#127 Kuwait (I say Kew-wait, but I’m no Arabist)
Small, very oil-rich state
Located at the top end of the Persian Gulf
Its invasion by Iraq in 1990 precipitated the first Gulf War
#128: Lebanon
128: Lebanon
Cedars
Beirut
Given to France after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire
128.5 - Puntland
129 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
I think anyone who can do three facts on Puntland wins the thread.
Puntland (not off the top of my head, but just to move this along)
Has three-striped flag
Name has nothing to do with American football
Average daily temperatures range from 27 °C (80.6 °F) to 37 °C (98.6 °F)
Next: Bosnia and Herzegovina
#129: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Formerly in Yugoslavia: whence much bloodshed and horror during the 1990s.
Capital Sarajevo.
A short comical book published not quite 100 years ago, making fun of history and its uninspired teaching in school, summed up the convolutions of Balkan politics – “(A): that Bosnia should be ceded to Herzegovina; (B): that Herzegovina should be ceded to Bosnia – this is known as the Eastern Question.”
#130: Panama
#130 Panama.
Former province of Colombia, whose independence from which was assisted by the American government so that they could build:
Canal connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific, vital to shipping in the Western Hemisphere.
Formerly ruled by military dictator Manuel Noriega, until an invasion by the American military forced him to seek sanctuary in the Vatican nunciate.
#131 Georgia (no, the other one).
#131: Georgia
- Homeland of Josef Stalin.
- Capital is not Atlanta but Tbilisi
- Located in the Caucasus Mountains.
#132: Mauritania
#132 : Mauritania
Mines and exports iron ore in large quantities.
Capital Nouakchott.
Before independence, was part of France’s empire in Africa.
#133: Moldova
Perhaps breaching etiquette a bit – am going twice in a row, in the hope of moving things on.
#133: Moldova
Capital Chisinau.
Formerly known as Bessarabia – Russian territory up to era of WWI; then Romanian, until became a republic of USSR following from WWII; became independent nation on the USSR’s breaking up.
In very early years of 20th century, there was in Chisinau an infamously large-scale pogrom against Jews.
There follow in the Wiki list, two “un-numbered funny ones”:
Puerto Rico
Somaliland (breakaway from Somalia)
Then #134: Uruguay
#134: Uruguay
- Capital is Montevideo
- On the Atlantic Coast of South America, just down from Brazil.
- Doper and Bangkok resident Ale hails from Uruguay.
#135: Mongolia
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.!
Mongolia
Uneasy neighbor of China’s
Asiatic population known for horsemanship
Windswept countryside
Next: Armenia.
#135 Mongolia.
Capital is Ulan Bator, which:
Has one Taco Bell restaurant.
Formerly called Outer Mongolia, to distinguish it from the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia.
#136 Armenia.
ETA: Whoops, didn’t see EH’s post. But gonna leave this in, because I find it funny that there’s a Taco Bell in Ulan Gator…that’s run by an Indian man.
#136 Armenia
Home of one of the oldest Christian churches outside the Middle East.
Country has kept the name Armenia since the Roman Empire.
Homeland of the Kardashian family.
(Okay, I’ll admit I’m reaching, here…)
#137 Lithuania
So consensus seems to be, Somaliland to be skipped.
#137 Lithuania
Capital Vilnius.
Some centuries ago, Lithuania and neighbouring Poland were combined as one country, which ruled territory a good deal more extensive than combined modern Lithuania / Poland.
Language scholars tell us that of all living languages, Lithuanian is closest to Proto-Indo-European.
#138 Albania
No mention of Genghis Khan? :dubious:
#138: Albania
- One of the three countries in Europe that start with A (the other two being Austria and Andorra).
- Capital is Tirana.
- Muslim-majority
#139: Jamaica
#139: Jamaica
- Usain Bolt is Jamaican
- So was Bob Marley
- Their National Drink is rum
#140: Namibia
Oh what the heck…
Has border issues with Puntland
Comprises much of the former British Somaliland.
More stable functioning than the “official” Somalia for 2 decades yet the whole world refused to formally recognize them.
Now back to your regularly scheduled “real” countries
#140 Namibia
Capital Windhoek.
German colony until WWI, after which assigned to be taken care of by South Africa; was effectively a province of SA until end of white-supremacist regime there, and Namibia’s independence.
Contains the notorious Skeleton Coast – one of the dryest, most desert-ish and life-hostile regions on earth.
#141 Qatar
#141 Qatar
Will be hosting soccer’s 2022 World Cup
Capital is Doha
Home base of Arabic news network Al Jazeerah
#142: Lesotho
Lesotho
Only country, I think, to have a hat as the sole insignia on its flag: Flag of Lesotho - Wikipedia
In SE Africa
Very poor
Next: Botswana