# \[GAME\] 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:** 9
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/161 "2015-12-02T01:42:07Z")
[aside] > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > When I toured the UN HQ in NYC years ago, we visited the chambers of the (going by memory here) Colonial and Anti-Imperialism Committee. A world map showed Puerto Rico among their many concerns, which I’m sure would come as a surprise to a lot of people in San Juan… to say nothing of Washington, D.C.! It’s [_ **The Special Committee on Decolonization** (known as “Committee of 24”)_.](http://www.un.org/en/decolonization/specialcommittee.shtml) (guess how many seats there are) Actually it surprises nobody here. We’ve been dealing with them every couple of years since the mid 1970s when they noticed us, and much hot air is impotently blown every time. The USA back in 1953 when it still dominated the UN General Assembly (and maybe the Soviets were busy boycotting something) pulled a fast one on the G.A. and got something passed declaring that adoption of the Commonwealth Constitution had made us “Self-Governing” and therefore they no longer had to file reports on how we were doing as a [del]subject colony[/del] unincorporated territory. However in 1960-61 the UN created this committee and adopted an official definition of when a place IS “decolonized”, which turns out to require more than mere “home rule”: when it either (a) is fully independent , or (b) is voluntarily fully and equally integrated with the metropolitan power, or (c) exercising full legal sovereignty, delegates some of it without prejudice in a voluntary association that they may rescind. oops… none of the three had yet happened here. However, because 1953, [we’re not on the official list of “colonies”](http://www.un.org/en/decolonization/nonselfgovterritories.shtml) so all they can do is talk about it, they can’t tell the US to do jack about it. [/aside] ---
**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:** [December 2, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/162 "2015-12-02T16:32:01Z")
Interesting! Good to know - thanks. Wanna tackle Botswana? ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/163 "2015-12-02T22:15:50Z")
Having been away for a couple of days, I’m bagging Botswana (#143). Formerly the British colony of Bechuanaland. A stable, humanely-run democracy; with, unfortunately, a very high incidence of AIDS among the population. The setting for Alexander McCall Smith’s mysteries with heroine Precious Ramotswe – which I loathe, but which have very many devoted fans. #144: Macedonia ---
**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:** [December 3, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/164 "2015-12-03T01:37:17Z")
#144: Macedonia 1. Not to be confused with the Greek region of Macedonia, which borders the Republic of Macedonia. 2. Homeland of Alexander the Great. 3. Capital is Skopje. #145: Slovenia ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/165 "2015-12-03T15:38:27Z")
#145: Slovenia Formerly part of Yugoslavia. The Slovene language is related to the Serbo-Croat of fellow ex-Yugoslavs, but with appreciable differences – about as different / similar as Spanish / Portuguese, I believe. Big tourist attraction: the caves at Postojna – large, and in cave terms spectacular, cave complex. #146: Latvia ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/166 "2015-12-06T18:20:02Z")
No action for a few days – I’ll do a consecutive one. #146: Latvia Capital Riga. Riga is nowadays a favourite destination for “stag parties / bachelor parties” from the UK – cheap and abundant booze, reckoned to have much to do with this. Talking of booze: Latvia’s speciality in that line, is reputedly strange-tasting and highly potent stuff called Riga Birch Balsam. #147: The Gambia ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/167 "2015-12-06T21:15:48Z")
147 The Gambia: Long skinny African country, essentially a thin strip on each side of the Gambia River. In the past attempted to federate with surrounding Senegal as “Senegambia” but seems like that it went nowhere. Grows a lot of peanuts. 148: Guinea-Bissau ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/168 "2015-12-07T07:58:27Z")
#148: Guinea-Bissau Former Portuguese colony. Capital – well, duh, Bissau. Reputedly at the present time, a nasty, misgoverned place. #149: Kosovo ---
**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:** [December 7, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/169 "2015-12-07T17:23:11Z")
#149 Kosovo Formerly part of Yugoslavia Predominately Muslim, but Historically Serbian, and emotionally highly significant to the Serbs. #150 Gabon. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/170 "2015-12-07T18:09:34Z")
#150: Gabon Capital Libreville. Pre-independence, was part of French Africa. It’s the part of the world in which Albert Schweitzer [sp?] established his hospital and carried out his many decades of humanitarian work. #151: Bahrain ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/171 "2015-12-09T02:54:59Z")
151: Bahrain Tiny island nation in Persian Gulf off Saudi coast Local Emir promoted himself to “King” decades after independence Homeport of US Navy in the Gulf 152: Trinidad & Tobago ---
**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:** [December 9, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/172 "2015-12-09T20:48:01Z")
Caribbean island nation One country, despite its name My sister dated a really nice guy from there in college Next: #153 Estonia ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/173 "2015-12-09T21:27:11Z")
On the Baltic Sea Speaks a language related to Hungarian Declared independence from the Soviet Union #154 Mauritius ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/174 "2015-12-09T23:03:12Z")
#154: Mauritius Uninhabited by humans until the era of European exploration. Owned by France until the Napoleonic Wars period, then British until independence in 1964. Home of the Dodo, emblem and byword for extinct species. #155: Equatorial Guinea ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/175 "2015-12-10T02:33:50Z")
155 Equatorial Guinea Made up of former Spanish African possessions of Fernando Pó and Anobón (insular) and Río Muni (continental), quite far away from the other two Guineas. Ruled since independence by successive kleptodictators, so unimaginative the current one is doing the by now cliché move of building a new capital city out in the sticks with lately acquired oil wealth. Birthplace of the late Copito de Nieve, the Barcelona Zoo’s white gorilla. # 156 East Timor/Timor L’Este ---
**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:** [December 10, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/176 "2015-12-10T03:08:06Z")
#156 East Timor: An island in the Sumatra (I think) archipelago of the East Indies, very near to and once part of Indonesia; Butt fought a long war/political struggle to secede from the nation, partly because, unlike Indonesia, East Timor is predominantly Christian (Catholic, I believe). #157 Swaziland ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/177 "2015-12-10T08:34:13Z")
#157: Swaziland Ruled by an eccentric and sticky-fingered king with numerous wives – not the constitutional type of monarch. Has beautiful mountain scenery. A horrifically high incidence of AIDS among the inhabitants. #158: Djibouti ---
**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:** [December 10, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/178 "2015-12-10T14:36:55Z")
#158: Djibouti 1. In the Horn of Africa. 2. Capital is Djibouti City. 3. Home to the French Foreign Legion. #159: Fiji ---
**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:** [December 10, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/179 "2015-12-10T15:30:42Z")
Islands northeast of Australia Used to be a monarchy; now a republic but has had coups Less than a million population #160: Cyprus ---
**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:** [December 10, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718/180 "2015-12-10T18:44:10Z")
#160 Cyprus An island in the eastern Mediterranean that is, geologically, a chunk of seabed; the island’s mountains are ophiolitic, a sequence most common on ocean floors. Site of the oldest known copper mines. The Latin word for copper comes from the island’s name. Greece and Turkey each formerly claimed Cyprus, and the island is now divided by the Green Line, separating Turkish and Greek Cypriots. #161 Comoros. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-all-the-countries-in-the-world-trivia-game/706718.md?page=10)