Top Ten Least Known Countries
Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the Central Pacific. It's the third smallest country in the world and the least visited country in the world as well. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 km (190 mi)... read more The only reason I knew this existed was that I dropped my globe.
I heard this name for the first time thanks to this list.
So much for an island in the Pacific made out of bird poop.
Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. It's actually sinking right now, and I have only seen two documentaries about it while we have hundreds of "New York Might Flood in 100 Years" documentaries.
Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, formerly known as Kirghizia, is a landlocked country located in Central Asia.Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek. Ethnic... read more
Yes, so few people know the Central Asian countries. Some of the more knowledgeable ones like me will know Kazakhstan, the most economically developed country there, and Turkmenistan because of their unusual rulers.
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are often forgotten. Uzbekistan is quite known because of world history, as Samarkand is located there. Some people on the internet have even made a joke referring to Kyrgyzstan as "WTFstan" to most people.
I knew for sure that:
1. It was part of the Soviet Union.
2. It's in Central Asia.
I'm not sure, but maybe:
1. People are Muslims.
2. There are many mountains.
3. The country is somewhat underdeveloped and mostly rural, with many sheep.
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also known as West Timor, constitutes part of the province of... read more This list is very good - most of the countries are really obscure.
I've never heard of anything like it.
This should be at the top of the list because I am from Asia and had never heard of it for at least 22 years.
Strictly speaking, it's not a country, which is exactly why it lacks recognition.
I didn't know that this is a state!
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia at the eastern end of the Himalayas. It is bordered by China to the north and India to the south. Nepal and Bangladesh are located in proximity to Bhutan but do not share a land border. The country has a population of over... read more Bhutan has the coolest flag ever. Look at the design! A dragon with feet and a powerful orb!
I know Bhutan. It's mostly Buddhism there.
Hands down one of the best flags and nature!
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is a two-island country in the West Indies. Located in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles, it is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, in both area and population. The... read more
An island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western coast of Central Africa, Sao Tome and Principe consists of two main islands, São Tomé and Príncipe. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa and is known for its biodiversity and cocoa production. The nation gained independence from Portugal... read more It should be telling that, until this comment, this is the only country in the top 25 without any remarks posted. Sao Tome and Principe is clearly the least known country.
If you knew what Sao Tome and Principe was before reading this list, stop lying. I know people who have heard of Nauru and not STP.
The language barrier in the name makes it something people can never even bring up.
Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a mountainous, landlocked country in Central Asia with an estimated 8 million people in 2013, and an area of 143,100 km2 (55,300 sq mi) and an estimated population of 9,537,645 people. Its capital and largest city is Dushanbe. It is bordered by Afghanistan... read more I know it's in Central Asia and was part of the Soviet Union, but nothing more.
Wow... I actually know ALL of the countries on this list!
It was one of the former USSR countries. I've heard it's very poor and underdeveloped there.
The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is a sovereign archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel off the eastern coast of Africa between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar. It shares maritime borders with Madagascar... read more It was the last country I learned about.
I'm a bit of a geography buff, and I'm pretty sure this one is made up.
The Newcomers
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's... read more
Niger or the Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. It covers a land... read more
I should have voted for this one, not Timor-Leste. I have heard of that, but never ever heard of this country.
Most of these lesser-known countries have dope, original, or uniquely tacky flags that grab your attention. This country didn't even try.
I've heard the name of this country before but don't even know where it is.
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country located in Central Africa, with an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi). Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name evokes its location near both the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea. As of... read more For those of you who don't know where this country is, I will answer that:
Continent: Africa
Region: West Africa (southwest to be more specific)
Nearby countries: Cameroon, Angola, Nigeria, Gabon, etc.
Size: Small compared to its neighboring countries
A tiny country in Africa.
If you are American, it's impossible to find.
Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is an enclaved, landlocked country in southern Africa completely surrounded by South Africa. It is by far the largest of the world's three independent states completely surrounded by the territory of another country, with Vatican City and San Marino being... read more Continent: Africa
Region: Southern Africa
Nearby countries: South Africa, Eswatini, etc. (it literally looks like it's inside South Africa)
Size: Small compared to neighboring countries
Located near the Indian Ocean
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. The permanent population is over 119,000 (2020), more than half of whom live on Tarawa atoll. The state comprises 32 atolls and one raised coral island, Banaba. They have a total land area of 811 square... read more Similar case to Nauru and Tuvalu. It's in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and not very well known.
Not only do many people not know what this country is, but a lot also get the name wrong. Although it's spelled Kiribati, it's actually pronounced Kiribas because they speak a language called Gilbertese, where the letter 'S' does not exist, and 'ti' is pronounced as an 'S'. Since the word Kiribati is a Gilbertese word ending with 'ti', the correct pronunciation is Kiribas.
Solomon Islands is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu and covering a land area of 28,400 square kilometres. Another country in the Pacific Ocean.
Quite empty.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. Ah yes, the Greater Antilles. Home to many little-known countries in the Caribbean.
Suriname, officially known as the Republic of Suriname, is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. At just under 165,000 square kilometers (64,000... read more Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana are the forgotten countries of South America, in my opinion, some of the best and most interesting! Especially this country!
South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in northeastern Africa that gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city. It is bordered to the east by Ethiopia, to the north by Sudan, to the west by the Central... read more Last year, I read an adventure fiction book where two Brits were searching for buried treasure in Ethiopia and Sudan. The civil war in South Sudan played an important role in this book.
That's all I know: it's in northeastern Africa, close to Ethiopia, and it's an underdeveloped and poor country.
The main reason no one knows about South Sudan is that it became a country in 2012, and many maps are still outdated. I suppose it could work the other way around as well, but my television in America just mentioned, Oh, there is a new country in Africa, and nothing more.
Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique.he capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically situated as part of the Windward... read more I know all the countries, capitals, and flags in the world. But if I start forgetting some, I will definitely forget about this one. So obscure.
I know a lot of people have heard of the Dominican Republic, but have many of you ever heard of this country?
Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is a Pacific island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Guinea, southeast of the... read more Continent: Oceania or Australia
Nearby countries: Australia, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, and possibly Papua New Guinea
Region: Southwestern Pacific area
It used to be a UK or French territory, I think.
This country is super obscure in its name, its location, and the fact that it often isn't even on maps.
Grenada is a Caribbean country that consists of the main island, also named Grenada, and smaller surrounding islands. The capital city is St. George's, which is known for its colorful architecture and deep-water harbor. Grenada is nicknamed the "Island of Spice" due to its significant nutmeg production,... read more
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island country in the Americas, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest, and Cameroon to the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000... read more Nobody in my school knew this country existed.
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of the country. The population of the country... read more Besides Kazakhstan and maybe Uzbekistan, no one ever seems to know about the Central Asian countries.
I do, but I guess that's because I'm an Aspie.
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was... read more I always thought of Angola when I heard of it and never got to know of its existence.