This list covers 17 countries, from “Cabo Verde” to “Czechia,” spanning four continents and a huge range of landscapes, cultures, and histories. You’ll find sprawling nations like Canada and China alongside small island states like Comoros and Cyprus, each with its own capital, population, and official language. Whether you’re studying geography, planning travel, or just curious about the world map, this list gives you a quick, organized snapshot of every country in this alphabetical range.
Countries are independent political territories with their own governments, borders, and populations, recognized as sovereign states by the international community. Some, like China, have civilizations stretching back thousands of years, while others, like Czechia, gained their current name and borders only in recent decades. Many carry surprising claims to fame, such as Costa Rica, which abolished its military entirely to invest in conservation instead.
Below you’ll find the table with each country’s capital, population, official language, and a short description.
Country: the official name of each nation, listed alphabetically so you can quickly find the one you’re looking for.
Capital: the city where the national government is based, often the political and cultural heart of the country.
Population: the approximate number of people living in the country, giving you a sense of its size and scale.
Official Language: the language or languages recognized by the government, useful if you’re planning to visit or study the culture.
Description: a short overview of what makes the country distinctive, from its landscape and history to its people and traditions.
Countries
Country
Capital
Population
Official Language
Cabo Verde
Praia
600,000
Portuguese
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
17,000,000
Khmer
Cameroon
Yaoundé
28,000,000
French and English
Canada
Ottawa
39,000,000
English and French
Central African Republic
Bangui
5,500,000
French and Sango
Chad
N’Djamena
18,000,000
French and Arabic
Chile
Santiago
19,500,000
Spanish
China
Beijing
1,410,000,000
Mandarin Chinese
Colombia
Bogotá
52,000,000
Spanish
Comoros
Moroni
850,000
Comorian, Arabic, and French
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Kinshasa
100,000,000
French
Congo, Republic of the
Brazzaville
5,800,000
French
Costa Rica
San José
5,200,000
Spanish
Croatia
Zagreb
3,850,000
Croatian
Cuba
Havana
11,000,000
Spanish
Cyprus
Nicosia
1,250,000
Greek and Turkish
Czechia
Prague
10,900,000
Czech
Descriptions
Cabo Verde
An island nation off West Africa’s coast, Cabo Verde is known for its volcanic landscapes, laid-back beach towns, and a rich blend of African and Portuguese culture, including the soulful morna music style.
Cambodia
Home to the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat, Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation with a deep Buddhist heritage, tropical rivers, and a history shaped by the Khmer Empire.
Cameroon
Often called “Africa in miniature” for its varied landscapes, Cameroon sits at the hinge of West and Central Africa and is known for its rainforests, savannas, and dual French-English colonial legacy.
Canada
The world’s second-largest country by area, Canada stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic, known for its vast wilderness, multicultural cities, and universal healthcare system.
Central African Republic
A landlocked country in the heart of Africa, the Central African Republic is covered in dense rainforest and savanna and is rich in diamonds, gold, and timber despite ongoing economic challenges.
Chad
A vast, largely desert nation in north-central Africa, Chad spans the Sahara, the Sahel, and tropical south, and is named after Lake Chad, once one of Africa’s largest lakes.
Chile
A long, narrow country hugging South America’s Pacific coast, Chile stretches from the Atacama Desert to Patagonian glaciers and is famous for its wine, copper mining, and Andean landscapes.
China
The world’s most populous country for centuries, China is an East Asian giant with a civilization stretching back millennia, now also a global economic and technological powerhouse.
Colombia
A South American nation bordering both the Caribbean and Pacific, Colombia is known for its coffee, biodiversity, and vibrant cities like Medellín and Cartagena, alongside a dramatic Andean interior.
Comoros
A small volcanic archipelago in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, Comoros blends African, Arab, and French influences and is one of the world’s top producers of ylang-ylang and vanilla.
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
A massive Central African nation covering much of the Congo Basin rainforest, the DRC holds immense mineral wealth, including cobalt and diamonds, and is home to the mighty Congo River.
Congo, Republic of the
Bordering its larger namesake across the Congo River, the Republic of the Congo is a smaller Central African nation rich in oil reserves and equatorial rainforest.
Costa Rica
A Central American country famed for abolishing its army and championing conservation, Costa Rica protects roughly a quarter of its land in national parks and reserves teeming with wildlife.
Croatia
A Central European country along the sparkling Adriatic Sea, Croatia is known for its walled coastal towns like Dubrovnik, thousands of islands, and Roman and Venetian history.
Cuba
A Caribbean island nation known for its classic cars, cigars, and Afro-Cuban music, Cuba has been shaped by a socialist government since its 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro.
Cyprus
An eastern Mediterranean island nation, Cyprus is divided between Greek and Turkish communities and prized for its ancient ruins, sunny beaches, and mythological ties to the goddess Aphrodite.
Czechia
A Central European country also known as the Czech Republic, Czechia is famed for its fairy-tale capital Prague, medieval castles, and centuries-old brewing tradition, including the original pilsner beer.
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