# \[GAME\] All the Countries in the World trivia game **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [December 9, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718 "2014-12-09T02:53:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/101 "2015-10-07T00:26:15Z")
#97: Tajikistan 1. Capital is Dushanbe. 2. Muslim-majority. 3. A former Soviet republic and now a member of the CIS. (A friend from the U of Hawaii lived there 20 years ago helping students get into universities in the US.) #98 is my ancestral homeland: Switzerland. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/102 "2015-10-07T00:47:39Z")
#98, Switzerland: Oldest republic in the world. Has four official languages - German, French, Italian and Romansch. Birthplace of Louis Agassiz, original theorist and foremost scholar of continental glaciation and ice ages. Also, later in life, much beloved professor of geology at Harvard. #99: Jordan. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/103 "2015-10-07T01:01:35Z")
#99 Jordan World famous almonds. Considered a model of Christian-Muslim co-existence. Named after the Jordan River. #100 Papua New Guinea ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/104 "2015-10-07T02:55:54Z")
#100 Papua New Guinea Archipelago formed by the incoming Indian-Australian plate slamming into mainland Asia; has mountains 10,000 feet and climbing. Official language is Tok Pisin, an English-derived pidgin that is _not_ “broken” English, despite appearances; Prince Phillip in Papua New Guinea is known as “fella-bilong-queen”. Occasional appearances of _kuru_, a prion disease associated with cannibalism. #101 Togo. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/105 "2015-10-07T07:24:47Z")
#101 Togo Capital, Lomé. Once a German colony, and a bit bigger than now: in post-World-War-I carve-up, a strip on the western side went to Britain (combined with adjacent Ghana) – what is now Togo, was taken by France. Was long ruled by an unpleasant despot with the marvellous name of Gnassingbé Eyadema. #102 Hong Kong ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/106 "2015-10-07T15:54:46Z")
A special district of the People’s Republic of China, and not actually a country Setting of the James Bond movie _You Only Live Twice_ Airport has scary approaches: [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIvbm2ZlsnQ) 103: Bulgaria. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/107 "2015-10-07T17:34:32Z")
Bulgaria Capital: Sofia (for St. Sofia) Continuously occupied site for the past 9,000 years **Chefguy** spent about six months there while renovating the US embassy. 104: Mali oops, already done. There needs to be a list. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/108 "2015-10-07T18:50:43Z")
104 is Serbia, not Mali, in today’s Wiki list: [List of countries and dependencies by population - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population) Serbia: fragment of the former Yugoslavia notorious as home of war criminals helped spark World War I 105: Paraguay. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/109 "2015-10-07T20:31:25Z")
#105 Paraguay Capital, Asuncion. Has had a tendency toward fighting ugly wars with its neighbours – one such in the mid-19th century, went on until few male Paraguayans who weren’t very young or very old, remained alive. Has a tradition of IMO beautiful folk music, in which the harp is prominent. #106 Laos ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/110 "2015-10-07T20:41:44Z")
#106 Laos Has a population of around 7 million. Most of the population is Buddhist. The traditional garment for women is the Sinh. #107 Sierra Leone ---
**Author:** ![Nelson\_Pike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Nelson\_Pike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nelson_Pike)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/111 "2015-10-07T20:48:03Z")
105: Paraguay. Notorious as refuge of Nazi criminal fugitives. Worst among them was Auschwitz Dr. Josef Mengele. In 1864 Paraguay went unwisely went to war against both Argentina and Brazil, the two largest countries in South America. Paraguay lost. In 2009 Timothy Towell, the former US Ambassador to Paraguay, was arrested on lurid sex charges: [cite](http://milfuegos.blogspot.com/2009/09/former-us-ambassador-timothy-l-towell.html) (from link): > [@](#): > > Former U.S. ambassador to Paraguay Timothy L. Towell, 75, was charged in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia with having sex with an 18-year old male against the young man’s will. According to the Washington Examiner, Towell plied the teen with drinks and then invited him to his house in the Georgetown section of Washington. The teen said he felt threatened when Towell brandished a machete and revolver. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/112 "2015-10-07T21:33:53Z")
Re Paraguay – asking, with respect: is this just a game (one participant, three items-whatever-they are, move on) – or are people seeing it as rivalry concerning suitable / proper lore re the country concerned? Nelson Pike: if with your submission, you’d failed to notice that I’d already “done” Paraguay: then, no harm, no foul. ---
**Author:** ![Nelson\_Pike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Nelson\_Pike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nelson_Pike)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/113 "2015-10-08T00:04:34Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > Re Paraguay – asking, with respect: is this just a game (one participant, three items-whatever-they are, move on) – or are people seeing it as rivalry concerning suitable / proper lore re the country concerned? > > Nelson Pike: if with your submission, you’d failed to notice that I’d already “done” Paraguay: then, no harm, no foul. No sense of rivalry intended by me, and when I began to compose my reply Paraguay was next up. I was delayed by looking up that war I mentioned- I wanted to make sure it was both Brazil and Argentina involved. Then I read a bit of the article before finishing what i had started. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/114 "2015-10-08T06:42:13Z")
> [@Nelson\_Pike](#): > > No sense of rivalry intended by me, and when I began to compose my reply Paraguay was next up. I was delayed by looking up that war I mentioned- I wanted to make sure it was both Brazil and Argentina involved. Then I read a bit of the article before finishing what i had started. No worries ! I didn’t notice that our replies were almost simultaneous – sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/115 "2015-10-08T06:48:41Z")
(Missed edit window – with Prof. P.'s Laos just in-between yours and mine on Paraguay.) ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/116 "2015-10-08T18:21:43Z")
#107 Sierra Leone Capital, Freetown. Formerly a British possession – colony or protectorate, I forget which – became independent circa 1960. In independence, has liked to style itself “The land of iron and diamonds”. Used to be served by a delightful railway system with a track gauge of 2ft. 6in. This closed down three / four decades ago – a pity: but even if it had lasted longer, the recent nastiness in S.L. would most probably have put an end to it. #108 El Salvador ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/117 "2015-10-09T04:46:01Z")
El Salvador 1. Translates as “the savior” 2. Capital is San Salvador; translates as “Holy Savior” 3. History of earthquakes. #109. Libya ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/118 "2015-10-09T13:53:22Z")
#109 Libya Lots of oil Belonged to Turkey until early 20th century; then taken by Italy; became independent post-World War II Contains a much-cherished historic / archaeological site: Leptis Magna, reckoned likely the best-preserved ancient Roman city anywhere #110 Nicaragua ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/119 "2015-10-09T15:57:22Z")
#110: Nicaragua 1. Crackpot American adventurist William Walker briefly ruled Nicaragua in the mid-19th century (I believe Woody Allen’s crazy dictator character in _Bananas_ was based on Walker). 2. Civil War from the late 1970s to the 1980s with the rebel Sandinistas fighting the Somoza government. 3. Was a Vietnam War-style quagmire for American forces during years of intervention in the early 20th century. (Side note: **Siam Sam** spent some time in Nicaragua in 1986.) #111: Kyrgyzstan ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/120 "2015-10-09T17:22:28Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > #110: Nicaragua > > 1. Crackpot American adventurist William Walker briefly ruled Nicaragua in the mid-19th century (I believe Woody Allen’s crazy dictator character in _Bananas_ was based on Walker). > 2. Civil War from the late 1970s to the 1980s with the rebel Sandinistas fighting the Somoza government. > 3. Was a Vietnam War-style quagmire for American forces during years of intervention in the early 20th century. > > **(Side note: Siam Sam spent some time in Nicaragua in 1986.)** > > #111: Kyrgyzstan :smack: D’oh! No, that was 1987 that I was there, not 1986. Still up: #111: Kyrgyzstan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718.md?page=7)