Random country generator: spin the globe
Spin the globe and see where it lands. Every country has the same chance, and each one comes with its flag, its capital and a link to learn more about it.
or press the space bar
Press spin to land on a random country. You can also drag the globe.
You have not ticked any countries yet. Mark the countries you have visited →
Your spins
How the random country is chosen
The globe picks from 197 countries: the 193 members of the United Nations plus Vatican City, Palestine, Kosovo and Taiwan. Every country in your selection has exactly the same chance, whether it is Russia or Tuvalu. The pick is made with your browser's cryptographic random number generator, the same kind used for security, so there is no pattern to learn.
With "No repeats" switched on, the globe works through the whole list before any country comes up a second time: 197 spins show you every country exactly once. With repeats allowed, it takes about 1,155 spins on average before you have seen them all, because the last few stragglers take a long time to turn up.
Your chances by continent
Because every country is equally likely, a continent with more countries comes up more often. Africa, with 54 countries, is the most likely landing spot; South America, with 12, the least likely. Use the continent buttons above the globe to spin within one part of the world only.
| Continent | Countries | Chance per spin |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 54 | 27.4% |
| Asia | 48 | 24.4% |
| Europe | 46 | 23.4% |
| North America | 23 | 11.7% |
| Oceania | 14 | 7.1% |
| South America | 12 | 6.1% |
Ideas for using the random country generator
- Country of the day: spin once a day and learn that country's flag, capital and place on the map.
- Trivia and quiz nights: spin for a country and ask the other team to name its capital before the card appears.
- Travel inspiration: tick "Only countries I have not visited" and let the globe choose your next trip.
- In the classroom: give every student a random country for a project or presentation, with no repeats.
- Cooking challenge: spin, then cook a dish from whichever country comes up.
- Geography practice: spin within one continent until you can place every country without looking.
Skip the countries you have already been to
If you have marked your trips on the countries I've visited map, this page can read that list and leave those countries out of the draw. Your list stays in your own browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
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Practice with Games
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Questions about the random country generator
Is the random country really random?
Yes. Each spin uses your browser's cryptographic random number generator, and every country in the selection has exactly the same chance. The spinning animation is just for show: the country is chosen before the globe starts turning.
How many countries can it land on?
197: the 193 member states of the United Nations plus Vatican City, Palestine, Kosovo and Taiwan. Territories such as Greenland or Puerto Rico are not included, because they belong to another country.
Can I get a random country from one continent only?
Yes. Press one or more continent buttons under the globe and it will only land on countries in those continents. Press "Whole world" to go back to all 197.
Can I stop the same country coming up twice?
Yes. Leave "No repeats until every country has come up" switched on and every country appears once before any appears again. That makes it fair for handing out countries to a class or a team.
Which continent comes up most often?
Africa, because it has the most countries: 54 of the 197, or about 27% of spins. South America comes up least often, with 12 countries and about 6% of spins.