Places

An Islamic dynasty that ruled from Iraq between 750 and 1258, with a later ceremonial caliphate in Cairo until 1517.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the largest of its seven emirates, a Gulf hub known for energy, finance, and culture.

Landlocked, mountainous country in Central and South Asia, with an arid climate, a long history as a crossroads, and decades of conflict.

Africa is the world's second-largest continent by area and population, with tropical, arid and temperate zones and more than 50 sovereign states.

Albania is a mountainous country in southeastern Europe, with Adriatic and Ionian coasts. This entry covers its physical and human geography.

Egyptian Mediterranean port city known for its ancient scholarship, historic monuments, and maritime economy.

Algeria is a North African country on the Mediterranean and the largest country in Africa by area, with most of its territory in the Sahara desert.

Capital and largest city of the Netherlands, known for its UNESCO-listed 17th-century canal ring.

Ancient Egypt was a civilization on the lower Nile. It lasted from its political unification around 3100 BCE until Rome annexed it in 30 BCE.

Greek-speaking civilization of the eastern Mediterranean, c. 800 BC–AD 600 by broad definitions, known for its city-states, early democracy, philosophy, science and art.

The civilizations of the Tigris–Euphrates region, their historical development, institutions, cultural achievements, and archaeological legacy.

Andorra is a small landlocked principality in the eastern Pyrenees between France and Spain, with about 80,000 people, a unique co-principality system, and a tourism-, retail-, and finance-based economy.

Angkor Wat is a 12th-century Khmer temple complex in Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Angola is a large Atlantic-coast country in southwestern Africa, known for its interior plateau, major river basins, varied climates, and mineral and petroleum resources.

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the northeastern Caribbean, with self-government, a tourism-based economy and an offshore financial sector.

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, almost entirely covered by an ice sheet, governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, and central to climate and sea-level research.

Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island state in the Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean, known for its coastline, tourism and maritime setting.

A federal presidential republic in southern South America, spanning subtropical lowlands to subpolar Patagonia, with a large agricultural and resource economy.

Armenia is a landlocked, mountainous country in the South Caucasus, with a continuous history reaching back to antiquity and a republic formed after the Soviet Union's collapse.

Asia is the largest continent by area and population, covering about 30 percent of Earth's land and home to roughly 60 percent of humanity.

Athens is Greece’s capital and largest city, an ancient centre of democracy and philosophy and a modern metropolitan, administrative, and cultural hub.

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, a harbour metropolis on the North Island built across a narrow volcanic isthmus between two harbours.

Australia is a country and continent in the Southern Hemisphere, known for its ancient landscapes, unique biota, and varied climate zones.

Austria is a landlocked federal republic in Central Europe, dominated by the Eastern Alps, with a territory of about 84,000 square kilometres and a population of roughly 9.1 to 9.2 million.

Austria-Hungary was the Habsburg dual monarchy that governed much of Central and Southeastern Europe from 1867 to 1918.

South Caucasus country on the Caspian Sea; a Turkic, mostly Shia Muslim republic shaped by oil, transit routes and independence from the USSR in 1991.

A narrow strait linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, and a major maritime chokepoint for oil, container and bulk shipping between Asia, Africa and Europe.

Ancient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital, renowned for its monuments, scholarship, and enduring cultural influence.

Baghdad is Iraq’s capital and largest city, a historic centre of Islamic scholarship, commerce, and urban culture on the Tigris River.

The Bahamas is a Commonwealth island nation of more than 700 islands and cays in the western Atlantic, southeast of Florida and north of Cuba.

Bahrain is an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf, known for its archipelago geography, oil-era history, and financial and service-led economy.

The Balkans is a region of southeastern Europe, partly coinciding with the Balkan Peninsula, shaped by mountains, a long history of empires, and a diverse mix of peoples.

Bangalore (officially Bengaluru) is the capital of Karnataka and India's leading technology hub, on the Deccan Plateau.

Bangkok is the capital and largest city of Thailand, built on the low, flat Chao Phraya River delta and administered as a special area equivalent to a province.

Bangladesh is a South Asian country on the Bay of Bengal, lying mostly on the world's largest river delta, with about 170 million people.

Barbados is a flat, coral-limestone island country in the Atlantic at the eastern edge of the Caribbean, shaped by trade winds, limited fresh water, and a dense population.

Capital of Catalonia in northeastern Spain: a Mediterranean port with Roman and medieval roots, Modernisme architecture, and major roles in trade, culture and tourism.

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of its four centrally administered municipalities, home to about 21.8 million people and the seat of national government.

Belarus is a landlocked country on the East European Plain, known for its flat terrain, marshes, forests, dense river network, and strategic position between Russia and the European Union.

Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe, shaped by its North Sea coast, river basins, and a linguistic divide among Dutch, French and German speakers.

Belize is an English-speaking country on the Caribbean coast of Central America, known for its Maya heritage, the Belize Barrier Reef and its forests.

Benin is a West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, formerly known as Dahomey. It is known for its historic kingdoms, Vodun heritage, and a trade economy centred on the port of Cotonou.

Capital and largest city of Germany and a city-state; former seat of Prussia, divided during the Cold War and reunified in 1990.

A landlocked Himalayan kingdom between China and India, known for its mountainous terrain, high forest cover, and a development philosophy centred on Gross National Happiness.

Bogotá is the capital and largest city of Colombia, a high-altitude Andean metropolis founded in 1538 on the site of a Muisca settlement and home to roughly eight million people.

Bolivia is a landlocked Andean country in central South America, known for its high-altitude geography, Indigenous cultures, and large lithium and natural gas resources.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mountainous country in southeastern Europe whose river-cut territory, Dayton-based federal structure and EU accession path shape its geography and governance.

Boston is the capital and largest city of Massachusetts and the economic and cultural hub of New England. Founded in 1630, it is one of the oldest cities in the United States.

Botswana is a landlocked southern African republic whose semi-arid interior, diamond-based economy and stable multiparty democracy shape its development since independence in 1966.

Brazil is the largest country in South America, spanning the equator and holding much of the Amazon basin, with highlands, long rivers, and varied biomes.

Brunei Darussalam is a small sultanate on the northern coast of Borneo, bordered by Malaysia, whose economy and welfare system rest largely on oil and natural gas.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and of the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, and it is a major administrative centre for the European Union and NATO.

Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary, formed in 1873 by joining Buda and Pest on the two banks of the Danube.

Capital and largest city of Argentina, on the Río de la Plata; a major port, financial and cultural center, and one of the largest urban areas in the Americas.

Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe on the Balkan Peninsula and the Black Sea, in the European Union since 2007 and the euro area since 2026.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African country in the Sahel, covering about 274,000 square kilometres, formerly known as Upper Volta until 1984.

Burundi is a small, densely populated, landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, defined by a high hilly plateau and Lake Tanganyika along its western border.

South Korea’s principal port city, shaped by maritime trade, mountainous terrain, wartime migration, and film culture.

The Byzantine Empire was the medieval continuation of the Roman Empire, centered on Constantinople and enduring until its conquest in 1453.

Capital of Egypt on the Nile, a major medieval Islamic city, and one of the largest urban agglomerations in Africa and the Arab world.