A to Z Countries Video

Here is a video summary of the world's countries in alphabetical order (English language). To access information about the alphabetical order of all countries, click on the A to Z Countries link below this post!

Z Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Neighbors in both the alphabet and geography, ZAMBIA and ZIMBABWE are located in Southern Africa. Both countries share the famous Victoria Falls, which lie on their borders along the Zambezi River. The magnificent waterfalls are located south of Livingstone, Zambia and east of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

ZHŌNGGUÓ (China) could be considered as an additional Z country. This country is also featured in the C Countries post.

GeoFact of the Day Blog Post Links
Zambia — Zimbabwe — Zhōngguó

Y Country - Yemen

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

YEMEN, a Middle Eastern country with plenty of deserts, is the only country that has a name beginning with the letter Y. You may have noticed that the previous post was about V countries; that is because there are no W or X countries. There are various entities and territories that start with the letter W - Wake Island, Wallis & Futuna, West Bank, and Western Sahara - but they are not countries.

Discover more about Yemen by visiting my Yemen post that focuses exclusively on this country!

V Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are four countries that have names starting with the letter V. One country, VENEZUELA, is in the Western Hemisphere at the northern edge of South America, located south of the Caribbean Sea. The other three countries are in the Eastern Hemisphere. They are VANUATU in the South Pacific Ocean, the VATICAN CITY which is completely surrounded by Italy in Southern Europe, and VIETNAM in Southeast Asia.

GeoFact of the Day Blog Post Links
Vanuatu — Vatican City — Venezuela — Vietnam

U Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

5 continents — Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America — are represented by 7 countries that have names starting with the letter U. The U countries are Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), Uruguay, and Uzbekistan. The most populated country of the group is the United States and Uruguay is the least populated country.

Africa (1): North of the large and circular Lake Victoria, UGANDA borders Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania. The country has over 36 million residents.

Asia (2): UNITED ARAB EMIRATES is a Middle Eastern country bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia and almost borders Qatar to the west. It is also south of the Persian Gulf and has a population larger than 8 million. In Central and West Asia, UZBEKISTAN is a landlocked, former-Soviet state bordering Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. It has more than 28 million citizens.

Europe (2): North of the Black Sea, UKRAINE borders 7 countries: Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. The large Eastern European country has a population around 45 million. Northwest of the European continent between the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea, UNITED KINGDOM is east of Ireland via the Irish Sea and northwest of France via the Channel Sea. The UK is now known for the memorable 2012 Olympic Games in London, the capital. The population as of 2013 is over 63 million.

North America (1): The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA has around 320 million citizens and of course is particularly known for its diversity of people with many religions, beliefs, and ethnicities. From sea to shining sea, America borders great oceans and countries. Canada is north, Mexico is south, the Pacific Ocean is west, and the Atlantic Ocean is east.

South America (1): One of the most southernmost countries in the world, URUGUAY is around 2,000 miles (a little over 3,200 kilometers) north of Antarctica's Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. The population is about 3.4 million.

GeoFact of the Day Blog Post Links
Uganda — Ukraine — UAE — UK — Uruguay — USA — Uzbekistan

T Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are 11 countries with names starting with the letter T. They belong to four continents: Africa, Asia, North America, and Oceania (vast area of islands in the Pacific Ocean that are oftentimes grouped with the continent of Australia). Europe also counts as a continent with a T country because the city of Istanbul and a peninsula in Turkey belongs to Europe.

Africa (3): TANZANIA is in East Africa, TOGO is a thin and skinny country in Western Africa, and TUNISIA is a North African country south of the Mediterranean Sea.

Asia (5): TAJIKISTAN is a former-Soviet republic in Central Asia, THAILAND is in Indochina (Southeast Asia), TIMOR-LESTE (also called East Timor and therefore also featured in the E Countries post) is a relatively small country achieving independence in 2004, TURKEY is in Western Asia and partially in Eastern Europe, and TURKMENISTAN is another former-Soviet republic in Central Asia.

North America (1): TRINIDAD and TOBAGO is in the eastern fringe of the Caribbean Sea. The country is south of a chain of islands called the Windward Islands.

Oceania (2): TONGA and TUVALU are island comprised of many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Both countries are in the southern half of the Pacific Ocean.

Gain knowledge about these countries by accessing the Countries page!

S Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are many 'S' countries in the world, from Saint Kitts and Nevis in North America to Syria in the Middle East. The newest country in the world is an S country: South Sudan, which is found in North Africa. S countries are found in all areas of the world: on the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, and in the Pacific Ocean (Samoa and the Solomon Islands).

Africa: Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, and Swaziland

Asia: Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Syria

Europe: San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland

North America: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Oceania: Samoa and Solomon Islands

South America: Suriname

Go to the Countries page — below the blog's header image — to find individual posts about these countries.

R Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

The world has three countries that have names starting with the letter R. They are of vastly different sizes. Russia is the largest country in the world, Romania is 'medium-sized' in comparison to most other countries, and Rwanda is very small.

ROMANIA: In Eastern Europe surrounded by Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine, Romania has more than 100 miles of frontage along the western shore of the Black Sea, and the wide Danube River flows along most of the country's southern border. The Carpathian Mountains stretch across Northern Romania while the Transylvanian Alps are in the central and south-central parts of Romania. Satellite images show dense forests that reveal the areas of mountainous terrain, where trees have been largely spared from human activity. The country's capital and largest city, situated in Southern Romania, is Bucharest.

RUSSIA: Practically on top of the world, Russia is vast with a west-to-east span of more than 4,000 miles. Like Turkey among a few others, Russia is one of the only countries to be part of two continents (Asia and Europe). It is surprising to believe that the former Soviet Union was even larger than Russia is today! The capital, Moscow, is a well-known metropolis in Eastern Europe with a population greater than 11 million. The city's road system resembles a spider web, with concentric circles of highways and roads radiating outward from the city's center.

RWANDA: Infamous for a bloody civil war between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples in the 1990s, Rwanda is a small country west of Lake Victoria in Eastern Africa; bordering countries are Burundi to the south of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and Uganda to the north and northeast. Fortunately, Rwanda is experiencing much more peace than it did during the genocide period two decades ago. The capital and largest city is Kigali.

The REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO could be considered as an additional R country. This country is also featured in the C Countries post.

Q Country - Qatar

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Just as Oman is the only "O" country, there is only one country with the name starting in the letter Q — unless you consider Kazakhstan's alternate spelling, Qazaqstan. QATAR is a small Middle Eastern country with a short name having several different pronunciations: some people say "cutter" or "ka-tar" or "qwa-ter"! It is a peninsula jutting northward into the Persian Gulf. The capital and largest city is Doha, located on the eastern coastline. Qatar only borders Saudi Arabia on the southern border and is southeast of Bahrain, an island country.

Check out my original Qatar post for more info!

P Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are nine 'P' countries scattered across five continents. The continents that the countries are located in are Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania (large territory of islands usually grouped with Australia), and South America.

Asia (2): PAKISTAN is east of Afghanistan and Iran and west of China and India in South Asia. The former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is separated from Pakistan's northern border by a thin panhandle belonging to Afghanistan. The PHILIPPINES is a country of many islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is east of the South China Sea, north of Indonesia, northeast of Malaysia, west of Palau, and south of Taiwan.

Europe (2): POLAND is west of Belarus and Ukraine, northeast of the Czech Republic, east of Germany, south of the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad (exclave of Russia), southwest of Lithuania, and north of Slovakia in Eastern Europe. PORTUGAL is east of the Atlantic Ocean and west of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula of Western Europe.

North America (1): PANAMA is west of Colombia and east of Costa Rica in Central America (C. America is part of North America). It is famous for the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Oceania (2): PALAU is an island country with many islands and reefs in the Pacific Ocean, located west of the Federated States of Micronesia, north of Indonesia, and east of The Philippines. PAPUA NEW GUINEA is an Oceanic country north of Australia, east of Indonesia, and west of the Solomon Islands.

South America (2): PARAGUAY is a landlocked country located north of Argentina, southeast of Bolivia, and west of the southern part of Brazil. PERU is found in the northwest area of South America, located west of Bolivia and Brazil, south of Colombia and Ecuador, and east of the Pacific Ocean.

To access full posts about these countries, go to the Countries page!

O Country - Oman

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Unlike with the previous 14 letters in the alphabet (A through N), O has only one country with the name starting in that letter (English language). The only "O" country is OMAN, a Middle Eastern country of deserts and mountains. Part of the large Arabian Peninsula, Oman borders two major water bodies: the Gulf of Oman off the northern coast and the Arabian Sea to the east. All of the bordering countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen - are west of Oman. Check out my original Oman post!

N Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are a total of 10 culturally diverse countries with names starting with the letter N. They belong to five out of seven continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania (large territory of islands usually grouped with Australia).

Africa (3): NAMIBIA in Southern Africa and NIGER and NIGERIA in Western Africa

Asia (2): NEPAL of South-Central Asia and NORTH KOREA in East Asia
     — North Korea was also listed with South Korea in the "K" countries post (Korea, North).

Europe (2): The NETHERLANDS of Western Europe and NORWAY of Northern Europe
     — While Amsterdam is the Netherlands' dominant capital, The Hague is considered an administrative capital (seat of the government).

North America (1): NICARAGUA, a country specifically in Central America

Oceania (2): NAURU and NEW ZEALAND of the South Pacific Ocean

To access full posts about these countries, go to the Countries page!

M Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Africa (7): MADAGASCAR, MALAWI, MALI, MAURITANIA, MAURITIUS, MOROCCO, and MOZAMBIQUE

Asia (4): MALAYSIA, The MALDIVES, MONGOLIA, and MYANMAR
     — I also listed Myanmar in the 'B' Countries post since the country is also called Burma.

Europe (5): MACEDONIA (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), MALTA, MOLDOVA, MONACO, and MONTENEGRO; The native name of Hungary is MAGYARORSZÁG, so that would be another legitimate 'M' country.

North America (1): MEXICO

Oceania (2): MARSHALL ISLANDS and the Federated States of MICRONESIA

To access full posts about these countries, go to the Countries page!

L Countries

There are nine countries on three continents that have names starting with the letter L. Most of the 'L' countries are in Europe, and there are four of them. Africa has three 'L' countries and Asia has two.

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Countries in Africa (3): LESOTHO is a small, mountainous country in Southern Africa, completely surrounded by South Africa. In fact, it is one of the highest countries above sea level because its lowest elevation (more than 4,000 feet) is the highest in the world! Compared to other African countries, LIBERIA obtained independence really early (1800s). It is found beside and north of the Atlantic Ocean in Western Africa, west of Côte d'Ivoire, south of Guinea, and southeast of Sierra Leone. LIBYA is a large, petroleum-producing country in North Africa. Unrest and political instability leave Libya's future unpredictable. The country is east of Algeria and Tunisia, north of Chad and Niger, west of Egypt, south of the Mediterranean Sea, and northwest of Sudan.

Countries in Asia (2): LAOS is a landlocked Indochina country with a Communist government. The Mekong River is important for the country's transportation and hydroelectric power. It is north of Cambodia, south of China, east of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand, and west of Vietnam. LEBANON is a Middle Eastern country situated east of the Mediterranean Sea. It is affected by the unrest in the Middle East. It is located east of the island country Cyprus, north of Israel, and east of Syria.

Countries in Europe (4): LATVIA is an Eastern European country located east of the Baltic Sea. It is also northwest of Belarus, south of Estonia, north of Lithuania, and west of Russia. LIECHTENSTEIN is a very tiny country in the Alps mountain range of South-Central Europe. It borders two well-known countries, being west of Austria and east of Switzerland. Like Latvia, LITHUANIA is another Eastern European country east of the Baltic Sea. It is also west of Belarus, northeast of Kaliningrad (Russia's exclave), south of Latvia, and northeast of Poland. Finally, LUXEMBOURG is a small and extremely wealthy country in Western Europe. The country is found east of Belgium, northeast of France, and west of Germany. It is considered one of the Benelux Countries, the others being Belgium and the Netherlands.

GeoFact of the Day Blog Post Links
Africa: Lesotho — Liberia — Libya
Asia: Laos — Lebanon
Europe: Latvia — Lithuania — Liechtenstein — Luxembourg

K Countries

Eight countries in the world have names starting with the letter K in the English language. The most "K" countries are in Asia; there are five of them. There is also one "K" country in Africa, Europe, and Oceania (a region of islands and island countries in the Pacific Ocean).

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Country in Africa: KENYA is an East African country south of Ethiopia, west of the Indian Ocean, southwest of Somalia, southeast of South Sudan, north of Tanzania, and east of Uganda; its capital is Nairobi.

Country in Europe: KOSOVO is a new country located in Eastern Europe that achieved independence in 2008, although not all countries recognize its independence. The capital is Pristina (with accent on the 's': Priština).

Countries in Asia (5): KAZAKHSTAN, a former-Soviet country located in Central Asia (capital: Nursultan, previously known as Astana); N. KOREA, a Communist country on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia (capital: Pyongyang); S. KOREA, a highly-developed country also on the Korean Peninsula (capital: Seoul); KUWAIT, a small petroleum-producing country in the Middle East (capital: Kuwait City); and KYRGYZSTAN, a former-Soviet country located among the Tien Shan mountains in Central Asia (capital: Bishkek).

Country in Oceania: KIRIBATI is a collection of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean and can be found south of Hawaii; Kiribati's capital is Tarawa.

GeoFact of the Day Blog Post Links
Africa: Kenya
Asia: Kazakhstan — North Korea — South Korea — Kuwait — Kyrgyzstan
Europe: Kosovo
Oceania: Kiribati

J Countries

On Earth and specifically in the English language, there are only three countries with names starting with the letter J. Two of them are in Asia — one is in the Middle East (Western Asia) while the other is in East Asia. The third is an island country in the Caribbean Sea of North America.

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

JAMAICA: Like many other islands and island countries in the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica boasts a successful tourism industry due to its resorts and idyllically beautiful beaches, harbors, and more. This island country is found south of Cuba and west of Hispaniola island (the island occupied by Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east) and Navassa Island (very small island belonging to the United States but claimed by Haiti). Located along the coastline in the southeastern part of Jamaica, the capital is Kingston.

JAPAN: A highly developed and wealthy country in East Asia, Japan is a collection of large and small islands. The largest island in Japan and seventh largest in the world is Honshu, where major cities like Tokyo (Japan's capital) are located. The next three largest islands are Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Japan is west of the Pacific Ocean and east of the Sea of Japan (also called the East Sea) and the Korean Peninsula (with North Korea and South Korea). The Ryukyu Islands of Southern Japan are east of the East China Sea, which separates the islands from China in the west. Hokkaido island is east of Russia while being south of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Russian island of Sakhalin.

JORDAN: This country in the Middle East would be landlocked if it did not have a 13-mile coastline in the southern part. It is mainly desert land, particularly noticeable since there are many dried up riverbeds in Eastern Jordan. In relation to its bordering countries, Jordan is west of Iraq, east of Israel, northwest of Saudi Arabia, and south of Syria. It is also south of Golan Heights - the region being disputed by Israel and Syria - and east of the very salty Dead Sea. Jordan's capital, Amman, is located in Northern Jordan and is the largest city.

Click on the countries' bolded names above to open their individual posts!

I Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are eight countries in the world whose names start with the letter I, and they are only on the continents of Asia and Europe. Three 'I' countries are in Europe, while five are in Asia. The European countries are ICELAND (capital: Reykjavik), IRELAND (capital: Dublin), and ITALY (capital: Rome). The Asian countries are INDIA (capital: New Delhi), INDONESIA (capital: Jakarta), IRAN (capital: Tehran), IRAQ (capital: Baghdad), and ISRAEL (capital: Jerusalem). COTE D'IVOIRE is technically another 'I' country, if you prefer using the English name IVORY COAST.

Discover more about the eight countries by clicking their individual post links below!
Europe: Iceland — Ireland — Italy
Asia: India — Indonesia — Iran — Iraq — Israel

H Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

There are only three countries in the world whose names start with the letter H in the English language, and North America actually has two out of three. The two countries in North America are HAITI, the impoverished country in the Caribbean Sea that unfortunately experienced a major earthquake (and multiple aftershocks from the earthquake) in 2010, and HONDURAS, a Central American country located northeast of El Salvador, east of Guatemala, and north and northwest of Nicaragua. The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince, and it is on the western side of Hispaniola island (the eastern part being Dominican Republic). Honduras' capital is Tegucigalpa. The last 'H' country is HUNGARY, an Eastern European country surrounded by seven countries (Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine). Hungary's capital, situated in the north-central part of the country, is Budapest. The native name of Croatia is HRVATSKA, so that would be another legitimate 'H' country to add to this post.

Learn more about Haiti, Honduras, and Hungary by reading my GeoFact of the Day Blog posts devoted to those three countries!

G Countries

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Throughout the world, there are 11 countries whose names start with the letter G. The continent with the most 'G' countries is Africa. Africa's five G countries are GABON, GAMBIA, GHANA, GUINEA, and GUINEA-BISSAU. Interestingly, all five countries are in West Africa and share a coastline with the Atlantic Ocean. GEORGIA, where the Caucasus Mountains stretch horizontally across the northern part of the country, is the only 'G' country in Asia. For reference, Georgia is east of the Black Sea and south of western Russia. In Europe, the two 'G' countries are GERMANY and GREECE. North America's two 'G' countries are GUATEMALA, located west of Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras and southeast of Mexico, and GRENADA, a Caribbean Sea island in the Lesser Antilles island chain. Lastly, the only South American 'G' country is GUYANA, which is on the northern coast of South America to the east of Venezuela, north of Brazil, and west of Suriname.

G Countries in Africa

The A to Z categories are based on the English language and inadvertently might not include all native country names.

Africa has the most countries whose names start with a 'G' than other continents. In particular, all five 'G' countries in Africa happen to be in Western Africa. These countries are GABON, GAMBIA, GHANA, GUINEA, and GUINEA-BISSAU. The dark blue links open in new windows or tabs and lead you to individual posts about each country. To know countries in the world that start with the letters A through F and beyond, check out GeoFact of the Day posts labeled in the A to Z Countries Post Topic!