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120 Country Trivia Questions and Answers

Reviewed by Aleesha Rubinstein, Editor·Updated Oct 2026·15 min read

120 country trivia questions and answers about the nations of the world — nicknames, national symbols, biggest and smallest, old names and famous firsts — with easy, medium and hard questions.

Country Trivia

Here are 120 country trivia questions and answers — about the nations of the world, not country music. They run in rounds: what each country is famous for, nicknames, biggest and smallest, 'which country has...?', national symbols, where famous places are, old names and new ones, and history-making firsts.

Every question is tagged easy, medium or hard. The easy ones (pandas, pho, the Land of the Rising Sun) suit any crowd; the hard ones (the only country in all four hemispheres, the country with more pyramids than Egypt) will stump most tables. Population figures are dated so they stay fair. Answers are in the key at the bottom, so you can play without spoilers.

  1. 1Which country is known as 'the Land of the Rising Sun'?

  2. 2Which country is nicknamed 'the Emerald Isle'?

  3. 3Which country is called 'the Land of Fire and Ice' for its volcanoes and glaciers?

  4. 4Which country is known as 'the Land of a Thousand Lakes'?

  5. 5Which country of more than 7,000 islands is nicknamed 'the Pearl of the Orient Seas'?

  6. 6Which country is often called 'the Rainbow Nation', a phrase made famous by Archbishop Desmond Tutu?

  7. 7Which Himalayan kingdom, known as 'the Land of the Thunder Dragon', has a dragon on its flag?

  8. 8Which East African country did Winston Churchill call 'the Pearl of Africa'?

  9. 9What is the Maori name for New Zealand, often translated as 'land of the long white cloud'?

  10. 10What flightless bird is a national symbol of New Zealand and gives New Zealanders their nickname?

  11. 11In which country do giant pandas live in the wild?

  12. 12In which country is the Great Sphinx of Giza?

  13. 13Which country is the home of K-pop and the city of Seoul?

  14. 14Which country is home to carmakers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen?

  15. 15Which country, with a red flag bearing a white cross, is famous for its watches and chocolate?

  16. 16Which Caribbean island nation, about 90 miles from Key West, is famous for its cigars?

  17. 17The city of Marrakesh is in which country?

  18. 18Which European country is famous for its waffles, chocolate and the city of Brussels?

  19. 19Which country is known as the home of golf, thanks to the Old Course at St Andrews?

  20. 20The canal that links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Central America runs across which country?

  21. 21Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace, Salzburg, is in which country today?

  22. 22Pope John Paul II came from which country?

  23. 23Pho, a noodle soup, is the national dish of which country?

  24. 24Goulash is the national dish of which country?

  25. 25Which Gulf country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

  26. 26The city of Dubai is in which country?

  27. 27Ceviche, raw fish cured in citrus juice, is the national dish of which South American country?

  28. 28Which country's flag has nine horizontal blue and white stripes and a white cross in the upper corner?

  29. 29The temple of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of which country?

  30. 30What is the largest country in the world by area?

  31. 31What is the smallest country in the world, both by area and by population?

  32. 32Which country has the longest coastline in the world?

  33. 33Which is the only country that covers an entire continent?

  34. 34Which is the largest country in Africa by area?

  35. 35Which is the most populous country in Africa?

  36. 36According to United Nations estimates, which country passed China as the world's most populous in 2023?

  37. 37What was the population of the United States in the 2020 census, to the nearest 10 million?

  38. 38Which is the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world?

  39. 39Which country has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the world?

  40. 40What is the smallest country on mainland Africa?

  41. 41What is the smallest country in South America by area?

  42. 42Not counting Russia, which is the largest country entirely in Europe?

  43. 43What is the largest country in Central America by area?

  44. 44Which tiny country on the French Riviera is the most densely populated sovereign state in the world?

  45. 45Which Asian country is the most sparsely populated sovereign state in the world?

  46. 46Which island city-state sits at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula?

  47. 47Which is the world's only remaining grand duchy?

  48. 48Which country has the most time zones, thanks to its overseas territories?

  49. 49Which country has more ancient pyramids than any other, including Egypt?

  50. 50Which country produces the most coffee in the world, and has for well over a century?

  51. 51Which country produces the most olive oil?

  52. 52Which West African country is the world's largest producer of cocoa beans?

  53. 53Which is the largest country in the world with no permanent rivers?

  54. 54Lemurs are native to only one country. Which island nation is it?

  55. 55What Bolivian city is the highest seat of national government in the world?

  56. 56Which South American country's 2009 constitution made Spanish and 36 Indigenous languages official?

  57. 57Which is the only South American country with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea?

  58. 58Which is the only country in South America with English as its official language?

  59. 59Which is the only Central American country with English as its official language?

  60. 60Which country has the longest coastline on the African mainland?

  61. 61Which country's flag is the only national flag that shows a Bible?

  62. 62According to Guinness World Records, which country's red-and-white flag is the oldest continuously used national flag?

  63. 63Which UK nation has a red dragon on its flag?

  64. 64Which is the only country that lies in all four hemispheres, straddling both the equator and the 180th meridian?

  65. 65At about 8 square miles, which Pacific nation is the smallest island country in the world?

  66. 66Which is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia?

  67. 67Which country's red flag shows a black double-headed eagle?

  68. 68The bald eagle is the national bird of which country?

  69. 69What mythical creature is the national animal of Scotland?

  70. 70What big cat is the national animal of India?

  71. 71Which animal appears with the emu on Australia's coat of arms?

  72. 72Israel's parliament is known by what name?

  73. 73Which Mediterranean island nation was awarded Britain's George Cross in 1942 for its bravery under siege in World War II?

  74. 74Iceland's parliament, founded in 930, is one of the oldest in the world. What is it called?

  75. 75Which country is the birthplace of reggae music?

  76. 76Which country gave the world IKEA?

  77. 77Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, is in which country?

  78. 78In which country is the region of Transylvania?

  79. 79In which country is the walled city of Dubrovnik, called 'the Pearl of the Adriatic'?

  80. 80In which country is the Maasai Mara National Reserve?

  81. 81In which country is the historic city of Timbuktu?

  82. 82The Kalahari Desert covers roughly 70 percent of which country's land?

  83. 83Ushuaia, often called the southernmost city in the world, is in which country?

  84. 84In which country are the ruins of ancient Carthage?

  85. 85The Maya city of Tikal is in which country?

  86. 86The island of Zanzibar is part of which country?

  87. 87Victoria Falls lies on the border between Zimbabwe and which other country?

  88. 88Easter Island, home of the moai statues, belongs to which country?

  89. 89Mount Everest straddles the border between which two countries?

  90. 90The Galápagos Islands belong to which country, named for the line that runs through it?

  91. 91What is the largest island in Greece?

  92. 92Which country was known as Persia until 1935?

  93. 93Which country was officially called Siam until 1939, and again briefly from 1945 to 1949?

  94. 94Which island country was called Ceylon until 1972?

  95. 95Which Southeast Asian country was officially known as Burma until 1989?

  96. 96Which African country was called Zaire from 1971 to 1997?

  97. 97Which country was called Rhodesia before it gained internationally recognized independence in 1980?

  98. 98The British colony of the Gold Coast became which independent country in 1957?

  99. 99Swaziland changed its name in 2018 to what?

  100. 100In 2016, which country officially adopted the short name Czechia?

  101. 101Which country asked the United Nations in 2022 to use the spelling Türkiye for its name?

  102. 102East Pakistan became which independent country in 1971?

  103. 103Which country split peacefully into two nations on January 1, 1993, in the so-called Velvet Divorce?

  104. 104Which country gained independence from Sudan in 2011?

  105. 105Which country won its independence from Ethiopia in 1993?

  106. 106Which country, formerly occupied by Indonesia, became independent in 2002?

  107. 107In 1990, East and West Germany reunited. In what year had they split into two states?

  108. 108Singapore became an independent country in 1965 after leaving which federation?

  109. 109Brazil declared independence in 1822 from which country?

  110. 110In 1893, which self-governing country became the first to give all women the right to vote in national elections?

  111. 111In 2001, which country became the first to legalize same-sex marriage?

  112. 112Which country put the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961?

  113. 113Traditionally dated to AD 301, which was the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion?

  114. 114In 1804, which Caribbean country became the first in Latin America to win independence?

  115. 115In 1840, which country issued the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black?

  116. 116Which country hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup, in 1930?

  117. 117Roald Amundsen, who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911, came from which country?

  118. 118Which Central American country abolished its army in 1948?

  119. 119Which country's name is often said to mean 'Little Venice', after explorers saw stilt houses on its lake?

  120. 120South Africa has three capital cities. Which one is the seat of the executive branch?

Answer Key

  1. 1. Japan
  2. 2. Ireland
  3. 3. Iceland
  4. 4. Finland
  5. 5. Philippines
  6. 6. South Africa
  7. 7. Bhutan
  8. 8. Uganda
  9. 9. Aotearoa
  10. 10. Kiwi
  11. 11. China
  12. 12. Egypt
  13. 13. South Korea
  14. 14. Germany
  15. 15. Switzerland
  16. 16. Cuba
  17. 17. Morocco
  18. 18. Belgium
  19. 19. Scotland
  20. 20. Panama
  21. 21. Austria
  22. 22. Poland
  23. 23. Vietnam
  24. 24. Hungary
  25. 25. Qatar
  26. 26. United Arab Emirates
  27. 27. Peru
  28. 28. Greece
  29. 29. Cambodia
  30. 30. Russia
  31. 31. Vatican City
  32. 32. Canada
  33. 33. Australia
  34. 34. Algeria
  35. 35. Nigeria
  36. 36. India
  37. 37. About 330 million
  38. 38. Indonesia
  39. 39. Mexico
  40. 40. The Gambia
  41. 41. Suriname
  42. 42. Ukraine
  43. 43. Nicaragua
  44. 44. Monaco
  45. 45. Mongolia
  46. 46. Singapore
  47. 47. Luxembourg
  48. 48. France
  49. 49. Sudan
  50. 50. Brazil
  51. 51. Spain
  52. 52. Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
  53. 53. Saudi Arabia
  54. 54. Madagascar
  55. 55. La Paz
  56. 56. Bolivia
  57. 57. Colombia
  58. 58. Guyana
  59. 59. Belize
  60. 60. Somalia
  61. 61. Dominican Republic
  62. 62. Denmark
  63. 63. Wales
  64. 64. Kiribati
  65. 65. Nauru
  66. 66. Laos
  67. 67. Albania
  68. 68. United States
  69. 69. Unicorn
  70. 70. Bengal tiger
  71. 71. Kangaroo
  72. 72. Knesset
  73. 73. Malta
  74. 74. Althing
  75. 75. Jamaica
  76. 76. Sweden
  77. 77. Italy
  78. 78. Romania
  79. 79. Croatia
  80. 80. Kenya
  81. 81. Mali
  82. 82. Botswana
  83. 83. Argentina
  84. 84. Tunisia
  85. 85. Guatemala
  86. 86. Tanzania
  87. 87. Zambia
  88. 88. Chile
  89. 89. Nepal and China
  90. 90. Ecuador
  91. 91. Crete
  92. 92. Iran
  93. 93. Thailand
  94. 94. Sri Lanka
  95. 95. Myanmar
  96. 96. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  97. 97. Zimbabwe
  98. 98. Ghana
  99. 99. Eswatini
  100. 100. Czech Republic
  101. 101. Turkey
  102. 102. Bangladesh
  103. 103. Czechoslovakia
  104. 104. South Sudan
  105. 105. Eritrea
  106. 106. East Timor (Timor-Leste)
  107. 107. 1949
  108. 108. Malaysia
  109. 109. Portugal
  110. 110. New Zealand
  111. 111. Netherlands
  112. 112. Soviet Union
  113. 113. Armenia
  114. 114. Haiti
  115. 115. United Kingdom
  116. 116. Uruguay
  117. 117. Norway
  118. 118. Costa Rica
  119. 119. Venezuela
  120. 120. Pretoria

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