The Wombat File Is Yours to Keep: The Friday Quiz:Area Shrug

It's not yet April Fools, time, fellow Wombats. Hence, take my insane request for geographical head-boiling to be absolutely, 100% serious.

Today's question is a glorious three-parter about square kilometrage. Can you feel the love?

1. Out of 194 nations listed in the UN Demographic Yearbook, which four share the distinction being at the median in terms of total land area? Here's a hint: one is in Asia, one in the Americas, and two are in Africa.

2. Slicing that same list another way, what's country has a geographical area that most closely approaches the average? A clue: the head of state there holds the title "Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council."

3. What non-island nation (besides the ministates of Monaco and Singapore) has the highest ratio of coastline/total area?

First correct answer posted to comments wins a bee. OW! No Googling or consulting that world map shower curtain in the bathroom. One (set of) guesses per comment, please, but comment as often as you like.

Comments

Is number 3 Chile? I have no idea about the rest. Guessing for 1: Cambodia, Venezuala, Zimbabwe, Namibia. For number 2: Cambodia.

Posted by: Rory | March 31, 2006 07:28 AM

#3 Denmark

#2 World land area/194 = ...., OK, carry the 2..., leaving an average area of , uh-huh....

How about Ecuador?

1) Japan, Guiana, Zimbabwe, Libya

Posted by: boxjam | March 31, 2006 11:33 AM

Is this, in fact, love that I'm feeling?

Posted by: Jonathan | March 31, 2006 11:40 AM

Damnit, wanted to guess Denmark.

#3: Scotland? (Does it count as a separate country?)

Posted by: Scraps | March 31, 2006 11:52 AM

Or Greece, for number 3?

Posted by: Scraps | March 31, 2006 11:54 AM

1. vietnam!, guayana, cameroon, zimbabwae
2. vietnam!
3. vietnam! Fuck Yeah!

Posted by: bootsy3000 | March 31, 2006 12:07 PM

You're all wrong, wrong wrong.

One of the answers to #1 is a country which Bootsy's last answer is sort of close to, in that her phrasing seems to reference a film which deals at great length with the country in question.

Also, for the median nations, think smaller in general. For the most average nation, think about authoritarian nations.

For the coast/area ratio, most of the guesses are on the right continent.

Posted by: BT | March 31, 2006 01:08 PM

3) Italy

1) Panama

Posted by: boxjam | March 31, 2006 01:36 PM

Coastline: Norway!

Posted by: bootsy3000 | March 31, 2006 02:45 PM

Because it CAN'T be: "America! Fuck YEAH!"... can it?

Posted by: bootsy3000 | March 31, 2006 02:48 PM

So for Q#1: North Korea, Burkina Faso, Suriname, and Madgasgar.

Posted by: bootsy3000 | March 31, 2006 02:53 PM

Bootsy takes No. 3 and has 1/4 of Q1 right.

Posted by: BT | March 31, 2006 04:38 PM

oh my god you guys have no idea how bored i am... where is everyone???

Posted by: bootsy3000 | March 31, 2006 04:39 PM

Oh! There you are!! I love attrition, reminds me of grad school. Um, okay... Bill likes Irony, and we already have some of the axis of evil going, so let's deduct it down to Iran.

Posted by: bootsy3000 | March 31, 2006 04:57 PM

1) Trinidad & Tobago

Posted by: boxjam | March 31, 2006 05:01 PM

Gooood mornnnning, Cuba (for #2).

Posted by: art | March 31, 2006 06:22 PM

So, the median nations are North Korea and three others of similar size: Costa Rica, Morocco, Congo

Posted by: art | March 31, 2006 06:26 PM

"Bill likes Irony"

My new team name on Quiz Kid.

Posted by: Jonathan | March 31, 2006 07:28 PM