You’re sitting at a pub quiz. The category is geography. The question seems like a total softball: "Name a sovereign country that starts with the letter W." You scribble down "Wales" and sit back, feeling pretty smug.
But then the answers are read out. You lose the point. Why?
Because, technically speaking, there isn’t a single independent, sovereign nation on the entire planet that starts with the letter W. Not one. It’s one of those weird linguistic glitches that makes the letter W the loneliest character in the geographical alphabet.
The Wales Dilemma: Is It a Country or Not?
Honestly, this is where most people get tripped up. If you ask a person from Cardiff or Swansea, they’ll tell you—quite rightly—that Wales is a country. It has its own language (Cymraeg), a distinct history that predates the Roman conquest, a national anthem that’ll give you goosebumps, and a devolved government in the Senedd.
But in the world of the United Nations, it’s a different story.
Wales is a constituent country. It’s part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. While it functions as a nation in many ways, especially in sports like rugby or soccer, it doesn't have its own seat at the UN. It doesn't issue its own passports. If you’re looking for "Countries Beginning With W" on an official list of the 193 UN member states, you’re going to be looking for a long time.
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Why Wales is still worth the trip
Regardless of its technical status, Wales is an absolute powerhouse for travelers. You’ve got more castles per square mile than anywhere else in Europe—over 600 of them. You’ve got the rugged peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) and the jagged, salty cliffs of the Pembrokeshire Coast.
It’s a place where the signs are in a language that looks like a Scrabble hand gone wrong (but sounds incredibly melodic). If you ever find yourself there, try to say Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. It’s a real village. People actually live there.
The Disputed Status of Western Sahara
If Wales is the "almost" country of the North, Western Sahara is the "complicated" one of the South. Located on the Atlantic coast of Africa, this massive stretch of desert is often colored with stripes on maps.
Why? Because its sovereignty is a mess of international law and decades-old conflict.
The UN calls it a "Non-Self-Governing Territory." Morocco claims it's theirs. The Polisario Front, representing the indigenous Sahrawi people, says it's the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
- The Morocco View: They see it as their Southern Provinces.
- The Sahrawi View: They’ve been fighting for total independence since the Spanish left in 1975.
- The World View: It’s a stalemate.
You won’t find many casual tourists here. It’s mostly vast, arid flatlands and rocky plateaus. But for those who do make it to places like Dakhla, they find a world-class kitesurfing destination where the Sahara desert literally tumbles into the turquoise Atlantic. It’s hauntingly beautiful, even if its "country" status is stuck in legal limbo.
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The Tiny Tropical Outlier: Wallis and Futuna
Deep in the South Pacific, tucked between Fiji and Samoa, sits a tiny French territory called Wallis and Futuna. If you’re playing a very loose game of Scrabble, this might be your best bet for a "W" location.
It consists of three main volcanic islands: Uvea (Wallis), Futuna, and Alofi.
Here’s the kicker: it’s an Overseas Collectivity of France. The people there are French citizens. They vote in French elections. But weirdly enough, the territory still maintains three traditional kingdoms. You have the King of Uvea, the King of Sigave, and the King of Alo. They handle customary law and land disputes, while France handles the "official" stuff like defense and money.
It’s one of the most remote places on Earth. Very few people visit because it’s expensive and hard to get to. There’s no mass tourism. No high-rise hotels. Just crater lakes, ancient Tongan-style forts, and a Polynesian culture that has remained remarkably untouched by the outside world.
What About the West Bank?
Sometimes people throw the West Bank into the mix. Geographically, it’s the heart of the Palestinian territories. It’s bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel to the north, south, and west.
While the State of Palestine is recognized by 146 of the 193 UN member states, the "West Bank" itself is a geographical designation for a territory, not the name of a country. It’s a place of immense history—think Jericho, Bethlehem, and Hebron—but in the context of an alphabetical list of nations, it falls under 'P' for Palestine.
The "W" Global Gap: Why Does This Happen?
It’s actually kinda fascinating that out of nearly 200 countries, not one starts with W.
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Part of it is just linguistic chance. Many country names in English are Latinized or derived from Romance languages (like France, Italy, or Columbia). The letter W isn't really a thing in Latin. Even in Germanic languages where W is common, country names often get translated. For example, the Germans call their country Deutschland, but we don't call it "West-land."
Even "West Germany" was only a temporary Cold War label. Once the wall came down, it just became Germany again.
Actionable Insights for the Geography Buff
Since you can't actually visit a sovereign "W" country, what should you do with this info?
- Level up your trivia game: Next time someone mentions a country starting with W, you can explain the difference between a sovereign state and a constituent country. It makes you look like a genius (or a nerd, but usually the cool kind).
- Explore the "Almost" W's: If you want the "W" experience, book a trip to Wales. It’s the most accessible, culturally distinct, and geographically stunning place that fits the bill.
- Check your maps: Take a look at Western Sahara next time you see a globe. If the lines are dotted, you now know why.
- Watch the Olympics or World Cup: Pay attention to how Wales is represented. It’s a rare case where a non-sovereign entity gets to compete on the world stage under its own flag.
The world doesn't always fit into neat alphabetical boxes. Sometimes the most interesting places are the ones that break the rules.
To get a better handle on these geographical quirks, try looking up the list of UN Non-Self-Governing Territories. It’s a deep dive into the remaining "colonies" and territories that don't quite fit the mold of a standard country. You’ll find everything from American Samoa to the British Virgin Islands, and it explains a lot about why our world map looks the way it does.