Countries of the World – Capitals, Currencies & Nicknames

This topic covers the core 'World General Knowledge' facts tested in almost every LAT/CSS-style exam: how many countries exist, which countries changed names, capital cities, currencies, famous nicknames of countries/cities, and a handful of major 20th-century political events (partitions, mergers, independence dates).

How many countries are there?

There are 195 countries in the world today. This includes 193 UN member states plus 2 non-member observer states: the Holy See (Vatican) and the State of Palestine. By continent: 54 in Africa, 48 in Asia, 44 in Europe, 33 in Latin America & the Caribbean, and 14 in Oceania.

Countries that changed their names:

• Formosa → Taiwan
• Burma → Myanmar
• Zaire → Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Ceylon → Sri Lanka (a common related fact)

Capitals to memorize:

• Australia → Canberra (not Sydney)
• Ethiopia → Addis Ababa
• Uzbekistan → Tashkent
• Jordan → Amman
• Libya → Tripoli
• Turkey → Ankara (currency: Lira)
• Brazil → Brasília

Currencies:

• Turkey → Lira
• South Africa → Rand
• Iraq → Dinar (traditionally; note some test banks list 'Rial' — always verify against your source)

Famous country/city nicknames (very heavily tested):

• Norway → 'Land of the Midnight Sun'
• Nepal → 'Land of Mountains'
• Finland → 'Land of a Thousand Lakes'
• Netherlands → also called 'Holland'; nicknamed the 'Flower Garden of Europe'
• Gibraltar → 'Key to the Mediterranean'
• Agra (India) → home of the Taj Mahal
• Lhasa (Tibet) → the 'Forbidden City' (foreigners were historically forbidden entry)
• Rome → the 'Eternal City' and the 'City of Seven Hills'
• Iraq (Mesopotamia) → 'Site of Ancient Civilization'
• Afghanistan → the 'Buffer State' of Asia (historically buffered British India and Russian empires)
• Pakistan → after Iran, the world's largest manufacturer of hand-woven carpets

Key political/historical facts:

• Britain was the first country to explode a nuclear device underground.
• Germany was divided into East and West Germany in 1945 (after WWII), and the two reunified into one state on October 3, 1990.
• Kuwait was occupied by Iraq on August 2, 1990, triggering the Gulf War.
• Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia on May 24, 1993.
• Sheikh Hasina Wajid became Bangladesh's Prime Minister after Khalida Zia.
• India was the first country to recognize Bangladesh's independence.
• Rauf Denktash was the veteran statesman of (Turkish) Cyprus.
• Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the founding president of the UAE.
• George Washington was the first President of the USA; the USA is made up of 50 states.
• The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
• Antarctica is the uninhabited continent of the world.
• Russia is the only country that spans two continents: Europe and Asia.
• China is the world's most populous country and is a one-party (single-party) state.
• Mexico is the world's largest producer of silver.
• Vatican City is a sovereign city-state located within Italy (Rome).
• Fidel Castro was the President of Cuba.

Study tip: Group these facts into categories (capitals / currencies / nicknames / historical dates) rather than memorizing them as one long list — this mirrors how exam options are usually distractors from the same category.