examples:
Afghanistan
a mountainous landlocked country in central Asia; bordered by Iran to the west and Russia to the north and Pakistan to the east and south
Algeria
a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea with a population that is predominantly Sunni Muslim; colonized by France in the 19th century but gained autonomy in the early 1960s
Angola
a republic in southwestern Africa on the Atlantic Ocean; achieved independence from Portugal in 1975 and was the scene of civil war until 1990
Argentina
a republic in southern South America; second largest country in South America
Birmania
a mountainous republic in southeastern Asia on the Bay of Bengal
Burundi
a landlocked republic in east central Africa on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika
Cambogia
a nation in southeastern Asia; was part of Indochina under French rule until 1946
Cile
a republic in southern South America on the western slopes of the Andes on the south Pacific coast
China
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
Nanchino
a city in eastern China on the Yangtze River; a former capital of China; the scene of a Japanese massacre in the 1930s
Shanghai
the largest city of China; located in the east on the Pacific; one of the largest ports in the world
Colombia
a republic in northwestern South America with a coastline on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; achieved independence from Spain in 1821 under the leadership of Simon Bolivar; Spanish is the official language
Congo
a republic in central Africa; achieved independence from Belgium in 1960
Messico
a republic in southern North America; became independent from Spain in 1810
Cuba
a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba
Haiti
a republic in the West Indies on the western part of the island of Hispaniola; achieved independence from France in 1804; the poorest and most illiterate nation in the western hemisphere
Giamaica
a country on the island of Jamaica; became independent of England in 1962; much poverty; the major industry is tourism
Cipro
a country on the island of Cyprus; 80% of the people are of Greek origin and 20% or Turkish origin
Dahomey
a country on western coast of Africa; formerly under French control
Goteborg
a port in southwestern Sweden; second largest city in Sweden
Deutschland
a republic in central Europe; split into East Germany and West Germany after World War II and reunited in 1990
Bonn
a city in western Germany on the Rhine River; was the capital of West Germany between 1949 and 1989
Francoforte
a German city; an industrial and commercial and financial center
Amburgo
a port city in northern Germany on the Elbe River that was founded by Charlemagne in the 9th century and is today the largest port in Germany; in 1241 it formed an alliance with Lubeck that became the basis for the Hanseatic League
Hannover
a port city in northwestern Germany; formerly a member of the Hanseatic League
Stoccarda
a city in southwestern Germany famous for innovative architecture
Eritrea
an African country to the north of Ethiopia on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993
Etiopia
Ethiopia is a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; formerly called Abyssinia
Fiji
an independent state within the British Commonwealth located on the Fiji Islands
Finlandia
republic in northern Europe; achieved independence from Russia in 1917
Israele
Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine
Haifa
a major port in northwestern Israel
Italia
a republic in southern Europe on the Italian Peninsula; was the core of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD
Pompei
ancient city to the southeast of Naples that was buried by a volcanic eruption from Vesuvius
Napoli
a port and tourist center in southwestern Italy; capital of the Campania region
Bologna
the capital of Emilia-Romagna; located in northern Italy to the east of the Apennines
Genova
a seaport in northwestern Italy; provincial capital of Liguria
Milano
the capital of Lombardy in northern Italy; has been an international center of trade and industry since the Middle Ages
Pisa
a city in Tuscany; site of the famous Leaning Tower
Torino
capital city of the Piemonte region of northwestern Italy
Palermo
the capital of Sicily; located in northwestern Sicily; an important port for 3000 years
Firenze
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
Venezia
the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction
Verona
a city in Veneto on the River Adige
Romania
a republic in southeastern Europe with a short coastline on the Black Sea
Ruanda
a landlocked republic in central Africa; formerly a German colony
Croazia
a republic in the western Balkans in south-central Europe in the eastern Adriatic coastal area; formerly part of the Habsburg monarchy and Yugoslavia; became independent in 1991
Jugoslavia
a mountainous republic in southeastern Europe bordering on the Adriatic Sea; formed from two of the six republics that made up Yugoslavia until 1992; Serbia and Montenegro were known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until 2003 when they adopted the name of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro
Slovenia
a mountainous republic in central Europe; formerly part of the Habsburg monarchy and Yugoslavia; achieved independence in 1991
Canada
a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada
Australia
a nation occupying the whole of the Australian continent; Aboriginal tribes are thought to have migrated from southeastern Asia 20,000 years ago; first Europeans were British convicts sent there as a penal colony
Austria
a mountainous republic in central Europe; under the Habsburgs (1278-1918) Austria maintained control of the Holy Roman Empire and was a leader in European politics until the 19th century
Tirolo
a picturesque mountainous province of western Austria and northern Italy
Bangladesh
a Muslim republic in southern Asia bordered by India to the north and west and east and the Bay of Bengal to the south; formerly part of India and then part of Pakistan; it achieved independence in 1971
Belgio
a monarchy in northwestern Europe; headquarters for the European Union and for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Bruges
a city in northwestern Belgium that is connected by canal to the North Sea; in the 13th century it was a leading member of the Hanseatic League; the old city (known as the City of Bridges) is a popular tourist attraction
Bhutan
a landlocked principality in the Himalayas to the northeast of India
Bolivia
a landlocked republic in central South America; Simon Bolivar founded Bolivia in 1825 after winning independence from Spain
Brasile
the largest Latin American country and the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world; located in the central and northeastern part of South America; world's leading coffee exporter
Gran Bretagna
a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
England
a division of the United Kingdom
Cambridge
a city in eastern England on the River Cam; site of Cambridge University
Irlanda
a republic consisting of 26 of 32 counties comprising the island of Ireland; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1921
Scotland
one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts
Brunei
a sultanate in northwestern Borneo; became independent of Great Britain in 1984
Egitto
a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
India
a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
Calcutta
the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding
Tibet
an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China; located in the Himalayas
Indonesia
a republic in southeastern Asia on an archipelago including more than 13,000 islands; achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1945; the principal oil producer in the Far East and Pacific regions
Persia
a theocratic Islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil
Irak
a republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as Iraq
Giappone
a constitutional monarchy occupying the Japanese Archipelago; a world leader in electronics and automobile manufacture and ship building
Hiroshima
a port city on the southwestern coast of Honshu in Japan; on August 6, 1945 Hiroshima was almost completely destroyed by the first atomic bomb dropped on a populated area
Nagasaki
a city in southern Japan on Kyushu; a leading port and shipbuilding center; on August 9, 1945 Nagasaki became the second populated area to receive an atomic bomb
Giordania
an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea
Mombasa
a port city in southern Kenya on a coral island in a bay of the Indian Ocean
Kuwait
an Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum
Francia
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
Lyon
a city in east-central France on the Rhone River; a principal producer of silk and rayon
Gabon
a republic on the west coast of Africa
Ghana
a republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea
Grenada
an island state in the West Indies in the southeastern Caribbean Sea; an independent state within the British Commonwealth
Paesi Bassi
a constitutional monarchy in western Europe on the North Sea; half the country lies below sea level
Utrecht
a city in the central Netherlands
Islanda
an island republic on the island of Iceland; became independent of Denmark in 1944
Libano
an Asian republic at east end of Mediterranean
Tripoli
a port city and commercial center in northwestern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea
Libia
a military dictatorship in northern Africa on the Mediterranean; consists almost entirely of desert; a major exporter of petroleum
Liechtenstein
a small landlocked principality (constitutional monarchy) in central Europe located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland
Lussemburgo
a grand duchy (a constitutional monarchy) landlocked in northwestern Europe between France and Belgium and Germany; an international financial center
Malta
a republic on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1964
Mongolia
a landlocked socialist republic in central Asia
Marocco
a kingdom (constitutional monarchy) in northwestern Africa with a largely Muslim population; achieved independence from France in 1956
Casablanca
a port on the Atlantic and the largest city of Morocco
Mozambico
a republic on the southeastern coast of Africa on the Mozambique Channel; became independent from Portugal in 1975
Nuova Zelanda
an independent country within the British Commonwealth; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1907; known for sheep and spectacular scenery
Pakistan
a Muslim republic that occupies the heartland of ancient south Asian civilization in the Indus River valley; formerly part of India; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
Paraguay
a landlocked republic in south central South America; achieved independence from Spain in 1811
Peru'
a republic in western South America; achieved independence from Spain in 1821; was the heart of the Inca empire from the 12th to 16th centuries
Philippine
a republic on the Philippine Islands; achieved independence from the United States in 1946
Polonia
a republic in central Europe; the invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939 started World War II
Cracovia
an industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula
Portogallo
a republic in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; Portuguese explorers and colonists in the 15th and 16th centuries created a vast overseas empire (including Brazil)
Senegal
a republic in northwestern Africa on the coast of the Atlantic; formerly a French colony but achieved independence in 1960
Singapore
a country in southeastern Asia on the island of Singapore; achieved independence from Malaysia in 1965
Somalia
a republic in extreme eastern Africa on the Somali peninsula; subject to tribal warfare
Sudafrica
a republic at the southernmost part of Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1910; first European settlers were Dutch (known as Boers)
Unione-Sovietica
a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991
Russia
a federation in northeastern Europe and northern Asia; formerly Soviet Russia; since 1991 an independent state
Ucraina
a republic in southeastern Europe; formerly a European soviet; the center of the original Russian state which came into existence in the ninth century
Sebastopoli
a city in southern Ukraine on the Black Sea
Armenia
a landlocked republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an Asian soviet; modern Armenia is but a fragment of ancient Armenia which was one of the world's oldest civilizations; throughout 2500 years the Armenian people have been invaded and oppressed by their neighbors
Samarcanda
city in southern Uzbekistan; Tamerlane's opulent capital in the 14th century
Spagna
a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power
Barcellona
a city in northeastern Spain on the Mediterranean; 2nd largest Spanish city and the largest port and commercial center; has been a center for radical political beliefs
Sudan
a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; achieved independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom in 1956
balla
a city in northwestern Switzerland
Ginevra
a city in southwestern Switzerland at the western end of Lake Geneva; it is the headquarters of various international organizations
Zurigo
the largest city in Switzerland; located in the northern part of the country
Siria
an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization
Thailandia
a country of southeastern Asia that extends southward along the Isthmus of Kra to the Malay Peninsula
Tunisia
a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean coast; achieved independence from France in 1956
Turchia
a Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; on the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the Young Turks, led by Kemal Ataturk, established a republic in 1923
Uganda
a landlocked republic in eastern Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1962
Stati Uniti d'America
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
Los-Angeles
a city in southern California; motion picture capital of the world; most populous city of California and second largest in the United States
Miami
a city and resort in southeastern Florida on Biscayne Bay; the best known city in Florida; a haven for retirees and a refuge for Cubans fleeing Castro
Chicago
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
Portland
largest city in Maine in the southwestern corner of the state
Cambridge
a city in Massachusetts just to the north of Boston; site of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kansas City
a city in western Missouri situated at the confluence of the Kansas River and the Missouri River; adjacent to Kansas City, Kansas
Princeton
a university town in central New Jersey
New-York
the largest city in New York State and in the United States; located in southeastern New York at the mouth of the Hudson river; a major financial and cultural center
Portland
freshwater port and largest city in Oregon; located in northwestern Oregon on the Willamette River which divides the city into east and west sections; renowned for its beautiful natural setting among the mountains
Filadelfia
the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania
Dallas
a large commercial and industrial city in northeastern Texas located in the heart of the northern Texas oil fields
Milwaukee
largest city of Wisconsin; located in southeastern Wisconsin on the western shore of Lake Michigan; a flourishing agricultural center known for its breweries
Uruguay
a South American republic on the southeast coast of South America; achieved independence from Brazil in 1825
Vaticano
the capital of the State of the Vatican City
Venezuela
a republic in northern South America on the Caribbean; achieved independence from Spain in 1811; rich in oil
Vietnam
a communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea; achieved independence from France in 1945
Albania
a republic in southeastern Europe on the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula
Buenos-Aires
capital and largest city of Argentina; located in eastern Argentina near Uruguay; Argentina's chief port and industrial and cultural center
Bulgaria
a republic in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe
Phnom-Penh
the capital and largest city of Kampuchea
Santiago
the capital and largest city of Chile; located in central Chile; one of the largest cities in South America
Pechino
capital of the People's Republic of China in the Hebei province in northeastern China; 2nd largest Chinese city
Bogota'
capital and largest city of Colombia; located in central Colombia on a high fertile plain
Costa-Rica
a republic in Central America; one of the most politically stable countries in Latin America
Honduras
a republic in Central America; achieved independence from Spain in 1821; an early center of Mayan culture
Nicaragua
a republic in Central America; achieved independence from Spain in 1821
Santo-Domingo
the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic
Praga
the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic in the western part of the country; a cultural and commercial center since the 14th century
Danimarca
a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe; consists of the mainland of Jutland and many islands between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
Copenaghen
the capital and largest city of Denmark; located on the island of Zealand
Norvegia
a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905
Svezia
a Scandinavian kingdom in the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula
Stoccolma
the capital and largest city of Sweden; located in southern Sweden on the Baltic
Berlino
capital of Germany located in eastern Germany
Helsinki
the capital and largest city of Finland; located in southern Finland; a major port and commercial and cultural center
Grecia
a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil
Atene
the capital and largest city of Greece; named after Athena (its patron goddess)
Gerico
capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel (although its status as capital is disputed); it was captured from Jordan in 1967 in the Six Day War; a holy city for Jews and Christians and Muslims; was the capital of an ancient kingdom
Calabria
a region of southern Italy (forming the toe of the Italian `boot')
Campania
a region of southwestern Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea including the islands of Capri and Ischia
Lazio
an ancient region of west central Italy (southeast of Rome) on the Tyrrhenian Sea
Roma
capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
Liguria
region of northwestern Italy on the Ligurian Sea
Lombardia
a region of north central Italy bordering Switzerland
Marche
a region in central Italy
Molise
a region of south central Italy
Piemonte
the region of northwestern Italy; includes the Po valley
Puglia
a region in southeastern Italy on the Adriatic
Sardegna
the Italian region on the island of Sardinia; the kingdom of Sardinia was the nucleus for uniting Italy during the 19th century
Sicilia
the Italian region on the island of Sicily
Umbria
a mountainous region in central Italy
Belgrado
capital and largest city of Serbia and Montenegro; situated on the Danube
Toronto
the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)
Canberra
the capital of Australia; located in southeastern Australia
Brisbane
capital and largest city of Queensland state; located in the southeastern corner of Queensland on the Pacific; settled by British as a penal colony; 3rd largest city in Australia
Sydney
the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port
Vienna
the capital and largest city of Austria; located on the Danube in northeastern Austria; was the home of Beethoven and Brahms and Haydn and Mozart and Schubert and Strauss
Londra
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
Dublino
capital and largest city and major port of the Irish Republic
Il-Cairo
the capital of Egypt and the largest city in Africa; a major port just to the south of the Nile delta; formerly the home of the Pharaohs
Teheran
the capital and largest city of Iran; located in northern Iran
Tokio
the capital and largest city of Japan; the economic and cultural center of Japan
Nairobi
the capital and largest city of Kenya; a center for tourist safaris
Parigi
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
Amsterdam
an industrial center and the nominal capital of the Netherlands; center of the diamond-cutting industry; seat of an important stock exchange; known for its canals and art museum
Budapest
capital and largest city of Hungary; located on the Danube River in north-central Hungary
Beirut
capital and largest city of Lebanon; located in western Lebanon on the Mediterranean
Bengasi
the capital and chief port and largest city of Libya; in northwestern Libya on the Mediterranean Sea; founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC
Varsavia
the capital and largest city of Poland; located in central Poland
Lisbona
capital and largest city and economic and cultural center of Portugal; a major port in western Portugal on Tagus River where it broadens and empties into the Atlantic
Mogadiscio
the capital and largest city of Somalia; a port on the Indian Ocean
Mosca
a city of central European Russia; formerly capital of both the Soviet Union and Soviet Russia; since 1991 the capital of the Russian Federation
Kiev
capital and largest city of the Ukraine; a major manufacturing and transportation center
Madrid
the capital and largest city situated centrally in Spain; home of an outstanding art museum
Berna
the capital of Switzerland; located in western Switzerland
Damasco
an ancient city (widely regarded as the world's oldest) and present capital and largest city of Syria; according to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul (then known as Saul) underwent a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus
Dar-Es-Salaam
the capital and largest port city of Tanzania on the Indian Ocean
Tunisi
the capital and principal port of Tunisia
Ankara
the capital of Turkey; located in west-central Turkey; it was formerly known as Angora and is the home of Angora goats
Alabama
a state in the southeastern United States on the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
Arizona
a state in southwestern United States; site of the Grand Canyon
fenice
the state capital and largest city located in south central Arizona; situated in a former desert that has become a prosperous agricultural area thanks to irrigation
Arkansas
a state in south central United States; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
California
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
Florida
a state in southeastern United States between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
Atlanta
state capital and largest city of Georgia; chief commercial center of the southeastern United States; was plundered and burned by Sherman's army during the American Civil War
Idaho
a state in the Rocky Mountains
Kansas
a state in midwestern United States
Francoforte
the capital of Kentucky; located in northern Kentucky
Massachusetts
a state in New England; one of the original 13 colonies
Boston
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
Michigan
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
Mississippi
a state in the Deep South on the gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate States during the American Civil War
Missouri
a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union
Montana
a state in northwestern United States on the Canadian border
Nebraska
a midwestern state on the Great Plains
Oklahoma
a state in south central United States
Oklahoma
capital and largest city of Oklahoma; the economy is based on oil and livestock
Texas
the second largest state; located in southwestern United States on the Gulf of Mexico
Washington
a state in northwestern United States on the Pacific
Wisconsin
a midwestern state in north central United States