A country is an area of land with its own government , laws , and borders . There are 195 countries in the world , and they vary enormously — from vast Russia , which spans eleven time zones , to tiny Vatican City , which is smaller than most school playing fields . Each country also has its own flag , its own leaders , and usually its own money and official languages .
✨ Russia is the largest country in the world by area , covering about 17 million square kilometres . Vatican City , inside Rome , is the smallest — just 0.44 square kilometres .
People often confuse a country with a continent or a city . A continent is a huge landmass that holds many countries ; a country is a single nation ; and a city is just one town within a country . So Europe is a continent , France is a country inside Europe , and Paris is a city inside France . Keeping these three apart makes geography much easier to understand .
📷 productie van de afbeelding uit het .shp-bestand: Koenb at Dutch Wikipedia · Public domain🗂️ Sort each name into continent, country, or city.
Continent Country City
Continent Country City
Continent Country City
Continent Country City
Continent Country City
Every country has a flag . Flags use colours and symbols to represent a nation's history , values , and people . Some flags show religious symbols , some use colours linked to nature , and some display the arms of historic royal families . A flag is a kind of badge for a whole country , flown proudly at sporting events , on government buildings , and by ships at sea.
📷 Sparrow (麻雀) · CC BY-SA 4.0🔗 Match each country to a famous feature of its flag.
The Union Jack of crossed crosses A green field and yellow diamond A red maple leaf A red circle (the rising Sun)
The Union Jack of crossed crosses A green field and yellow diamond A red maple leaf A red circle (the rising Sun)
The Union Jack of crossed crosses A green field and yellow diamond A red maple leaf A red circle (the rising Sun)
The Union Jack of crossed crosses A green field and yellow diamond A red maple leaf A red circle (the rising Sun)
💡 Countries are grouped into larger regions . For example , France , Germany , and Spain are all in Europe ; Egypt , Nigeria , and Kenya are all in Africa .
The colours and patterns on flags often tell a story . Red can stand for bravery or the blood of those who fought for the country ; white can mean peace ; green can stand for the land or for hope . Stars sometimes represent states or regions , like the fifty stars on the flag of the United States , one for each state .
🔗 Match each flag colour or symbol to a common meaning.
A state or region The land or hope Peace Bravery or courage
A state or region The land or hope Peace Bravery or courage
A state or region The land or hope Peace Bravery or courage
A state or region The land or hope Peace Bravery or courage
Borders between countries are sometimes natural features like rivers or mountain ranges . Others were drawn by treaties after wars or agreements between governments . Some borders have changed many times throughout history , and a few are still argued over today . When you look at a world map, every line between two colours is a border that people once agreed upon .
📷 Vinny255 · CC BY-SA 4.0✨ Africa has the most countries of any continent — 54 in total . Many African borders were drawn during European colonisation and did not always respect the territories of existing peoples and kingdoms .
🃏 Flip each card to discover a country fact.
? Largest country Russia — spans 11 time zones
? Smallest country Vatican City — under half a square kilometre
? Most countries on one continent Africa has 54 countries
? How many countries in total? 195 recognised countries worldwide
Tap each card to see the answer.
