Countries That Begin With The Letter N | All 11 Names

If you’re studying geography, writing a report, or building a quiz, a list saves time. This page gives the full set of sovereign countries that start with N, then adds quick facts that help you keep them straight.

You’ll also see a few “looks-like-a-country” names that people mix in by mistake. That part can keep your homework, lesson plan, or trivia night answer sheet from getting marked wrong.

Countries That Begin With The Letter N At A Glance

Here’s the complete lineup in one place. Capitals are included since many assignments ask for both the country and its seat of government.

Country	Capital	Region
Namibia	Windhoek	Africa
Nauru	Yaren (district)	Oceania
Nepal	Kathmandu	Asia
Netherlands	Amsterdam (seat: The Hague)	Europe
New Zealand	Wellington	Oceania
Nicaragua	Managua	North America
Niger	Niamey	Africa
Nigeria	Abuja	Africa
North Korea	Pyongyang	Asia
North Macedonia	Skopje	Europe
Norway	Oslo	Europe

How This List Is Decided

In school lists, “country” usually means a sovereign state with broad international recognition and its own government. A steady way to double-check is to compare your list to the United Nations Member States list.

Country names can shift a bit across sources. Some lists use official long-form names, while class worksheets stick to the short name. Capitals can do the same thing: Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, yet many ministries sit in The Hague; Nauru uses a district name because there is no single capital city. If your teacher asks for “official,” copy the wording used by the dataset or book you’re using now.

Some places that start with N are real places with their own flags, sports teams, or passports, yet they may be territories, dependencies, or regions inside a larger state. You’ll find those in a later section so you can spot the difference fast.

The 11 Countries That Start With N

Namibia

Namibia sits on the southwest side of Africa, with a long Atlantic coast. Much of the country is known for wide-open spaces, desert scenery, and dramatic dunes.

Windhoek is the capital and the main hub for government, business, and travel connections. English is the official language, and you’ll also hear Afrikaans and several local languages in daily life.

• Capital: Windhoek
• Quick cue: Atlantic coastline and the Namib Desert
• Map hint: Below Angola, above South Africa

Nauru

Nauru is one of the world’s smallest countries by land area. It’s a single coral island in the central Pacific, far from large continental landmasses.

Instead of one official “capital city,” government offices are centered in the Yaren district. Many references still treat Yaren as the capital for practical purposes, so it’s fine to write it that way on worksheets.

• Capital: Yaren (district)
• Quick cue: Tiny Pacific island state
• Spelling tip: N-A-U-R-U, five letters

Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, wedged between India and China. It’s famous for the Himalayas, including Mount Everest, which sits on the border region.

Kathmandu is the capital and the center for politics, education, and air travel links. Nepali is the main language, and the country has many ethnic groups and regional languages.

• Capital: Kathmandu
• Quick cue: Himalayas and Everest region
• Map hint: North of India

Netherlands

The Netherlands is in Western Europe and is known for low-lying land, canals, and a long history of trade. You might also see it called “Holland” in casual speech, but that name refers to only part of the country.

Amsterdam is the constitutional capital. Many government offices sit in The Hague, which is why you’ll sometimes see both cities mentioned together in textbooks.

• Capital: Amsterdam (seat: The Hague)
• Quick cue: Canals, bikes, and low-lying land
• Common mix-up: Holland ≠ the whole country

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the southwest Pacific, made up of two main islands and many smaller ones. It’s known for volcanic areas, fjords, and long coastlines.

Wellington is the capital, while Auckland is the largest city. English and Māori are official languages, and you may also see New Zealand Sign Language listed in official contexts.

• Capital: Wellington
• Quick cue: Two main islands east of Australia
• Map hint: Far south in the Pacific

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is in Central America and has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The country is known for large lakes, volcanoes, and colonial-era cities.

Managua is the capital. Spanish is the main language, and many locals speak Indigenous or regional languages in some areas.

• Capital: Managua
• Quick cue: Central America with two coasts
• Map hint: Between Honduras and Costa Rica

Niger

Niger is a large, landlocked country in West Africa. A big portion of its territory lies in the Sahara, with populations more concentrated in the south and along the Niger River.

Niamey is the capital and the biggest city. When you see “Niger,” pause for a second and check whether the question is asking for the country or the river, since both share the same name.

• Capital: Niamey
• Quick cue: Sahara country named like the Niger River
• Spelling tip: Ends with “-er”

Nigeria

Nigeria sits on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa and has one of the largest populations in Africa. It’s a federal country with many languages, with English used as an official language.

Abuja is the capital, while Lagos is a major economic center. If you’re doing a map quiz, Nigeria’s coastline can help you place it quickly compared to nearby inland states.

• Capital: Abuja
• Quick cue: Coastal West Africa with a large population
• Spelling tip: Ends with “-ia”

North Korea

North Korea lies on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Its border touches China and Russia, and it shares a heavily guarded border with South Korea.

Pyongyang is the capital. In formal writing, you may see the official state name “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” which matches how many international lists label the country.

• Capital: Pyongyang
• Quick cue: Northern Korean Peninsula
• Name note: Often listed as DPRK

North Macedonia

North Macedonia is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, in the Balkan region. It gained its current name in 2019 after a long naming dispute, which is why older worksheets may show a different label.

Skopje is the capital and the largest city. If your assignment asks for a European N-country that isn’t on the coast, this is the one that fits.

• Capital: Skopje
• Quick cue: Balkan state with “North” in the name
• Study tip: Think “north of Greece”

Norway

Norway is in Northern Europe and stretches along the North Atlantic with a famously jagged coastline. Its fjords and mountain scenery are well known, and the country reaches far above the Arctic Circle.

Oslo is the capital. Norway isn’t a member of the European Union, which can be a trick question in some classrooms, yet it works closely with many European systems.

• Capital: Oslo
• Quick cue: Fjords and a long northern coastline
• Map hint: West side of Scandinavia

Fast Ways To Avoid Common Mix-Ups

Two pairs trip people up more than the rest: Niger vs. Nigeria, and Netherlands vs. Holland. For a roster, check the United Nations Member States list.

Niger Vs. Nigeria

Both sit in West Africa, and their names look close on paper. The easiest separator is this: Niger is inland and spelled with “-er,” while Nigeria ends with “-ia” and reaches the coast.

• Niger: Niamey, landlocked, more desert territory
• Nigeria: Abuja, coastal, far larger population

Netherlands Vs. Holland

Holland is a region within the Netherlands, not a second country. People use “Holland” as a nickname, especially in sports, but formal school lists and country codes use Netherlands.

N Countries By Region And Spelling

If you like pattern-spotting, grouping helps during a quiz or test. This is also handy when you’re trying to recall a name under time pressure.

In total, countries that begin with the letter n show up in five broad world regions. Three of them start with “No-,” which makes Norway, North Korea, and North Macedonia a neat mini-group.

Africa

• Namibia
• Niger
• Nigeria

Asia

• Nepal
• North Korea

Europe

• Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway

Oceania

• Nauru
• New Zealand

North America

• Nicaragua

Places That Start With N But Aren’t Sovereign Countries

This is where many lists go off track. These names can show up on maps, in sports, or in travel plans, yet they aren’t sovereign states in the same way as the 11 above.

To check whether a place is treated as a country in major datasets, you can compare it with the UN M49 area and country codes, which separates states from other areas used in statistics.

• Niue: Self-governing in free association with New Zealand
• New Caledonia: A French territory in the Pacific
• Northern Mariana Islands: A U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific
• Northern Ireland: A part of the United Kingdom

Study Ideas That Don’t Feel Like Drills

If you’re teaching, studying, or making flashcards, a small set like the N list is perfect for quick practice rounds. You can mix spelling, capitals, and map placement without turning it into a slog.

• Two-pass recall: Write the 11 country names from memory, then add capitals on a second pass.
• Map corners game: Pick one country and name a neighbor, a nearby sea, or a nearby region marker.
• Capital swap: Shuffle capitals on slips of paper and match them back to the correct country.
• Three-word cue cards: Make one short clue line per country, then test yourself with only the clues.

Quick Reference Table For Memorization

This second table puts a short memory hook next to each country. Use it for a last-minute review, or turn each hook into a one-line quiz question.

Country	One-Line Memory Hook	Capital
Namibia	Southwest Africa, dunes on the Atlantic	Windhoek
Nauru	Tiny Pacific island; Yaren district is the “capital”	Yaren
Nepal	Himalayas; Everest region; landlocked	Kathmandu
Netherlands	Amsterdam capital; The Hague seat	Amsterdam
New Zealand	Two main islands east of Australia	Wellington
Nicaragua	Central America with Pacific and Caribbean coasts	Managua
Niger	Sahel and Sahara; spelled with “-er”	Niamey
Nigeria	Coastal West Africa; ends with “-ia”	Abuja
North Korea	Northern half of Korea; DPRK in formal lists	Pyongyang
North Macedonia	Balkan state; name set in 2019	Skopje
Norway	Scandinavia’s west side; fjords	Oslo

Recap Checklist

Use this as a final scan before you submit your work or print a study sheet.

• There are 11 sovereign countries on the N list.
• Africa has Namibia, Niger, and Nigeria.
• Europe has Netherlands, North Macedonia, and Norway.
• Oceania has Nauru and New Zealand.
• Asia has Nepal and North Korea.
• North America has Nicaragua.

When you need the exact phrase, write it like this: countries that begin with the letter n. Then list the 11 names and their capitals.