micronesia

Capital Palikir; language English; 113,683 inhabitants (2025).

On the island of Yap, giant stone discs called rai were used as money.
Nan Madol is the ruins of a city built on artificial islets.
It is made up of more than 600 islands.
It is a federation of four states.

Nauru

Capital Yaren District; currency Australian Dollar (AUD); languages English, Nauru; 12,025 inhabitants (2025).

It is the third smallest country in the world.
It has no official capital, and government offices are in the district of Yaren.
A single main road, about 19 km long, runs around the whole island.
Phosphate mining made it rich in the 20th century.

New Zealand

Capital Wellington; currency New Zealand Dollar (NZD); languages English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language; 5,324,700 inhabitants (2025).

There are several times more sheep here than people.
In 1893 it became the first country in the world to give women the vote.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed here.
New Zealanders themselves are nicknamed after the flightless kiwi bird.

Palau

Capital Ngerulmud; currency US Dollar (USD); languages English, Palauan; 17,663 inhabitants (2025).

In 2009 it became the first country in the world to declare a shark sanctuary.
Millions of jellyfish that barely sting live in Jellyfish Lake.
On arrival, visitors sign a pledge in their passport to protect nature.
It is made up of more than 300 islands.

Papua New Guinea

Capital Port Moresby; currency Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK); languages English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin; 10,762,817 inhabitants (2025).

More than 800 languages are spoken here, more than in any other country.
It shares the island of New Guinea with Indonesia.
The flag shows a bird of paradise, a bird that lives here.
Most of the population lives in the countryside.

Samoa

Capital Apia; currency Samoan Tala (WST); languages English, Samoan; 219,306 inhabitants (2025).

In 2011 it moved across the International Date Line and skipped the whole of 30 December.
Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, is buried here.
Tattooing has a thousand-year tradition in Samoan culture.
In 1962 it became the first Pacific country to gain independence.

Solomon Islands

Capital Honiara; currency Solomon Islands Dollar (SBD); language English; 838,645 inhabitants (2025).

During the Second World War, battles were fought here for the island of Guadalcanal.
It is made up of almost 1,000 islands.
The islands are named after the biblical King Solomon.
Shells were traditionally used here as money.

Tonga

Capital Nukuʻalofa; currency Tongan Paʻanga (TOP); languages English, Tongan; 103,742 inhabitants (2025).

It is the only kingdom in the Pacific that never lost its independence.
It is one of the first countries where each new day begins.
It is made up of 171 islands.
Humpback whales swim here from July to October.

Tuvalu

Capital Funafuti; currencies Australian Dollar (AUD), TVD (TVD); languages English, Tuvalu; 9,492 inhabitants (2025).

It is the fourth smallest country in the world.
The .tv internet domain is an important source of income for the state.
Its highest point is only about 4.6 m above sea level.
About 11,000 people live here.

Vanuatu

Capital Port Vila; currency Vanuatu Vatu (VUV); languages Bislama, English, French; 335,169 inhabitants (2025).

You can climb Mount Yasur right up to the rim of its active crater.
It has an underwater post office.
Bungee jumping has its origins in ritual jumps from wooden towers on Pentecost Island.
It is made up of more than 80 islands.

Data: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0), population World Bank (CC BY 4.0), capitals and driving side Wikidata, currency and language names Unicode CLDR, map Natural Earth. As of 11 October 2026. EU and Schengen membership as of 1 January 2026.