195 countries, billions of people and more surprising facts than you would expect. How many catch you off guard?
Population records, time zones, coastlines, the smallest states on Earth... This quiz picks the facts about world countries that tend to surprise even the well-travelled.
There are 195 recognised countries in the world (193 UN members plus Vatican City and Palestine), and the numbers behind them are genuinely wild. Smallest country: Vatican City at 0.44 km². Largest: Russia at 17.1 million km². Most populous: India since 2023. Least populous: Vatican City again, at around 800 residents. The records go on.
Here is one that trips people up every time: France holds the record for the most time zones of any country in the world (12), not because of its size but because of its overseas territories, from French Polynesia to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Réunion and French Guiana.