# Most obscure country for its size **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 11, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716 "2012-12-11T17:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/61 "2012-12-12T05:22:29Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Niger is really big in land area. Can you even name a city in it? Judging by all their flagwaving, New Delhi ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/62 "2012-12-12T09:06:05Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Well, there you go. I’m probably fairly typical for an American (that is, citizen of the USA) in my ignorance of Canadian politics. Who’s your prime minister? Stephen Harper. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/63 "2012-12-12T09:13:18Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Stephen Harper. A simple Google search on “government of Canada” reveals this: [Link](http://www.canada.gc.ca/home.html). Not sure why anybody would contend that we here in Canada have a legitimate government. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/64 "2012-12-12T10:01:52Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > It’s not that Brazil or Indonesia are incredibly obscure countries. But they are gigantic countries with vast territories and large populations, and they don’t make the news very often compared to, say, Canada, or Greece or Serbia. Considering that Brazil is 20 times larger than countries you hear about in the news every day, you don’t hear a lot about Brazil in the news. It under-performs news-wise. I definitely hear about Brazil and Indonesia far more often than about Canada and Serbia. Probably because Canada is not a neighbouring country. Canada is only in the news if they get fantastic results with a certain type of education, or they have elections or something like that. Serbia, well, they were obvisously in the news every day a while back, but not anymore. They’ll be in the news more when they start joining the EU, but right now all is quiet. Greece is in the papers every day, but wasn’t before they were in such trouble. But I think both Indonesia and Brazil are in the paper in some way every day. Brazil usually for its economy, development (great), rain forests and indigenous people; Indonesia for politics/corruption, holidays/travel, religion/terrorism, export and wildlife. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/65 "2012-12-12T10:25:19Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > July 2010. 😉 I haven’t heard much about Namibia for the past few years. Although not a large country, I can’t remember ever hearing anything about Gabon. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/66 "2012-12-12T11:40:32Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > I haven’t heard much about Namibia for the past few years. Got any [fondue sets](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75snamibia.phtml) you’re not using? > [@](#): > > Although not a large country, I can’t remember ever hearing anything about Gabon. That was Albert Schweitzer’s hangout. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/67 "2012-12-12T12:11:05Z")
Zambia is a lot bigger than Gabon and probably gets about as much attention, although lots more people have probably visited because of the Victoria Falls. The most obscure country in Africa, though, has to be Guinea-Bissau. Does it actually exist? Equatorial Guinea almost has some kind of fame by virtue of being stereotypically obscure, and that Mark Thatcher coup thing, but what the hell happens in Guinea-Bissau? ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/68 "2012-12-12T12:24:20Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Zambia is a lot bigger than Gabon and probably gets about as much attention, although lots more people have probably visited because of the Victoria Falls. > > The most obscure country in Africa, though, has to be Guinea-Bissau. Does it actually exist? Equatorial Guinea almost has some kind of fame by virtue of being stereotypically obscure, and that Mark Thatcher coup thing, but what the hell happens in Guinea-Bissau? I was thinking Burundi as the most obscure African country. But it is really small. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/69 "2012-12-12T13:01:09Z")
Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo get my vote although on a personal level I’m well aware of the DRC which is a vast and interesting country. Here’s a challenge: which of these do you know anything about? Somaliland Transnistria Nagorno-Karabakh Ajaria Abkhazia South Ossetia ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/70 "2012-12-12T14:08:30Z")
If it weren’t for the Dope, I’d never anything at all about Australia. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/71 "2012-12-12T14:10:53Z")
> [@Ken001](#): > > Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo get my vote although on a personal level I’m well aware of the DRC which is a vast and interesting country. > > Here’s a challenge: which of these do you know anything about? > > Somaliland > > Transnistria > > Nagorno-Karabakh > > Ajaria > > Abkhazia > > South Ossetia Somaliland: They want independence from Somalia. Sometimes in the news because of piracy. I think their coast guard is effective against pirates or something? Or was it there that the locals acted against pirates because the price of coca cola went up or something like that? I think they are still unrecognised generally. I believe the population is largely Muslim, and there are nomads as well. I think the land is arid, but I’m not sure. And they have mountains, I remember from a documentary. South Ossetia: They want independence from Georgia, since the '90s I think. Things escalated again a few years ago, with Russia aiding Georgia. I think it looks pretty, mountainous and green, but I’m really not too sure about that. I think the Georgians have been pretty nasty to the population, but again, I could be wrong. Abkhazia: Rings a bell. I think another territory seeking independence? It’s in the same region as South Ossetia, but I’m not sure which countries want it/claim it. On the others, I concede I have nothing. Are they all disputed territories? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/72 "2012-12-12T14:13:15Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Honestly, if you think Brazil or Indonesia is in any sense obscure, that’s a statement about _you_… Yup. I know some of the history & culture of Brazil. “Indonesia” isn’t as meaningful as the names of its island components–Bali, Java, Sumatra, etc. Here, too, my knowledge has more to do with history & art than current events. The BBC & Al Jazeera apps on my smartphone gave me access to “new” parts of the world. Time to set up more little links so I can at least get a clue about what’s going on… (We are “fighting ignorance” here, aren’t we?) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/73 "2012-12-12T14:20:09Z")
Brazil’s hosting the Olympics in four years, and it seems to be it’s famous for a number of things. It seems an unusual choice. Going by the area list I’d say the first country that comes up that I know essentially nothing about is Niger. I know it’s in northeast Africa, and that is pretty much the extent of what I can tell you about it without looking it up. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/74 "2012-12-12T15:27:09Z")
How about this for an objective measurement: Largest country that the Simpsons have not visited? Or the largest country never to play in a World Cup? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/75 "2012-12-12T15:49:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Or the largest country never to play in a World Cup? India. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/76 "2012-12-12T15:55:49Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > How about this for an objective measurement: Largest country that the Simpsons have not visited? Going by the list on the Simpson’s wiki, Indonesia is the most populous country the Simpsons have never visited. Argentina is the largest by land-area. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/77 "2012-12-12T15:55:52Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > India. Never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/78 "2012-12-12T16:10:43Z")
(I’m American but I have traveled internationally). Mongolia: I know it’s there, but it’s this wedge between Russia and Red China and nothing seems to happen there. The official language is what? \ Mongolian? Industries? Umm oil maybe? Madagascar: I know it’s an island country off Africa, but what are the people _like_? Are they even black or are they more Indian or Arab? The industries of Madagascar are what, tropical fruit??? I’ve been to Canada and know it’s not just “America Jr.” and that it has its own history and cultures. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/79 "2012-12-12T16:13:46Z")
[re Namibia] > [@Johanna](#): > > Got any [fondue sets](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75snamibia.phtml) you’re not using? 😃 [re Gabon] > [@](#): > > That was Albert Schweitzer’s hangout. I should have known that. I remember learning about him in junior school. Good call. So… What can you tell me about: 1: Sao Tome and Principe 2: The Cape Verde Islands 3: Hi Brasil! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716/80 "2012-12-12T16:14:15Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > ;)I haven’t heard much about Namibia for the past few years. I was going to mention this. My daughter was there in the Peace Corps, and whenever I’d mention it, no one had even heard of it (it was called South West Africa until 1994). It also very sparsely populated (only Mongola has fewer people per square mile), with certain very large sections of the country having 0 residents (the sinister-sounding Skeleton Coast). It has a stable one-party democracy (other parties are allowed and can field candidates with no more restrictions than in the US, but SWAPO, which fought for independence, has the unwavering support of 2/3rds of the electorate), so there are no revolutions or disruptions, and they don’t export much (except diamonds). There’s no real tourism from the US. The last time they were in the news was when Angelina Jolie went there to have her baby. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-country-for-its-size/643716.md?page=5)