Geography (biggest, countries, Australia, cities)

[square peg]

I'd forgotten about the Florida Keys, but the folks in Maine say that an island just beyond Matinicus is the furthest out to sea on the eastern seaboard. It's proximity to Matinicus is about 1 mile. I'll have to give it to you. The name is Criehaven - pronounced Creehaven. According to the 2000 census the population is zero. But I've been there, though it was some 30 years ago, and full time year round folks did live there at the time. I believe you're up, jtur.

[jtur88]

The name "Algeria" can be changed to "Nigeria" by swapping two letters. There are several other such pairs. But what country's name can be changed in two different ways, to form two different countries, by the swapping of two letters? (Standard English spelling)

[square peg]

China (Ghana & Chile) I have to admit that China & Ghana came immediately to mind, but needed a listing to figure out Chile which looks like the more obvious choice.

I don't have a question in mind at this time, so anyone else can go ahead...

[jtur88]

Good. Iran can change to Oman with two, and Iraq with one switch. Ireland and Iceland, of course, can do it in one. (Republic of) Congo and (Democratic Republic of) Congo can do it without switching any letters.

A few others with two are Canada/Panama, Slovakia/Slovenia. Australia/Austria work if you can count null as a letter, and just leave two out.

next question

What is the shortest list of countries that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet? (Standard English spellings, one word names only, no "Socialist People's Libyan Arab Republic", or "El Salvador" allowed.)

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by jtur88

next question

What is the shortest list of countries that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet? (Standard English spellings, one word names only, no "Socialist People's Libyan Arab Republic", or "El Salvador" allowed.)

Have only been able to do this with seven total. The Q and Z aren't the hard ones as much as V W J X F and H

Egypt
Fiji
Kazakhstan
Maldives
Mexico
Mozambique
Rwanda

Let me know if you have done it in less and I will try again.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Have only been able to do this with seven total. The Q and Z aren't the hard ones as much as V W J X F and H

Egypt
Fiji
Kazakhstan
Maldives
Mexico
Mozambique
Rwanda

Let me know if you have done it in less and I will try again.

That's very impressive. I reached the point where I found that the letters F P V W required four countries, because no country contains any two of them. X requires a fifth, either Mexico or Luxembourg. So doing it in 7 is very good, and I'd be inclined to doubt that it can be done in 6.

[jtur88]

Here's a quickie. What is the biggest city in the USA whose name (city and state) can be spelled using only one-point Scrabble tiles? (A E I O U L N R S T )

[LuckyGem]

The 10 freeway east from Los Angeles to New Orleans?

Originally Posted by jtur88
Can you find a place where you can drive in the same direction along the same numbered highway, and go through six consecutive towns/cities (over 1,000 pop,) that all begin with the same letter of the alphabet? (Disregarding villages along the way with less than 1,000). Not a trick question---there really is such a place, and its not a bunch of suburbs with similarly-derived names. It's in the Rand McNally Road Atlas.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by LuckyGem

The 10 freeway east from Los Angeles to New Orleans?

Am I missing something here? Can you elaborate?

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Here's a quickie. What is the biggest city in the USA whose name (city and state) can be spelled using only one-point Scrabble tiles? (A E I O U L N R S T )

Haven't gotten the map out yet, just in my head.

Aurora, Illinois is my fist stab.