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Countries Closest to the United Kingdom A-Z

For each letter of the alphabet, can you name the countries closest to the United Kingdom?
W and X are not included; no countries begin with those letters
This quiz excludes overseas territories and regions
Quiz by Quizzer6794
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Last updated: December 30, 2019
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First submittedJune 16, 2015
Times taken143,800
Average score79.2%
Rating4.94
5:00
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0
 / 24 guessed
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Country
A
Austria
B
Belgium
C
Czech Republic
D
Denmark
E
Estonia
F
France
G
Germany
H
Hungary
Country
I
Ireland
J
Jordan
K
Kosovo
L
Luxembourg
M
Monaco
N
Netherlands
O
Oman
P
Poland
Country
Q
Qatar
R
Russia
S
Switzerland
T
Tunisia
U
Ukraine
V
Vatican City
Y
Yemen
Z
Zambia
+12
Level 29
Jun 16, 2015
Nice quiz mate. Took me 3 attempts
+7
Level 64
Nov 1, 2015
Thanks! We've also made a series of 8, Countries Closest to an Unknown Country A-Z.
+3
Level 59
Apr 24, 2022
As turnbacktwo asked, why doesn't that link work?
+1
Level 42
Oct 10, 2023
https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/139806/countries-closest-to-an-unknown-country-a-z-1
+1
Level 25
Nov 18, 2017
why cant otherseas colonies count?
+3
Level 79
Aug 6, 2018
They are not the country in question. That would be a different quiz.
+2
Level 42
May 9, 2021
Why is it deleted
+10
Level 78
Aug 5, 2015
Surprisingly tough.
+3
Level 78
Aug 11, 2015
Too much time. 100% on first attempt with 2:03 to spare. But I suppose living in England helps.
+1
Level 26
Jan 30, 2023
agreed
+3
Level 56
Aug 12, 2015
Good quiz. Got them all, but a few took a while :)
+17
Level 25
Sep 16, 2015
Live in Ireland yet I type Italy again and again - facepalm

Good quiz

+5
Level 55
Nov 10, 2015
Hey, I tried Namibia, Niger, and Nigeria like three times each before remembering the Netherlands. And that was AFTER I tried Norway. My brain...what.
+5
Level 22
Jul 10, 2016
Went for Iceland too,
+2
Level 81
Sep 25, 2015
Surely Poland is nearer than Portugal
+3
Level 65
Jan 17, 2016
It is...
+4
Level 38
Jan 28, 2021
I measured right now via maps google and it says 835 km to Poland and 907 km to Portugal. Don't forget the maps are lying about the distances further the north you go.
+1
Level 72
Oct 5, 2015
technically, as Gibraltar belongs to UK, shouldn't morocco be considered closer ?
+5
Level 64
Oct 5, 2015
Read the caveats: This quiz excludes overseas territories and departments
+2
Level 75
Nov 10, 2015
And in any case, even though Gibraltar is a territory of the UK, it does not form part of the UK.
+3
Level 41
Nov 17, 2017
if that was the case Argentina would be A maybe B would be Brazil due to proximity to Falkland Islands
+2
Level 81
Nov 7, 2020
Brazil is nowhere near the Falklands.
+1
Level 40
Jul 14, 2022
Belgium would still be closer to UK
+1
Level 43
Jan 27, 2021
Gibraltar belongs to UK, but still, it is not the integral part of UK.
+5
Level 28
Nov 6, 2015
Isn't Romania closer than Russia? I know certain parts of Russia are separate from the mainland so I'm not sure but on my map it certainly stands between UK and Russia.
+7
Level 64
Nov 6, 2015
Russia is about 200 miles closer. Kaliningrad Oblast is not considered an overseas territory.
+1
Level 26
Nov 10, 2015
Just saying, it's ridiculous that 21 is the average score for this quiz!!!
+5
Level 65
Jan 17, 2016
Not surprised, because Jetpunkers tend to be really smart and all.
+1
Level 65
Nov 1, 2019
Maybe he meant that it isnt 24. If was surprised the average was 19 and not much higher, and that some %were near 50%! I mean there is plenty of time and these arent obscure countries. If it is not poland it is portugal.

It is not like "which country is closer to the uk : equitorial guinea or benin" or to keep it in the b's burkina faso, but that one is slightly more known.

+2
Level 70
Jan 26, 2021
I got all but it took me forever to get Jordan and Tunisia.
+1
Level 49
Jun 28, 2022
its 19 now
+3
Level 37
Nov 10, 2015
Wow I thought Spain and Portugal were closer lol
+4
Level 82
Nov 10, 2015
What? No commentators about Scotland being closer than Switzerland? I guess they must be too busy writing out US centric or Burma/Myanmar comments.
+20
Level 83
Nov 10, 2015
or they are busy understanding that Scotland is part of the UK and therefore it makes no sense to say it is close to it. That would be similar to saying that South Dakota is closer to the United States than Spain.
+2
Level 82
Nov 10, 2015
Obviously
+5
Level 68
Dec 18, 2020
Scotland is indeed closer than Spain. So are Sheffield and Soho Square.
+1
Level 83
Jan 30, 2023
No they aren't. This comment isn't close to daft. It is daft. You can't be close to something if you are that thing or any integral part of that thing.
+2
Level 62
Jan 30, 2023
The comment isn't daft, the comment is sarcasm.
+1
Level 60
Nov 10, 2015
Got it with 9 seconds left only! Was missing the country that starts with T.
+3
Level 75
Nov 10, 2015
I think the A answer might actually be Austria - by my reckoning it's 905 km / 562 mi to Andorra and 718 km / 446 mi to Austria :) It's interesting that it's taken 6176 attempts on this quiz (87% of whom got a point for Andorra) before anyone's noticed...
+1
Level 64
Nov 10, 2015
Ta. ;)
+1
Level 66
Nov 11, 2015
I struggeled with P and S.... I was thinking Spain and Portugal, but Poland and Swizterlands didn't come till right at the end.
+2
Level 64
Dec 18, 2015
Freaking Kosovo. I thought of nothing but Kazakhstan. Only one I missed.
+15
Level 64
Dec 18, 2015
Countries That Start with K came out recently - did you try it? Think of this: KAZAKHSTAN, KENYA, KIRIBATI, KOSOVO, KUWAIT, KYRGYZSTAN. Each have diff. 2nd letter.
+4
Level 84
Oct 10, 2019
That's a great way to remember them all.
+2
Level 53
Jan 24, 2021
They all have a different 2nd letter, plus they're all vowels (including Y)
+1
Level 55
Sep 17, 2020
I know. Stupid non-country. It's in Asia, by the way.
+2
Level 35
Dec 18, 2015
Is Austria closer than Andorra?
+4
Level 64
Dec 18, 2015
Andorra's 562 miles away; Austria's only 446! :)
+2
Level 94
Dec 27, 2015
Please make Canada at least an acceptable answer for C, since Vimy Ridge is a part of Canada and that is MUCH closer to the UK than the Czech Republic (Vimy is about 100 km away from UK, while the Czech Republic is almost 2000 km away).
+6
Level 68
Jan 1, 2016
The Canadian government has designated Vimy Ridge as a National Historic Site, and they sort of own part of the memorial, but it is definitely in the country of France. There is no concept of leaving France and entering a Canadian exclave when visiting Vimy Ridge. Also, the memorial is mostly dedicated to Canadian sacrifices in WWI, but it also recognizes soldiers from other countries. If you were to follow this logic, it would be like saying that all countries that maintain an embassy in London are zero miles away from the UK.
+1
Level 94
Jan 14, 2016
Actually France deemed the area surrounding the monument, about 1 km², to be Canadian territory in 1922, as an expression of gratitude to the Canadian people for their sacrifice during the war and for capturing Vimy Ridge in April 1917.Therefore it is part of Canada.
+1
Level 94
Jan 14, 2016
and a dedicated territory and an embassy are completely different things
+3
Level 68
Dec 18, 2020
It has not. Your comment intrigued me, and I've looked up the actual legal language: in 1922, the French Government granted to the Government of Canada, freely and in perpetuity, the free usage of the territory, exempt of all taxes (« au Gouvernement du Canada, gracieusement et pour toujours, le libre usage de la terre, exempte de toute forme de taxe »). That's a donation, not a transfer of sovereignty. All parts of Vimy are still under French sovereignty. French laws apply, and are enforced by French police if necessary.
+1
Level 54
Oct 6, 2021
if Kosovo is a country then Vimy Ridge is also one.
+1
Level 22
Sep 21, 2016
EXPOSE HIM!!!
+2
Level 52
Dec 6, 2018
How on Earth did you come up with 2000 km from the UK to the Czech Republic? It's only about 750 km away. (There's only Belgium and Germany between the UK and Czechia.)
+1
Level 68
Dec 18, 2020
Vimy Ridge is a property of Canada, but it is still very much under French sovereignty and therefore an integral part of France.
+2
Level 28
May 21, 2016
Andorra is closer than Austria, I think.

It's interesting that Tunisia is closer than Turkey, and Switzerland is closer than Spain!

+1
Level 22
Jun 8, 2016
Andorra is closer to the UK than Austria is. Andorra is approximately 629 miles from the UK while Austria is 784.9 miles from the UK.

http://www.timezonedistance.com/country-difference.php?between=Andorra&and=UK

http://www.timezonedistance.com/country-difference.php?between=UK&and=Austria

+7
Level 24
Jan 6, 2018
The quiz is about the closest countries, yet your links cite distances between the capital cities of the respective countries. Border to border, Austria to UK is under 500 miles, and the closest.
+1
Level 22
Jul 10, 2016
Andorra?
+2
Level 48
Oct 13, 2016
Only one miss, funny tho that I try Honduras and Haiti before Hungary...
+1
Level 68
Apr 2, 2017
Hey, same here! Blanked out on Hungary, only one I missed...
+1
Level 54
Oct 6, 2021
i missed kosovo
+1
Level 48
Oct 13, 2016
And yes, great quiz!:D
+1
Level 35
Oct 26, 2016
open google maps, right click, select "measure distance" then left click on start point and end point.

Dover, south east UK, to Bergenz, NW Austria, is 730km, or 453 miles

and Eastbourne, south coast UK, to El Serrat in Andorra is 911km, or 566 miles, and El Serrat is a couple of miles south of the border with France.

+1
Level 35
Nov 6, 2016
same method as above, closest point to closest point, Lowestoft UK to Cedynia in Poland 841km, Lizard Point, Cornwall to border just north of Vinhais in Portugal is 892km... Scilly isles to Malgaco in Portugal is 880km,.. if we are count the Channel Islands as part of the UK, then Le Creux on Jersey, to border just north of Braganca in Portugal is 871km .. Jersey is further south,and also further east ... even if we give or take a couple of km, Poland closer
+1
Level 59
Dec 26, 2016
got them all barely....13 sec left!
+1
Level 83
Jan 28, 2017
I got all these before but today I'm in Ukraine and guess what's the only one I missed?
+6
Level 64
Jan 28, 2017
Tunisia?
+2
Level 71
Mar 15, 2017
France?
+2
Level 68
Apr 2, 2017
Ireland?
+2
Level 68
Apr 9, 2017
Zambia?
+1
Level 83
Nov 17, 2017
No it was Kyrgyzstan obviously.
+1
Level 43
Jan 28, 2017
Andorra? Maybe Austria is closer.
+1
Level 55
Jan 28, 2017
Western Sahara starts with "W"
+2
Level 64
Jan 28, 2017
And New Zealand starts with "N"
+1
Level 32
Jun 2, 2017
And Oman with "O"
+5
Level 83
Nov 17, 2017
Platypus starts with a "P"
+3
Level 84
Aug 12, 2020
And the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is about 24 miles per hour. European swallow, that is.
+2
Level 43
Mar 15, 2017
Missed Tunisia
+1
Level 52
Mar 15, 2017
It astounds me that Austria beats Andorra, and Switzerland beats Spain.
+3
Level 60
Oct 15, 2017
ummmmm,,,,,, this quiz is very europe central like it should be taken,,,,,, down?
+1
Level 7
Nov 17, 2017
Surely Andorra is closer than Austria and Portugal closer than Poland
+1
Level 43
Jan 27, 2021
Not by the closest proximity. Check the map.
+1
Level 7
Nov 17, 2017
Cancel that. You're right. I was way off.

Good quiz. Harder than I thought it would be.

+1
Level 30
Nov 18, 2017
But how the actual Jeff is Jordan closer to England than Norway, Sweden or Finland???????
+4
Level 35
Nov 18, 2017
Jordan begins with a J..... Norwaybegins with N but Netherlands is closer, Sweden with an S but Switzerland is closer, Finland has an F but France is closer
+2
Level 35
Nov 18, 2017
Stumbled across this again, I'd be careful of the K answer, kosovo is so-called "disputed territory", it declared independence but Serbia doesn't recognise it... nearest is Kazakhstan
+1
Level 60
Aug 8, 2018
Kosovo is recognised by a majority of UN states, including the UK.
+2
Level 80
Jan 26, 2021
This could be an interesting angle, closest countries that are recognized by the subject country, or vice versa
+3
Level 28
Mar 26, 2018
I got Tunisia during the last second. Pardon me while I wipe the sweat from my face...
+1
Level 49
Jun 27, 2018
Turned off the timer which just panics me.

So got 'em all, lol

+1
Level 65
Aug 5, 2018
Nice one, thanks
+1
Level 64
Aug 6, 2018
Portugal is by far closer to the UK than Poland.
+2
Level 52
Dec 6, 2018
Why don't you check a map before you post a comment?
+3
Level 68
Dec 18, 2020
I thought so too, but I actually *did* check a map before commenting, and as result, I learned something!
+1
Level 50
Aug 23, 2018
Shouldn't it be Andorra instead of Austria??
+1
Level 55
Dec 16, 2018
Yeah, I agree, I think it should be Andorra
+2
Level 65
Dec 17, 2018
Read all the messages above, or measure yourself.
+1
Level 65
Dec 17, 2018
Really nice one! Tunisia (and kosovo) were hard! Many t's and k's around. Surprised at how low jordan is, no other countries even close beginning with a j (cant even think of any other countries than japan and jamaica atm)
+1
Level 38
Dec 17, 2018
freakin Luxembourg and monaco
+1
Level 22
Jan 30, 2019
100% with 2:22 left :D
+2
Level 38
Sep 24, 2019
Isn't A=Andorra not Austria
+1
Level 73
Aug 10, 2020
I was stuck on M
+2
Level 49
Nov 7, 2020
can you make one where the overseas territories and crown dependencies count as the uk as well? that would be very fun
+1
Level 36
Jan 24, 2021
Great quiz idea :D
+2
Level 64
Jan 24, 2021
too U.K. centric.
+1
Level 42
May 9, 2021
Tough some of your quizzes are too Fillipino centric. So are geo's I added
+1
Level 34
Jan 28, 2021
I found listing countries closest to the UK to be the easiest way to approach this. Although using this method I was nearly done in by Yemen and Oman. I am terrible at remembering countries by first Letter.
+1
Level 62
Jan 30, 2023
If it helps, Qatar, Yemen and Oman are the *only* countries for Q, Y and O, so they will always be the nearest no matter what.

Also, Zambia is almost guaranteed to be the Z, given how you’d have to be due south of Zimbabwe to have it be nearer, and very few countries are!

+1
Level 74
Jan 31, 2021
I actually got all of them except for U and K
+1
Level 22
Apr 15, 2021
Crazy how is Zambia close to Uk
+1
Level 36
Apr 13, 2022
Zambia is above Zimbabwe although they are neighbours
+1
Level 22
Apr 15, 2021
Usa is close to Uk. It is closer to Uk than Zambia
+1
Level 22
Jul 4, 2021
But still Ukraine is closer to Uk than USA and 1 country for each letter
+1
Level 59
Aug 29, 2021
I got 23 but I couldn't figure out which F could be closer than Finland for the life of me!
+1
Level 43
Feb 22, 2022
Argentina is closer to the UK than austria, because of the falklands than the UK owns
+1
Level 53
Aug 21, 2022
Read the caveat: overseas territories are not counted.
+2
Level 36
Apr 13, 2022
Missed Tunisia, after I was denied Turkey,I got out of ideas on "T" because it the only one I could think of as the other Ts aren't in Europe
+1
Level 52
Jun 19, 2022
i tried several other T countries after Turkey. all were much further away but i had to try
+1
Level 40
Jul 4, 2022
s had to be Sapin cause of gibiltair
+2
Level 53
Aug 21, 2022
Read the caveat: overseas territories are not included.
+1
Level 39
Jan 30, 2023
Godzilla had a stroke trying to read this and died
+1
Level 37
Aug 16, 2022
nice one
+1
Level 4
Jan 20, 2023
Sehr schön, besten Dank!
+1
Level 67
Feb 1, 2023
2:58
+1
Level 57
Feb 11, 2023
24/24 thanks to a kind time limit, had 35 seconds left.
+1
Level 39
Jul 1, 2023
Super fun! I couldn't believe I got it on my first try without pausing. Definitely a brain teaser.
+1
Level 48
Nov 22, 2023
I swear, zambia always beats zimbabwe in any of these quizzes