How Many Countries Start With C Can You Name? My Family Got 11 and Then Argued About the Rest

last weekend we had a family game night and someone suggested naming countries that start with C. it sounded easy. it was not easy at all.

my sister was sure she knew them all. she got to nine and then completely froze. my dad kept shouting Cuba and Canada like saying them louder would unlock the rest. between all of us we managed eleven, and then we argued for twenty minutes about whether Congo counts.

here is the thing. there are 17 countries in the world that start with C. seventeen! so i turned our messy game night into this quiz. grab your family or just challenge yourself, and see if you can beat our eleven.

What Is This Quiz About?

this quiz covers all 17 countries that start with the letter C. each question gives you a clue, maybe a capital city or something the country is famous for, and you type in the name of the country.

you will visit the Great Wall of China, the beaches of Cuba, the temples of Cambodia and the rainforests of Costa Rica. it is a proper world tour, and you do not even need a passport.

there is no timer and no pressure. every question has a hint button, and after you answer you get a short explanation with a fun fact. so even your wrong answers teach you something.

How To Play This Quiz

it could not be simpler. here is how it works:

1. Read the clue. it could be a capital city, a landmark, or a fun fact.
2. Type the name of the country into the answer box. close enough usually counts.
3. Submit your answer and read the explanation. that is the best part.
4. Count your score out of 17 and brag to your family if you beat eleven.

works on phones, tablets and computers. and yes, you can absolutely play it again to improve your score. most people do way better the second time.

The Full List: All 17 Countries That Start With C

here are all the answers in one place. try the quiz first, then come back and check how you did.

Country	Capital / Famous For
Cabo Verde	Island nation off the coast of West Africa, also called Cape Verde
Cambodia	Home to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world
Cameroon	Yaounde – nicknamed Africa in Miniature
Canada	Second largest country in the world – famous for maple syrup and Niagara Falls
Central African Republic	Bangui – landlocked country in the heart of Africa
Chad	N’Djamena – landlocked country in north central Africa
Chile	Long thin country on South America’s west coast – famous for Easter Island
China	World’s most populous country – home to the Great Wall
Colombia	Bogota – famous for coffee
Comoros	Island nation off East Africa nicknamed the Perfume Isles
Congo	Brazzaville – sits on the Congo River
Costa Rica	Famous for rainforests, wildlife and having no army
Cote d’Ivoire	Also called Ivory Coast – the world’s biggest cocoa producer
Croatia	Famous for Dubrovnik and the Adriatic coastline
Cuba	Havana – famous for classic cars and cigars
Cyprus	Mediterranean island nation with beautiful beaches
Czechia	Prague – also called the Czech Republic, famous for its old town

Fun Facts And Stats

the C countries are full of superlatives. check these out:

• China has about 1.4 billion people, making it the most populous country on Earth. the Great Wall stretches over 21,000 kilometres.
• Canada covers around 9.98 million square kilometres. it is the second largest country in the world, after Russia.
• Chile is about 4,300 kilometres long but on average only 177 kilometres wide. it is one of the skinniest countries ever.
• Cote d’Ivoire grows more than 40 percent of the world’s cocoa. a huge amount of the world’s chocolate starts there.
• Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and put the money into schools and parks instead. it holds about 5 percent of the world’s species on a tiny patch of land.
• Cuba’s streets are full of classic American cars from the 1950s. they are still running because Cuban mechanics are incredibly creative.
• Angkor Wat in Cambodia covers about 162 hectares. it is the largest religious monument on the planet.
• Cameroon is called Africa in Miniature because it has almost every type of African landscape: beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests and savannas.
• Cabo Verde is made up of 10 islands sitting about 570 kilometres off the coast of West Africa.
• Cyprus has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, which makes it one of the oldest civilized places in the world.

The Congo Confusion And Other Tricky Bits

this is where my family lost the plot. there are two Congos. the Republic of the Congo, with its capital Brazzaville, starts with C and is in this quiz. the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its capital Kinshasa, starts with D. do not mix them up.

then there are the countries with two names. Cote d’Ivoire is also called Ivory Coast. Cabo Verde used to be called Cape Verde in English. Czechia is the short name for the Czech Republic. the quiz accepts the common versions, so you can relax.

and watch out for Colombia versus Columbia. the country is Colombia with an o. Columbia with a u is a university and a district, not a country.

Why Does C Have So Many Countries?

with 17 countries, C is one of the luckier letters. only a few letters beat it. S leads the pack with more than 30 countries, and M and B are also up there.

it mostly comes down to language history. lots of place names across Africa, the Americas and Europe happened to start with the C sound, and those names stuck for centuries. some letters like X and Q barely get used at all, so C having 17 is actually pretty generous.

Easy Tricks For Teachers, Students And Geography Fans Learning Countries That Start With C

teachers, this quiz is perfect for a quick classroom challenge. split the class into teams, give them five minutes, and see which team names the most C countries. the hints keep it fair for everyone.

students, here is my favorite memory trick: group the countries by type. the island nations are Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cuba and Cyprus. the big famous ones are China, Canada, Chile and Colombia. the African mainland group is Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire. then you have Cambodia, Costa Rica, Croatia and Czechia left over. suddenly 17 does not feel so bad.

and if you are just a geography fan like me, play the quiz once a week. spaced repetition sounds fancy, but it really just means the answers stick better each time you try.

Conclusion

so, did you beat our family score of eleven? if you did, congratulations, you officially know more geography than my entire family combined on a Saturday night.

if you did not, do not feel bad. play it again, read the explanations, and come back stronger. then send it to someone you love and watch them struggle with the Congo question just like we did.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countries start with the letter C?

There are 17 sovereign countries that start with C, out of 195 countries in the world.

What is the biggest country that starts with C?

Canada is the biggest by land area at about 9.98 million square kilometres. China is the biggest by population with around 1.4 billion people.

Which country that starts with C has no army?

Costa Rica. it abolished its military in 1948 and spends the money on education and national parks instead.

What is the difference between Congo and DR Congo?

The Republic of the Congo (capital Brazzaville) starts with C. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (capital Kinshasa) starts with D. they are two separate neighboring countries.

Is this quiz suitable for school use?

Yes. the language is simple, every question has a hint, and the explanations add real facts teachers can build a lesson around.

Can i retake the quiz to improve my score?

Absolutely. there is no limit. most players score much higher on their second or third try.