Knowing a country's name is one thing; knowing where it is on the map is another. In Sky Atlas, the screen names a country and your kid flies a plane across the world map to land on it. Every landing shows the right answer, so the map fills in a little more with every round.

The game has four levels that build on each other: continents and oceans, then countries, then capital cities, then flags.

What's in the countries level?

The Countries level covers 24 countries spread over every inhabited continent, from big ones like Russia, Canada, China, Brazil and Australia to island nations like Madagascar, New Zealand and Indonesia.

The Capital cities level then names a capital, such as Nairobi, Lima or Canberra, and asks you to fly to its country.

How many countries are there in the world?

It depends on who is counting, which is a good conversation to have with kids. The United Nations has 193 member states, plus two observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine. Some places that govern themselves are not UN members, so different lists give slightly different totals.

Tips for practicing countries at home

  • Start with the continents and oceans, so new countries have a place to hang on.
  • Learn neighbors together: Argentina and its neighbor Brazil, or Kenya and Egypt on the same continent.
  • Look at a world map or globe after playing and find the countries from today's game.
  • Keep sessions short and frequent: a few minutes a day is a good rhythm.

Play the countries quiz

Questions parents ask

Is the countries quiz free?

Yes. Sky Atlas plays in a web browser with no account, no download and no ads.

What grade is it for?

The Countries level is aimed at grades 5 to 7 and Capital cities at grades 7 to 9. Grade 4 players can start with Continents and oceans.

Which countries are included?

24 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania, including Brazil, Canada, Egypt, India, Japan, Kenya, Mexico and New Zealand.

Keep exploring

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against these sources by a separate fact-checker.