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Countries of the world quiz

Nine quizzes, ninety questions, every continent. The easy ones you will breeze through; the hard ones settle arguments.

  • 9 quizzes
  • 90 questions
  • 3 levels
  • Printable list
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Questions and answers — printable list
  1. Which country covers the most territory on Earth, with a total area of about 6.6 million square miles?RussiaRussia is the world's largest country, at 6,592,846 square miles (17,075,400 square km), according to Britannica.
  2. Which country is the smallest in the world by area, covering just 0.17 square mile?Vatican CityVatican City is the world's smallest country at 0.17 square mile (0.44 square km), with Monaco second at 0.8 square mile, per Britannica.
  3. Which country is the second largest in the world by area, at about 3.8 million square miles?CanadaCanada is the second largest country on Earth, at 3,848,758 square miles (9,968,242 square km), according to Britannica.
  4. As of July 2024, which country had the world's largest population, with more than 1.4 billion people?IndiaThe U.S. Census Bureau put India first at 1,409,128,296 people as of July 2024, just ahead of China at 1,407,929,929.
  5. As of July 1, 2026, where did the United States rank among the world's most populous countries?ThirdThe U.S. Census Bureau lists the United States as the third most populous country, at 342,620,143 people as of July 1, 2026.
  6. How many member states does the United Nations have?193The United Nations has 193 member states, plus two permanent nonmember observer missions, per Britannica.
  7. In what year was the United Nations established by its 51 founding countries?1945The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, and was founded by 51 countries, according to Britannica.
  8. How many recognized sovereign countries are there in Africa?54Africa contains 54 recognized sovereign countries, more than any other continent, according to Britannica.
  9. How many countries make up the continent of South America?12South America comprises 12 countries, per Britannica, far fewer than Africa's 54.
  10. Which country formally withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020?United KingdomThe United Kingdom's withdrawal took formal effect on January 31, 2020, an exit widely known as Brexit, according to Britannica.
  11. As of 2026, how many member states does the European Union have following the United Kingdom's departure?27The European Union counts 27 member states. It had 28 until the United Kingdom's withdrawal took effect on January 31, 2020, leaving Austria through Sweden as the current membership.
  12. As of 2026, which country, independent since July 9, 2011, is the world's newest internationally recognized nation?South SudanSouth Sudan declared independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011, and the United States recognized it the same day. It joined the United Nations on July 14, 2011, as the 193rd member state, and no country has been admitted since.
  13. Which mountain is the highest in the world, reaching 29,032 feet above sea level?Mount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest mountain at 29,032 feet (8,849 m), according to Britannica.
  14. Mount Everest sits on the border between Nepal and which other country?ChinaEverest straddles the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China; in 2020 the two countries jointly declared its height, per Britannica.
  15. Which mountain in northeastern Tanzania is the highest point in Africa, at 19,340 feet?KilimanjaroKibo, the central cone of Kilimanjaro, rises to 19,340 feet (5,895 m) and is Africa's highest point, according to Britannica.
  16. Which is the largest island in the world, covering about 836,000 square miles?GreenlandGreenland covers about 836,330 square miles (2,166,086 square km), making it the largest island on Earth — more than three times the size of Texas. Australia is larger still, but geographers classify it as a continent rather than an island.
  17. About what share of Earth's surface is covered by ocean?71 percentOcean covers 71 percent of Earth's surface, according to NOAA.
  18. Which is the newest of the five ocean basins recognized by NOAA?Southern OceanThe Southern Ocean is the newest named ocean, defined as the water from the coast of Antarctica to 60° South latitude, per NOAA.
  19. The Sahara, the world's largest hot desert, spreads across which continent?AfricaThe Sahara covers some 3,320,000 square miles and reaches into at least 10 African countries, from Morocco and Algeria to Chad and Sudan, per Britannica.
  20. The Atacama Desert, where some spots have never recorded rainfall, lies mainly in which country?ChileThe Atacama Desert of northern Chile gets less than 0.04 inch of rain a year and runs 600 to 700 miles north to south, according to Britannica.
  21. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth, −128.6 °F, was measured on which continent?AntarcticaThe record low of −128.6 °F (−89.2 °C) was measured at Russia's Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983, per Britannica.
  22. Which country is made up of more than 17,000 islands?IndonesiaIndonesia contains more than 17,000 islands, according to Britannica; the Philippine archipelago numbers just over 7,600.
  23. Which country's national flag is a plain white field with a single red disk at its center?JapanJapan's flag is a white field bearing a central red disk, a stylized sun, formally adopted as the national flag on August 13, 1999, per Britannica.
  24. Which symbol appears at the center of Canada's national flag?A maple leafCanada's Maple Leaf flag became official on February 15, 1965, and the maple leaf had been a national symbol since at least 1868, per Britannica.
  25. Which country flies the world's only national flag that is not four-sided?NepalNepal's flag is a double pennant — two joined crimson triangles edged in blue, carrying a white moon above and a white sun below — making it the only national flag on earth that is not four-sided. Switzerland and Vatican City fly square flags and Denmark's Dannebrog is an oblong, but all three still have four sides. Nepal's constitution even fixes the shape with a step-by-step geometric construction.
  26. In 2022 the United Nations adopted Türkiye as its preferred name for which country?TurkeyThe UN adopted Türkiye in 2022 after the Turkish foreign minister requested the change in an official letter, and the U.S. State Department followed a year later, per Britannica.
  27. Persia officially changed its name in 1935 to what?IranPersia was officially renamed Iran in 1935 during Reza Shah's modernization campaign; the name means "Land of the Aryans," per Britannica.
  28. Holland is a historical region located inside which country?NetherlandsHolland is not a synonym for the whole country: it has been divided since 1840 into Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland, two of the Netherlands' 12 provinces, per Britannica.
  29. The Dead Sea, the lowest body of water on Earth's surface, lies between Jordan and which country?IsraelThe Dead Sea's eastern shore belongs to Jordan and the southern half of its western shore to Israel; its surface had fallen to about 1,410 feet below sea level by the mid-2010s, per Britannica.
  30. Greenland, the world's largest island, is not an independent country. It is part of the kingdom of which nation?DenmarkBritannica notes that Greenland, at 840,000 square miles the largest island on Earth, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark rather than an independent country.
  31. How many landlocked countries are there in the world?44Britannica counts 44 landlocked countries, meaning countries with no coastline on an ocean or an ocean-connected sea.
  32. Along with Liechtenstein, which country is one of the world's only two doubly landlocked countries?UzbekistanLiechtenstein and Uzbekistan are the only two doubly landlocked countries, meaning every country that surrounds them is itself landlocked, per Britannica.
  33. How many countries share a land border with China?14Fourteen countries border China: Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, per Britannica.
  34. Brazil borders every country in South America except Chile and which other?EcuadorBrazil touches every South American country except Ecuador and Chile, according to Britannica.
  35. Which city is Bolivia's constitutional capital and the seat of its Supreme Court?SucreBolivia has two capitals: Sucre is the constitutional capital and home of the Supreme Court, while La Paz is the administrative capital housing the executive and legislative branches, per Britannica.
  36. Which country, spread across the world's 18th largest territory, is the most sparsely populated country on Earth?MongoliaBritannica identifies Mongolia, with roughly 3 million people across the world's 18th largest territory, as the most sparsely populated country.
  37. After Vatican City, which is the world's second smallest country by area, at 0.8 square mile?MonacoMonaco covers 0.8 square mile (2.1 square km), second only to Vatican City's 0.17 square mile, per Britannica.
  38. How many time zones does Russia span?11Russia stretches across 11 time zones, covering all of northern Asia and the eastern third of Europe, according to Britannica.
  39. Which country has the only national flag in the modern world that is not rectangular?NepalNepal's flag is formed of two joined pennant shapes, crimson with blue borders and stylized sun and moon symbols, making it the only non-rectangular national flag, per Britannica.
  40. Besides Switzerland, which country flies a square national flag?Vatican CityVatican City's flag is square, divided vertically into yellow and white with crossed keys and a papal tiara; it was first hoisted on June 8, 1929, per Britannica.
  41. What does the motto on Brazil's flag, "Ordem e progresso," mean in English?Order and progressThe white band on Brazil's flag reads "Ordem e progresso" — "Order and progress" — a phrase drawn from Positivist philosophy, according to Britannica.
  42. Which country declared independence on July 9, 2011, making it the world's newest internationally recognized country?South SudanSouth Sudan declared independence on July 9, 2011, after almost 99 percent of voters chose secession in a January 2011 referendum, per Britannica.
  43. Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a separation nicknamed the Velvet Divorce, on January 1 of what year?1993The federal legislature voted to divide the country in November 1992, and the two states were formally established on January 1, 1993, according to Britannica.
  44. In what year did the United Nations adopt Türkiye as its preferred name for the country long written in English as Turkey?2022The UN adopted Türkiye in 2022 after the Turkish foreign minister requested the change by official letter; the U.S. State Department followed a year later, per Britannica.
  45. Persia was officially renamed Iran, meaning "Land of the Aryans," in which year?1935The change came in 1935 during a modernization campaign led by Reza Shah, according to Britannica.
  46. In 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared the elevation of Mount Everest to be about how many feet?29,032The two countries jointly set Everest's height at 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 m) in 2020, a figure since widely accepted, per Britannica.
  47. Which Pacific country's islands straddle both the equator and the 180th meridian, placing it in all four hemispheres?KiribatiKiribati's 33 islands, spread across the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line groups over some 1,800 miles of ocean, cross both the equator and the 180th meridian, so the country sits in the northern, southern, eastern and western hemispheres at once. Fiji is crossed by the 180th meridian but lies entirely south of the equator, while Tonga and Samoa lie east of neither line's intersection.
  48. Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall at 3,212 feet, drops from a flat-topped plateau in which country?VenezuelaAngel Falls is in Bolívar state, southeastern Venezuela, leaping from the plateau of Auyán-Tepuí and measuring 500 feet wide at its base, per Britannica.
  49. Which is the only African country where Spanish is an official language?Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea's official languages are Spanish, French, and Portuguese, and it is the only African country where Spanish holds that status, per Britannica.
  50. The U.S. dollar has been legal tender in which Central American country since January 1, 2001?El SalvadorEl Salvador made the U.S. dollar legal tender on January 1, 2001; Ecuador had already swapped the sucre for the dollar in 2000, per Britannica.
  51. South Africa has three capital cities. Which one is its judicial capital, the seat of the country's courts?BloemfonteinBritannica lists South Africa's three capitals as Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial).
  52. Which South American country, a Dutch plantation colony long known as Dutch Guiana, became independent from the Netherlands on November 25, 1975?SurinameDutch from 1667 and known for generations as Dutch Guiana, Suriname became an independent republic on November 25, 1975. Dutch is still its official language. Guyana next door was British Guiana, while Paraguay and Uruguay were Spanish colonies.
  53. Which country is completely surrounded by South Africa, bordering only the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Eastern Cape?LesothoBritannica counts Lesotho among the only three countries surrounded by a single other country, alongside Vatican City and San Marino inside Italy.
  54. Which mountain, whose twin cones reach 18,510 feet in southwestern Russia, is the highest point in Europe?Mount ElbrusBritannica gives Mount Elbrus, at 18,510 feet (5,642 m), as the highest point in Europe.
  55. Five countries border the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water. Which of these is NOT one of them?UzbekistanBritannica lists the Caspian's five neighbors as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia; Uzbekistan is doubly landlocked and does not touch it.
  56. The Suez Canal, running 120 miles between Port Said and Suez, officially opened in what year?1869Britannica dates the Suez Canal's completion to August 1869 and its ceremonial opening to November 17, 1869 — 45 years before the Panama Canal.
  57. In April 2018 the king of which African country announced that its official name would become the Kingdom of Eswatini?SwazilandBritannica records that Swaziland's king announced the country's renaming to the Kingdom of Eswatini in April 2018.
  58. The Panama Canal, which runs about 40 miles from shoreline to shoreline across Central America, was completed in what year?1914Britannica notes the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, some 45 years after the Suez Canal opened in 1869.
  59. The United Nations conducts its business in six official languages. Which of these is NOT one of them?HindiAccording to Britannica, the six official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
  60. Which country failed to qualify for the euro when the currency launched in 1999, and was accepted into it in 2001 after economic reforms?GreeceBritannica notes that Greece did not initially meet the criteria for the euro and was admitted in 2001; Portugal, Ireland, and Finland were among the 11 original adopters.
  61. As of its fact sheet published in August 2026, how many independent states does the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research count worldwide?197The State Department's August 11, 2026, fact sheet lists 197 independent states — a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory that the United States recognizes as independent.
  62. In which year did both Switzerland and East Timor become member states of the United Nations?2002Britannica's roster of UN member states records Switzerland and East Timor as both admitted in 2002.
  63. Ranked by total area — land plus inland and coastal waters — Russia and Canada are the two largest countries on Earth. Which country ranks third, ahead of China?United StatesThe U.S. Census Bureau measures the total area of the United States at 9,833,517 square kilometers (3,796,742 square miles), ahead of China's roughly 9.6 million. Brazil (8.5 million), Australia (7.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.2 million) are well behind both. Counting dry land alone flips the order — China has 9,326,410 square kilometers of land to the United States' 9,147,593 — which is why some lists rank China third.
  64. Vatican City and Monaco are the two smallest countries in the world by area. Which country comes third on that list?NauruNauru, the Pacific island republic that officially adopted its indigenous name Naoero in 2026, covers just 21 square kilometers — behind only Vatican City at 0.44 and Monaco at 2. Tuvalu is fourth at 26 square kilometers, followed by San Marino at 61 and Liechtenstein at 160.
  65. Chile runs roughly 2,700 miles from the Peruvian border to Cape Horn. About how wide is the country on average?About 110 milesBritannica gives Chile an average width of about 110 miles, narrowing to just 9.6 miles near Puerto Natales.
  66. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country on Earth, home to about 3.5 million people as of 2023. Where does its territory rank among the world's countries by area?18thMongolia covers 1,564,116 square kilometers, making it the 18th largest country in the world — larger than Iran and Libya, smaller than Sudan and Indonesia. Spread across that territory, its roughly 3.5 million people work out to about two per square kilometer, the lowest density of any sovereign state.
  67. As of 2026, which country ranks as the world's fifth most populous?PakistanThe U.S. Census Bureau names India, China, the United States, Indonesia and Pakistan as the world's five most populous countries as of July 1, 2026, with the United States at about 342.6 million. Indonesia holds fourth place at roughly 286 million, leaving Pakistan fifth at about 255 million — comfortably ahead of Nigeria (about 238 million) and Bangladesh (about 176 million).
  68. Bolivia has two capitals. Which arm of government sits in Sucre, the constitutional capital?The Supreme CourtBritannica notes that Sucre is Bolivia's constitutional capital and the seat of its Supreme Court, while La Paz houses the executive and legislative branches.
  69. South Africa splits its capital functions across three cities. Which of them is the judicial capital?BloemfonteinBritannica lists Pretoria as South Africa's administrative capital, Cape Town as legislative and Bloemfontein as judicial.
  70. Tuvalu is one of the least populous countries on Earth. Roughly what population is estimated for the Pacific nation in 2026?About 10,600Tuvalu's nine islands hold roughly 10,600 people, making it one of the smallest countries on Earth by population. The nation's own 2022-23 Population and Housing Census counted 10,632 residents, about 6,600 of them on the capital atoll of Funafuti.
  71. Only two countries are doubly landlocked, meaning every neighbor they have is itself landlocked. Which pair?Liechtenstein and UzbekistanBritannica identifies Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan as the world's only doubly landlocked countries.
  72. Fourteen countries share a land border with China. Which of these is not one of them?BangladeshBritannica's list of China's 14 neighbors includes Bhutan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, but not Bangladesh.
  73. The Danube passes through how many countries on its run from Germany to Ukraine?10Britannica counts 10 countries along the Danube: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.
  74. Turkey's Asian and European halves are divided by two straits. Which body of water lies between the Bosporus and the Dardanelles?The Sea of MarmaraBritannica places the Bosporus in the north and the Dardanelles in the south, with the Sea of Marmara between them.
  75. The Southern Ocean, the newest of NOAA's five named ocean basins, extends from the coast of Antarctica out to which line of latitude?60° SouthNOAA says the U.S. Board on Geographic Names defines the Southern Ocean as the water from Antarctica's coast to 60° South latitude.
  76. The Philippine archipelago was long counted at 7,107 islands. After a 2016 survey charted more than 500 more, the official total passed what figure?7,600Britannica reports that the country's National Mapping and Resource Information Authority announced the new islands in 2016, pushing the total past 7,600.
  77. In which year did the United Nations adopt Türkiye as its preferred name for the country, after a request from the Turkish foreign minister?2022Britannica dates the UN's adoption of Türkiye to 2022, following an official letter from Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu; the U.S. State Department followed a year later.
  78. In which year did the king of Swaziland announce that the country's official name would become the Kingdom of Eswatini?2018Britannica dates the announcement to April 2018.
  79. Equatorial Guinea is the only country in Africa with Spanish as an official language. Which two languages hold that status alongside it?French and PortugueseBritannica lists Equatorial Guinea's official languages as Spanish, French and Portuguese.
  80. Nepal flies the only national flag in the modern world that is not rectangular. How many rays does the white sun in its lower pennant carry?12Britannica describes Nepal's crimson flag as bearing a white moon with eight rays in the upper segment and a white 12-rayed sun in the lower one.
  81. Switzerland's national flag flown on land is square rather than rectangular. Which other country also flies a square national flag?Vatican CityBritannica notes that the flag of Vatican City is square — yellow and white, with crossed keys and a papal tiara — as is the Swiss land flag.
  82. The Southern Cross constellation appears on five national flags. Which of these countries does not have it on its flag?FijiBritannica lists the Southern Cross on the flags of Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Samoa — Fiji is not among them.
  83. Kibo, the central cone of Kilimanjaro in northeastern Tanzania, is the highest point in Africa. How high does it rise?19,340 feetBritannica gives Kibo an elevation of 19,340 feet (5,895 m), the highest point on the African continent.
  84. By the mid-2010s, how far below sea level had the surface of the Dead Sea, on the Israel-Jordan border, fallen?About 1,410 feetBritannica records the Dead Sea dropping from roughly 1,300 feet below sea level in the mid-20th century to about 1,410 feet by the mid-2010s.
  85. In Montenegro's May 2006 referendum, 55.5 percent of valid votes were cast for ending the federation with Serbia. What share of the valid votes had to back independence for the referendum to pass?55 percentThe referendum law set a qualified-majority bar of 55 percent of valid votes for the 'yes' option, alongside a minimum turnout of 50 percent of registered voters. Both were met on May 21, 2006: 230,711 of 419,236 valid votes (55.50 percent) backed independence on 86.5 percent turnout, clearing the bar by half a percentage point. Montenegro's parliament declared independence on June 3, 2006.
  86. A modern GPS receiver at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich reads 0 degrees longitude about how far from the visible prime meridian marker?About 334 feet eastThe Airy Transit Circle was aimed using local gravity, which at Greenwich is deflected a few arcseconds from the direction of Earth's true center. Satellite positioning measures from that center instead, so NOAA notes you have to walk about 334 feet east of the brass line before a GPS receiver reads 0 degrees longitude.
  87. How many countries adopted the euro when it launched as a noncash monetary unit on January 1, 1999?11Britannica lists 11 adopters in 1999 — Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain; Greece was accepted in 2001.
  88. Lake Baikal in Russia, the deepest continental body of water on Earth, holds roughly what share of the planet's unfrozen fresh surface water?About one-fifthLake Baikal plunges to 5,315 feet and holds some 23,000 cubic kilometers of water — roughly one-fifth of the planet's unfrozen fresh surface water, and as much fresh water as all of the North American Great Lakes combined.
  89. Papua New Guinea has more living indigenous languages than any other country on Earth — roughly 840 of them. About how many belong to the Austronesian family, spoken mainly along the coasts and on the offshore islands?About 200Roughly 840 living indigenous languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea, more than in any other country. Only about 200 of them are Austronesian, the seaborne family whose speakers settled the coasts and offshore islands such as the Trobriands and Buka. The large majority of the rest are Papuan, or non-Austronesian, languages, concentrated in the mountainous interior and typically spoken by small communities.
  90. Vinson Massif, the highest mountain in Antarctica, rises to about how many feet above sea level?16,050 feetMount Vinson, in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, tops out at 4,892 meters — about 16,050 feet — the highest point on the Antarctic continent; a 2004 GPS survey published by the USGS put it at 16,046 feet. It was first climbed in December 1966 by an American team led by Nicholas Clinch. The other figures are close to the summit elevations of Mount Elbrus, Denali, and Aconcagua.

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About the countries of the world quiz

Ask how many countries exist and you'll get three different correct answers. The U.S. State Department counts 197 independent states as of its August 11, 2026 fact sheet. The United Nations counts 193 member states. Britannica reaches 195 by adding the UN's two non-member observer states to that roster. None of the three is wrong — they're just counting different things, which is exactly the kind of distinction this quiz tests.

The 9 quizzes in this set split difficulty by what kind of fact you need. Easy rounds cover countries most Americans already picture clearly — Russia as the largest country on Earth, the U.S. dollar circulating in El Salvador and Ecuador. Medium rounds test capitals that defy assumption, like Bolivia's split between Sucre and La Paz. The hardest rounds cover recent renamings — Eswatini, Naoero, Türkiye — and oddities like Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, the only two doubly landlocked countries.

Frequently asked questions

Can I guess all 197 countries?

The 197 figure comes from the U.S. State Department's list of independent states, published August 11, 2026 — a stricter tally than the UN's 193 members. Guessing all 197 unaided is a tall order even for enthusiasts; most people do better working continent by continent, since Africa alone holds 54 recognized countries and Asia's count shifts between 48 and 50 depending on how Taiwan and Russia are treated.

Can you give me a list of countries for a quiz?

This page doesn't hand you a printable roster — it tests what you know about countries instead. If you need an authoritative list, the U.S. State Department maintains one: 197 independent states in its fact sheet published August 11, 2026, defined as peoples organized into a sovereign state with a territory the United States recognizes as independent.

What are 195 countries in the world?

There's no single official list of exactly 195 countries — it's Britannica's own count, reached by adding the two non-member observer states to the United Nations' 193 member states. The State Department's separate list, published August 11, 2026, counts 197 independent states instead, using a stricter definition tied to U.S. diplomatic recognition. Different institutions, different rules, different totals.

Who is the 10 biggest country?

The sources for this page don't include a full top 10 ranked by area, but the top four are clear: Russia leads at 6,592,846 square miles (17,075,400 square km), followed by Canada at 3,848,758 square miles, the United States at 3,809,525 square miles, and China at 3,696,100 square miles. Beyond those four, this page doesn't have sourced figures to rank the rest.

What is the most loved nationality?

There's no data source for "most loved" nationality — that's a matter of opinion, not something measurable. What can be measured is recognition and age: South Sudan, which declared independence on July 9, 2011, is the world's newest recognized country, while San Marino, founded by tradition in 301 CE, is considered the oldest republic still standing.

What is the oldest country in the world?

San Marino is generally considered the world's oldest republic, founded by tradition in 301 CE by Saint Marinus. Vatican City became a sovereign state more recently, on June 7, 1929, when the Lateran Treaty settled relations between Italy and the papacy — a reminder that "oldest country" can mean the oldest continuous republic or the oldest current sovereign status, depending on definition.

Sources for the answers above

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No made-up answers

Every question here was written from a named source and reviewed before it went live.