Feeling Small Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mongolia

The world's 18th-largest country, as well as the second-largest landlocked country, Mongolia is sandwiched between Russia and China, covering a surface area of 1,564,116 kmē (603,909 sq mi). With high mountains to the north and west, and the vast Gobi Desert to the south, Mongolia is prone to climate extremes and unpredictable weather that can endanger people and livestock. In recent times, large areas have been plagued by desertification due to climate change, which has impacted the country's already scarce rainfall.

Mongolia's vast territory is home to around 3 million people, almost half of which live in the country's capital, Ulaanbaatar (the world's coldest national capital), and other smaller provincial cities. In rural areas, especially in the grassland steppe that occupies the central part of the country, many people still practice nomadism, moving with the seasons to find fresh pastures for their herds, and living in the traditional round, portable tents known as "ger" ("yurt" in Russian). With an average density of 2 persons/kmē (6/sq mi), Mongolia has the lowest population density of all officially recognized sovereign countries.

Answer: Australia

A huge landmass covering an area of 7,692,024 kmē (2,969,907 sq mi), Australia is the world's sixth-largest country, and the only one featured in this quiz that is also a continent. It also one of the most sparsely populated countries, with an average density of 3/kmē (9/sq mi). Home to about 26 million people, Australia has the third-lowest density of all sovereign countries, after Mongolia and Namibia.

Much of Australia's interior is covered by deserts or semi-deserts that experience very low rainfall and high temperatures throughout the year; desertification, soil erosion, and high salinity have become pressing concerns in many areas. The only regions with a temperate climate lie in the country's south-western and south-eastern corners. Most of the enormous state of Western Australia is a hot desert, while tropical rainforests and savannas are found in the north, above the Tropic of Capricorn. Like other sparsely populated countries, Australia is highly urbanized: about 67% of its population lives in metropolitan areas, especially those of the five largest cities and state capitals (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide).

Answer: Bolivia

The world's 27th-largest country, Bolivia covers an area of 1,098,581 kmē (424,162 sq mi), with a number of different ecoregions and sharp variations in elevation. One of its two capitals, La Paz, is the world's highest capital and large city. Compared to other South American countries, Bolivia has a relatively low proportion of people living in urban areas (around 67%), though urbanization is growing. The majority of the Bolivian population (around 12 million at the time of writing) live in the central and Llanos (lowlands) regions, where the climate is more temperate and the soil fertile. The highest density is found in the Cochabamba department, known for its year-round spring-like climate, and the lowest in the remote Pando Department, located within the Amazon Rainforest. The average density of the whole country is 11/kmē (28/sq mi).

Although Bolivia's population has tripled over the past 50-60 years, and its growth rate is quite healthy, it is unlikely that its density will increase, due to the country's unique geographical features. Just to put things into perspective, Egypt, a country with a similar surface area - much of which is covered by the Sahara Desert - has a population that is about ten times as large as that of Bolivia.

Answer: Russia

With an overall population of over 140 million, Russia would have no need to feel small if it was not the world's largest country by far. Its surface area is a staggering 17,098,246 kmē (6,601,670 sq mi) - only somewhat smaller than South America. The vast majority of Russia's population lives in the European part of the country, west of the Urals; about the same percentage of the country's population lives in urban centres.

Because of these peculiarities, Russia is a country of sharp contrasts in terms of population structure. While its capital, Moscow, is the largest city located completely within Europe, the country's population density is one of the lowest in the world - an average of 8/kmē (22/sq mi). Even the much higher density of European Russia (27.5/kmē/70 per sq mi) is low if compared to most other European countries, and especially to countries like Bangladesh - which has an area of 148,460 kmē (57,320 sq mi), and a density of 1,141/kmē (2,955/sq mi).

As Russia does not lack water, and is also extremely rich in natural resources, the main factor for its sparse population is the harsh climate of much of its territory. In most of Russia, there are only two seasons - winter and summer - and temperature extremes are common. Russia's largest federal subject, the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) - also the world's largest national subdivision - experiences the coldest winters in the Northern Hemisphere. On the other hand, much of European Russia enjoys milder climates, though winters can be very cold. The very small percentage (about 8%) of the country's huge expanse that is used for arable farming is mainly located in the European part.

Answer: Kazakhstan

With an area of 2,724,900 kmē (1,052,100 sq mi), the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan ranks 9th in the list of the world's largest countries. It also has the distinction of being the largest of all landlocked countries, almost twice as big as Mongolia, its runner-up. Though most of Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia, a small portion west of the river Ural - one of the traditional boundaries between Europe and Asia - is considered part of Eastern Europe.

As is the case with most of the countries mentioned in this quiz, Kazakhstan's population of about 19 million is very unevenly distributed, though the split between rural and urban population is not as dramatic as in other countries. The presence of extensive arid regions and high mountain ranges contribute to the country's low population density - one of the world's lowest at 7/kmē (18.1/sq mi). In fact, it is estimated that large portions of Kazakhstan's territory are virtually uninhabited.

The huge Kazakh Steppe, the world's largest dry steppe region, covers one-third of the country: on the whole, about three-quarters of Kazakhstan is either desert or semi-desert, with very cold winters, hot summers, and unpredictable rainfall. The capital, Astana, a planned city located in the north-central part of the country, is the world's second-coldest capital. The country's environment has also been severely damaged by decades of unchecked human activity - as in the case of the Aral Sea, once one of the world's largest lakes, now all but disappeared.

Answer: Libya

The 4th-largest African country, and the world's 16th-largest with an area of 1,759,541 kmē (679,363 sq mi), Libya has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Sea of all North African countries. 90% of its population (about 7 million at the time of writing) lives in that narrow coastal area (amounting to about 10% of its vast territory), mainly in the country's three largest cities - the capital Tripoli, Benghazi, and Misrata, which are all seaports.

With their milder, Mediterranean climate, the two northern regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica have a population density of 50/kmē (130/sq mi) - comparable to countries such as South Africa and Nicaragua. South of there, population density is of less than 1/kmē (2.6/sq mi). Most of Libya's vast territory consists of the Libyan Desert, which has been known since antiquity for its very inhospitable conditions. In some places, rainfall can occur once every 5-10 years, and there are also places that have not seen any rain for decades. Extreme temperatures are also common, with average daytime temperatures of 50 šC (122 šF) during the summer, though night temperatures can easily drop below freezing in winter.

Answer: Chad

The largest of the three landlocked countries that lie at the crossroads of North and Central Africa (the others being Niger and Mali), Chad is the world's 20th-largest country. Though its population (around 17 million at the time of writing) is steadily increasing because of its high birth rate, the country's average density remains a very low 8.6/kmē (22.3/sq mi). As it is often the case of countries that suffer from poverty, political instability, and poor human rights record, Chad - nicknamed "the dead heart of Africa" because of its location and largely inhospitable conditions - has one of the world's youngest populations and lowest life expectancies.

Chad has a higher proportion of people living in rural areas than in urban centres. About half of its population is found in the southern fifth of the country, which lies within the more humid (and consequently more fertile) Sudanian Savanna belt. The region of the capital, N'Djamena, has the highest population density - which, together with its extremely hot climate, is the root cause of its severe air pollution, one of the worst in Africa. On the other hand, the northern part of Chad, which lies in the Sahara Desert, has a density of 0.1/kmē (0.26/sq mi). In those areas, herding and natron (sodium carbonate) extraction are the only economic activities, while farming is widespread in the south.

Answer: Saudi Arabia

Covering an area of 2,149,690 kmē (830,000 sq mi), Saudi Arabia is the world's 12th-largest country, and the second-largest Arab country after Algeria. Known as a major oil producer and exporter, the country occupies about 80% of the Arabian Peninsula, and is often identified with the vast Arabian Desert that dominates its geography. In fact, Saudi Arabia is the largest country without any permanent rivers - though non-permanent ones (called "wadis") are plentiful. With such erratic access to water and the extreme temperatures associated with desert climates, it is not surprising that this large country - home to around 35 million people - is very sparsely populated, with an average density of 15/kmē (38.8/sq mi).

In the past few decades, Saudi Arabia has experienced a population boom, and is still growing. About 80% of the population is concentrated in ten major cities, especially the two largest ones - the capital Riyadh and the seaport of Jeddah, on the Red Sea. These urban centres have extremely high densities: Jeddah's density of 2,900/kmē (7,600/sq mI) is higher than the vast majority of the world's sovereign countries. A large percentage (between 21% and 38%, according to different estimates) of the people who live in Saudi Arabia are foreign nationals - most of them from Africa and other Asian countries.

Answer: Canada

With an area of 9,984,670 kmē (3,855,100 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country, only slightly smaller than Europe. It extends from the 83rd parallel in the north to the 41th in the south, and has the world's longest coastline, touching three oceans (Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic). In spite of that, it has one of the world's lowest population densities (4/kmē, or 11/sq mi). An estimated four-fifths of its inhabitants live within 150 km (93 mi) of the border with the US - the longest in the world. The most densely populated part of Canada is the Québec City-Windsor corridor, which spans about 1,150 km (710 mi) from northeast to southwest, touching the St Lawrence River and part of the Great Lakes region. About 50% of the country's whole population is concentrated in this region.

A sizable part of Canada's staggeringly vast territory lies north of the Arctic Circle, with climatic conditions that are not exactly conducive to human habitation, being covered with ice and permafrost. Even in the relatively heavily populated south-eastern region, winters can be harsh, and even more so in the interior and Prairie provinces. Canada's population of about 37 million, though small for a country of such size, is kept at healthy levels mostly by immigration.

Greenland, which lies to the east of Canada's north-eastern coast, has the world's lowest population density: 0.03/kmē (0.07/sq mi), or a bit over 55,000 people spread over a huge territory of 2,166,086 kmē (836,325 sq mi). However, as it is not a sovereign country, it has not been listed as one of the options for this quiz.

Answer: Argentina

Argentina is the world's eight-largest country, and the second-largest in South America. With a total area of 2,780,400 kmē (1,073,500 sq mi), it extends southwards from the 34th parallel to the 55th. The Tropic of Capricorn runs through the sparsely populated northern provinces of Jujuy, Salta, and Formosa, most of which have hot, dry conditions. One of the world's southernmost settlements, the city of Ushuaia, is the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego, the archipelago shared by Chile and Argentina at the tip of the South American continent.

An estimated 92% of Argentina's population of over 45 million (whose growth has considerably slowed down in recent years) is concentrated in its sizable urban areas, many of which lie in the central Pampas zone, covered by fertile grasslands. The metropolitan area of the country's capital, Buenos Aires, is home to over 15 million people. Conversely, the huge Patagonia region that covers more than one-third of the country's territory has a density of 1.9/kmē (5.0/sq mi). Argentina's overall population density of 14.4/kmē (37.3/sq mi) is well below the world average.

Algeria, Africa's largest country, is comparable to Argentina in terms of population and average density, though its area (the 10th-largest in the world) is slightly smaller.