The Man Who Visited Every Country Without Ever Flying
Most people dream of travelling the world.

Torbjørn "Thor" Pedersen actually did something that makes his achievement remarkable, not just that he visited every country on Earth. It's that he became the first person to reach every recognised country without ever stepping onto an aeroplane.

His extraordinary expedition, called Once Upon a Saga, was built around three simple rules:

• Spend at least 24 hours in every country.

• Never board an aircraft.

• Don't return home until the journey is complete.

What he expected to take four years ultimately became a ten-year test of endurance, patience and determination.

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The Longest Way Around
On 10 October 2013, 34-year-old Thor Pedersen left Denmark carrying a single backpack and an extraordinary ambition.

A fo,rmer United Nations peacekeeper, he wasn't setting off on a holiday. He wanted to achieve something no one else had ever done.

While hundreds of travellers had already visited every country by air, nobody had completed the journey entirely by land and sea.

Living on a budget of around US$20 a day, Thor travelled by buses, trains, shared taxis, ferries and cargo ships, slowly making his way across continents and oceans.

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Life on the Road
Travelling without flying was far from glamorous.

Crossing the Atlantic and Pacific meant persuading shipping companies to allow him aboard container ships.

In Africa, he contracted cerebral malaria, a potentially fatal illness.

Elsewhere he faced dangerous border crossings, armed robberies and the constant uncertainty of changing political situations.

Every border presented another challenge.

Every crossing required patience.

Every delay tested his resolve.

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When the World Stopped
By early 2020, Thor had spent seven years travelling continuously and was close to completing his mission.

Then COVID-19 changed everything.

International borders closed almost overnight.

Thor found himself stranded in Hong Kong with no way to continue.

Many people would have given up on the challenge.

He didn't.

Instead, he remained in Hong Kong for almost two years, working remotely, waiting for borders to reopen, and even marrying his fiancée during a virtual ceremony.

His journey had become a lesson in resilience as much as exploration.

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The Final Destination
In May 2023, nearly ten years after leaving Denmark, Thor boarded one final container ship bound for the Maldives.

There were no fireworks.

No huge media circus.

Just a handful of supporters welcomed a man who had spent 3,576 days travelling around the globe.

After a decade on the road, dozens of worn-out pairs of shoes and countless border crossings, he had achieved what many believed was impossible.

Two months later, in July 2023, Thor finally returned home to Denmark.

True to his promise, he arrived by ship, completing the entire journey without ever flying.

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What the Journey Taught Him
People often asked Thor what he had learned after spending almost ten years travelling through every corner of the world.

His answer was surprisingly simple.

Despite the headlines filled with conflict, fear and division, he discovered that most people are kind, welcoming and willing to help a stranger.

His experience challenged the idea that the world is a dangerous place.

As Thor famously said:

"A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet."

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Final Thoughts
Thor Pedersen's journey wasn't simply about setting a world record.

It became a powerful reminder that patience, perseverance and human kindness still exist in abundance.

In an age of instant travel and constant hurry, he proved that sometimes the longest route offers the richest experiences.

His story stands as one of the greatest travel adventures ever completed—one country, one border and one day at a time.




Mapping the World: Every Country and Capital by Continent
The world is home to 195 widely recognised sovereign states spread across seven continents.

Every country has its own capital city, culture, history and identity, making our planet one of extraordinary diversity.

Whether you're studying geography, planning a trip, preparing for a quiz or simply expanding your knowledge, this guide lists every sovereign nation and its capital in one easy reference.

Scroll down and explore the world, one continent at a time.

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Table of Contents
Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

South America

Oceania

Antarctica

Frequently Asked Questions

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Africa
The Cradle of Humankind

Africa is home to 54 sovereign nations, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Cape of Good Hope.

Its landscapes range from vast deserts and tropical rainforests to towering mountains and rapidly expanding cities.

Country — Capital

Algeria — Algiers

Angola — Luanda

Bénin — Porto-Novo

Botswana — Gaborone

Burkina Faso — Ouagadougou

Burundi — Gitega

Cabo Verde — Praia

Cameroun — Yaoundé

Central African Republic — Bangui

Chad — N'Djamena

Comoros — Moroni

Democratic Republic of the Congo — Kinshasa

Republic of the Congo — Brazzaville

Côte d'Ivoire — Yamoussoukro

Djibouti — Djibouti

Egypt — Cairo

Equatorial Guinea — Malabo

Eritrea — Asmara

Eswatini — Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal and legislative)

Ethiopia — Addis Ababa

Gabon — Libreville

Gambia — Banjul

Ghana — Accra

Guinea — Conakry

Guinea-Bissau — Bissau

Kenya — Nairobi

Lesotho — Maseru

Liberia — Monrovia

Libya — Tripoli

Madagascar — Antananarivo

Malawi — Lilongwe

Mali — Bamako

Mauritania — Nouakchott

Mauritius — Port Louis

Morocco — Rabat

Mozambique — Maputo

Namibia — Windhoek

Niger — Niamey

Nigeria — Abuja

Rwanda — Kigali

São Tomé e Príncipe — São Tomé

Senegal — Dakar

Seychelles — Victoria

Sierra Leone — Freetown

Somalia — Mogadishu

South Africa — Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein

South Sudan — Juba

Sudan — Khartoum

Tanzania — Dodoma

Togo — Lomé

Tunisia — Tunis

Uganda — Kampala

Zambia — Lusaka

Zimbabwe — Harare

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Asia
The Largest Continent

Asia is both the largest and most populous continent, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Pacific Ocean.

Country — Capital

Afghanistan — Kabul

Armenia — Yerevan

Azerbaijan — Baku

Bahrain — Manama

Bangladesh — Dhaka

Bhutan — Thimphu

Brunei — Bandar Seri Begawan

Cambodia — Phnom Penh

China — Beijing

Cyprus — Nicosia

Georgia — Tbilisi

India — New Delhi

Indonesia — Jakarta

Iran — Tehran

Iraq — Baghdad

Israel — Jerusalem*

Japan — Tokyo

Jordan — Amman

Kazakhstan — Astana

Kuwait — Kuwait City

Kyrgyzstan — Bishkek

Laos — Vientiane

Lebanon — Beirut

Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur

Maldives — Malé

Mongolia — Ulaanbaatar

Myanmar — Naypyidaw

Nepal — Kathmandu

North Korea — Pyongyang

Oman — Muscat

Pakistan — Islamabad

Philippines — Manila

Qatar — Doha

Saudi Arabia — Riyadh

Singapore — Singapore

South Korea — Seoul

Sri Lanka — Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Syria — Damascus

Tajikistan — Dushanbe

Thailand — Bangkok

Timor-Leste — Dili

Turkey — Ankara

Turkmenistan — Ashgabat

United Arab Emirates — Abu Dhabi

Uzbekistan — Tashkent

Vietnam — Hanoi

Yemen — Sana'a

*Jerusalem's status is internationally disputed.

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Europe
The Old World

Europe is renowned for its ancient cities, rich cultures and remarkable history.

Country — Capital

Albania — Tirana

Andorra — Andorra la Vella

Austria — Vienna

Belarus — Minsk

Belgium — Brussels

Bosnia and Herzegovina — Sarajevo

Bulgaria — Sofia

Croatia — Zagreb

Czechia — Prague

Denmark — Copenhagen

Estonia — Tallinn

Finland — Helsinki

France — Paris

Germany — Berlin

Greece — Athens

Hungary — Budapest

Iceland — Reykjavík

Ireland — Dublin

Italy — Rome

Latvia — Riga

Liechtenstein — Vaduz

Lithuania — Vilnius

Luxembourg — Luxembourg

Malta — Valletta

Moldova — Chișinău

Monaco — Monaco

Montenegro — Podgorica

Netherlands — Amsterdam

North Macedonia — Skopje

Norway — Oslo

Poland — Warsaw

Portugal — Lisbon

Romania — Bucharest

Russia — Moscow

San Marino — San Marino

Serbia — Belgrade

Slovakia — Bratislava

Slovenia — Ljubljana

Spain — Madrid

Sweden — Stockholm

Switzerland — Bern

Ukraine — Kyiv

United Kingdom — London

Vatican City — Vatican City

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North America
From the Arctic to the Caribbean

Country — Capital

Antigua and Barbuda — St. John's

Bahamas — Nassau

Barbados — Bridgetown

Belize — Belmopan

Canada — Ottawa

Costa Rica — San José

Cuba — Havana

Dominica — Roseau

Dominican Republic — Santo Domingo

El Salvador — San Salvador

Grenada — St. George's

Guatemala — Guatemala City

Haiti — Port-au-Prince

Honduras — Tegucigalpa

Jamaica — Kingston

Mexico — Mexico City

Nicaragua — Managua

Panama — Panama City

Saint Kitts and Nevis — Basseterre

Saint Lucia — Castries

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — Kingstown

Trinidad and Tobago — Port of Spain

United States — Washington, D.C.

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South America
Land of the Andes and Amazon

Country — Capital

Argentina — Buenos Aires

Bolivia — Sucre (constitutional), La Paz (administrative)

Brasil — Brasília

Chile — Santiago

Colombia — Bogotá

Ecuador — Quito

Guyana — Georgetown

Paraguay — Asunción

Peru — Lima

Suriname — Paramaribo

Uruguay — Montevideo

Venezuela — Caracas

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Oceania
The Pacific Islands

Country — Capital

Australia — Canberra

Fiji — Suva

Kiribati — South Tarawa

Marshall Islands — Majuro

Micronesia — Palikir

Nauru — Yaren District

New Zealand — Wellington

Palau — Ngerulmud

Papua New Guinea — Port Moresby

Samoa — Apia

Solomon Islands — Honiara

Tonga — Nuku'alofa

Tuvalu — Funafuti

Vanuatu — Port Vila

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Antarctica
The Frozen Continent

Antarctica has no sovereign countries, no capital city and no permanent population.

It is protected under the Antarctic Treaty System and dedicated entirely to peaceful scientific research.

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Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries are there in the world?

195 widely recognised sovereign states.

Which continent has the most countries?

Africa, with 54 sovereign nations.

Which continent has the fewest countries?

South America has 12. Antarctica has none.

What is the largest country?

Russia.

What is the smallest country?

Vatican City.

Which country has the largest population?

India.

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Final Thoughts
Our world is an extraordinary collection of nations, cultures and capital cities.

Whether you're revising for an exam, planning your next holiday, or simply satisfying your curiosity, this guide provides an easy reference to every sovereign country and its capital.

Save this page and return whenever you need a quick geography refresher.