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How to learn all 195 countries

Four stepsNo sign-upFree

Memorising 195 shapes in one go does not work. What works is learning small groups of neighbours, attaching a hook to each shape, and getting tested on the ones you keep forgetting.

  1. 1

    Start with what you already know

    Begin with a country you can already place, such as your own. Learn only the countries that border it, then grow outwards. Each new country has a known neighbour to anchor it, which is far easier than learning isolated shapes.

    Your country→Its neighbours→Their neighbours
  2. 2

    Learn in groups of five to eight

    The world has 6 continents and 24 regions. A region such as Western Europe or Western Africa is a good size for one sitting. Finish a group before moving on, and come back to it the next day.

  3. 3

    Give every shape a hook

    A silly picture beats a bare name. Make your own if the first one does not stick. Every country page has a hook to get you started, like these three.

    • Italy

      Picture a high boot kicking a football. Sicily is the football, and the heel and toe point at it.

    • Chile

      Chile is a long thin ribbon down the west edge of South America, never more than about 350 km wide.

    • Sri Lanka

      A teardrop hanging off the southern tip of India.

  4. 4

    Test yourself, then repeat

    Try to answer from memory before you check the map, even if you get it wrong. Bring the ones you miss back within a day or two, and mix the groups together once they feel easy.

    Recall→Check→Repeat

Ready to try it?

Open the map, pick a continent and learn your first group.

Open the interactive map