Episteme - July 9th - Countries and capitals

 Day 3 - Countries and their capitals

Why countries?

I got reminded of one time in Year 8 where I was one of the few people who got 5/5 for remembering random countries in Asia's capitals, and so I thought - what if I did that again, but with every single country? I've forgotten some capitals, so I might as well refresh my memory.

List of countries

Once again, list retrieved from my trusted friend, Wikipedia. We're doing it by life expectancy just because, hey, learning something extra is great, isn't it?

Here's how it'll go - I'll copy the list, and in a different colour I'll try my best to remember the capitals of as many countries as possible. For those I forgot, I'll learn their continents in separate sections. Let's commence the list:

Actually, I'm doing it by name, because it's easier to find lists to copy and paste.

1. Afghanistan - I don't know, but I have a vague idea... Kahal?
2. Albania
3. Algeria
4. Andorra
5. Angola
6. Antigua and Barbuda
7. Argentina
8. Armenia
9. Australia - Canberra
10. Austria - Prague?
11. Azerbaijan
12. The Bahamas 
13. Bahrain
14. Bangladesh
15. Barbados
16. Belarus
17. Belgium
18. Belize
19. Benin
20. Bhutan
21. Bolivia
22. Bosnia and Herzegovina
23. Botswana
24. Brazil - Brasilia?
25. Brunei
26. Bulgaria
27. Burkina Faso
28. Burundi
29. Cabo Verde
30. Cambodia - Laos
31. Cameroon
32. Canada - Toronto?
33. Central African Republic
34. Chad
35. Chile
36. China - Beijing
37. Colombia
38. Comoros
39. Congo, Democratic Republic of the
40. Congo, Republic of the
41. Costa Rica
42. Côte d’Ivoire
43. Croatia
44. Cuba
45. Cyprus
46. Czech Republic
47. Denmark
48. Djibouti
49. Dominica
50. Dominican Republic
51. East Timor (Timor-Leste)
52. Ecuador
53. Egypt - Cairo
54. El Salvador
55. Equatorial Guinea
56. Eritrea
57. Estonia
58. Eswatini
59. Ethiopia
60. Fiji
61. Finland - Helsinki
62. France - Paris
63. Gabon
64. The Gambia
65. Georgia
66. Germany - How the heck do I not know Germany
67. Ghana
68. Greece - Cyprus? Hold on, isn't that a country
69. Grenada
70. Guatemala
71. Guinea
72. Guinea-Bissau
73. Guyana
75. Haiti
76. Honduras
77. Hungary
78. Iceland
79. India - New Delhi
80. Indonesia - Jakarta
81. Iran
82. Iraq
83. Ireland - Dublin
84. Israel
85. Italy - Rome
87. Jamaica
88. Japan - Tokyo
89. Jordan
90. Kazakhstan- Shit, I know this. Astana?
91. Kenya
92. Kiribati
93. Korea, North
94. Korea, South - Seoul
95. Kosovo
96. Kuwait
97. Kyrgyzstan 
98. Laos
99. Latvia
100. Lebanon
101. Lesotho
102. Liberia
103. Libya
104. Liechtenstein
105. Lithuania
106. Luxembourg
108. Madagascar
109. Malawi
110. Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
111. Maldives - I KNOW THIS uhhh fuck
112. Mali
113. Malta
114. Marshall Islands
115. Mauritania
116. Mauritius
117. Mexico - Mexico... City?
118. Micronesia, Federated States of
119. Moldova
120. Monaco
121. Mongolia - Ulaanbatar
122. Montenegro
123. Morocco
124. Mozambique
125. Myanmar (Burma)
126. Namibia
127. Nauru
128. Nepal - I know it's some long name, but... Tibet
129. Netherlands - Amsterdam
130. New Zealand - ...Auckland?
131. Nicaragua
132. Niger
133. Nigeria
134. North Macedonia
135. Norway - Oslo
136. Oman
138. Pakistan - Islamabad
139. Palau
140. Panama - I have a good feeling this is just Panama
141. Papua New Guinea
142. Paraguay
143. Peru
144. Philippines - Manila
145. Poland - Something that ends in k, maybe
146. Portugal
148. Qatar
149. Romania
150. Russia - Moscow
151. Rwanda
152. Saint Kitts and Nevis
153. Saint Lucia
154. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
155. Samoa
156. San Marino
157. Sao Tome and Principe
158. Saudi Arabia - I really should know this
159. Senegal
160. Serbia
161. Seychelles
162. Sierra Leone
163. Singapore - Singapore
164. Slovakia
165. Slovenia
166. Solomon Islands
167. Somalia
168. South Africa - My friend is literally from South Africa. Cape Town?
169. Spain - Madrid, maybe
170. Sri Lanka
171. Sudan
172. Sudan, South
173. Suriname
174. Sweden
175. Switzerland
176. Syria
178. Taiwan
179. Tajikistan
180. Tanzania
181. Thailand - Bangkok
182. Togo
183. Tonga
184. Trinidad and Tobago
185. Tunisia
186. Turkey - Ankara
187. Turkmenistan
188. Tuvalu
189. Uganda
190. Ukraine
191. United Arab Emirates - Dubai?
192. United Kingdom - Shit, uh, London? Which made me realise there's no England, Scotland, and Wales. Anyways Cardiff for Wales and Edinburgh for Scotland.
193. United States - Washington D.C
194. Uruguay
195. Uzbekistan
196. Vanuatu
197. Vatican City - Vatican City, maybe
198. Venezuela
199. Vietnam - Hanoi
201. Yemen
202. Zambia
203. Zimbabwe

I messed up, bad. I know a lot less than I thought I did. Anyways, counting what I do know, it's about 38 countries. I counted the UK as one just because Britainnica counted it as one (ah... it's in the name)

Anyways, checking the answers.

1. Afghanistan - KABUL YOU IDIOT
2. Australia - Aussie boy Jake is proud
3. Austria - the capital of Austria, is not, in fact, Prague, but rather Vienna.
4. Brazil - I'm not fooled like everyone else and won't put Rio de Janeiro
5. Cambodia - Why the heck did I put Laos  Phnom Penh
6. Canada - Ottawa. Damn it.
7. China - Thank God I'm right
8. Egypt - yep
9. France - yep
10. Greece - ATHENS
11. India - yep
12. Indonesia - yep 
13. Ireland - Dublin
14. Italy - yep
15. Japan - yep
16. Kazakhstan - okay, this is actually wild. It was Astana, until like March 2019, where the name was changed to Nur-Sultana. So while I learnt Geography, I was right. But now, at 9th July 2021, I'm wrong.
17. South Korea - yeah
18. Malaysia -  yep
19. Mexico - yep
20. Mongolia - Ah, I love remembering last minute. Though I did spell it wrongly - Ulaanbaatar. I'll still award myself a point for that though.
21. Nepal - KATHMANDU
22. The Netherlands - yes
23. New Zealand - Wellington(boots :/)
24. Norway - Oslo  
25. Pakistan - Islamabad
26. Panama - It was Panama CITY
27. Phillipines - Manila is right
28. Russia - Moscow ye
29. Singapore - yep
30. South Africa - apparently Cape Town is right, but they have three capitals; Pretoria is executive.  Judical capital would be Bloemfontein
31. Spain - yes
32. Thailand - Bangkok
33. Turkey - yep
34. UAE - Fuck, Abu Dhabi
35. United Kingdom - yeah it's London
36. US - Washington, D.C. With a comma
37. Vatican City - yep, Vatican City
38. Vietnam - got it

Okay, I'm really exhausted, I can't open my eyes and I don't feel like continuing. Spending one hour on yesterday's Episteme challenge at 1 am, more time on aemuludiary, and even more time on my graduation speech, plus not being able to sleep and ending up sleeping at 5 am? Not very good. I set my alarm to 11 am and I'm exhausted. So unfortunately, as much as it hurts my pride to not learn every country's capitals, I'm going to be selective and choose which one I'm most curious about in each alphabet. If I ever get curious and want to pick this up again for the next Episteme challenge I always can.

Argentina

Okay, so Argentina just seems like a good addition because South America bro.

Capital: BUENOS AIRES. I KNEW I KNEW

Bangladesh

It's at the top of my head, I know it.

Capital: Dhaka

Chad

We used to call my sister's imaginary boyfriend Chad.

Capital: N'Djamena

Denmark

IT'S COPENHAGEN

Ecuador

Ecuador = chocolate. Or that's what I remember about Thea Stilton.

Capital: Quito

*Hold up I just remembered the capital of Finland. Helsink. I'll update my guess in a different colour.

Fiji

I remember the other two Fs so I'll have to do Fiji.

Capital: Suva

Ghana

I like the name Ghana, so

Capital: Accra

Honduras 

Having a mountain-y country helps with diversity

Capital: Taegucigalpa (well this is a mouthful)

Iceland

I need the Slavic countries because they're all cool (heh) and they're all on the tip of my tongue (or fingers)

Capital: Reykjavík

Jamaica

One of the best country flags.

Capital: Kingston

Krygyzstan

If anyone watches Asia's Got Talent, there's a cool dance crew from here.

Capital: Bishkek (FISH CAKE. I knew this before grr)

Lebanon

Thought it stood out

Capital: Beirut (I have a feeling I used to know)(she didn't have to cut me off)

Madagascar

Penguins of Madagascar, right? :3

Capital: Antananarivo

Maldives

An extra M one, but I swear I remember it

Capital: Malé. I knew it was similar to the country name but damn.

Nigeria

Was debating between Niger and Nigeria but hey, ended up choosing the bigger one (both in terms of population and word length. Niger's the huger country though)

Capital: Abuja

Oman

The only country on the list with the letter O.

Capital: Muscat (sounds yum)

Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo :3

Capital: LISBON. IT'S F***KING LISBON

Qatar

Q country

Capital: Doha

Romania

Romania has awesome castles

Capital: Bucharest

Sri Lanka

I wanted to do Switzerland, but the previous country chosen was European so I went with this instead.

Capital: Sri Jayawardenputra Kotte

Taiwan

I have a slight feeling it's just Taiwan, but still curious, so

Capital: Taipei City (I was wrong)

Ukraine

Ukraine has such a chic name.

Capital: Kyiv

Venezuela

Another pretty elegant country name

Capital: Caracas (like maracas. A dance-y name like the country. Except it sounds like carcass too, which is a pity)

Yemen

Amen

Capital: Sana'a (no Sana no life)

Zimbabwe

My favourite country name besides Chad when I was younger. Cool name to pronounce, very swag

Capital: Harare (kind like Harambe)

----

Other things learnt:

- Niger's land is 80% desert; Sahara desert to be precise.

- joie de vivre equates an exuberant energy

Proud of myself for trying to complete this despite being deadly exhausted. Till tomorrow, and hopefully I have more time to write something like the Qualia one.