data/countries.json

[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Bangladesh",
    "emoji": "🇧🇩",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "indian subcontinent",
    "capital": "dhaka",
    "majorCities": ["chittagong", "sylhet", "khulna", "rajshahi"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "taka",
    "flagColors": ["green", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["cricket", "garments", "rivers", "sundarbans", "royal bengal tiger", "muslin", "rickshaw"],
    "landmarks": ["cox's bazar", "ahsan manzil", "national parliament house", "sundarbans", "sixty dome mosque"],
    "nationalDish": "hilsa fish curry",
    "famousPeople": ["sheikh mujibur rahman", "muhammad yunus", "shakib al hasan", "james grant"],
    "language": "bengali",
    "neighbors": ["india", "myanmar"],
    "exports": ["textiles", "jute", "fish", "garments"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Cox's Bazar is the world's longest natural sea beach at 120 km.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Cox's Bazar is the world's longest unbroken natural sea beach — 120 km of uninterrupted sand",
      "The ready-made garment industry here clothes more than half the world's population",
      "Has six seasons — not four — including a Monsoon and a Harvest season",
      "The national language movement of 1952 inspired UNESCO to declare February 21 as International Mother Language Day",
      "Shakib Al Hasan is officially ranked the greatest cricket all-rounder in history by the ICC",
      "Has more rivers than any other country in the world — over 700 rivers crisscross the land",
      "Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi, invented microfinance and won the Nobel Peace Prize",
      "The world's largest mangrove forest — the Sundarbans — is shared with India and is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger"
    ],
    "info": "Bangladesh is a riverine nation famous for the Sundarbans, the longest sea beach,  cricket passion, and a garment industry that clothes the world."
  },
  {
    "id": 2,
    "name": "India",
    "emoji": "🇮🇳",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "indian subcontinent",
    "capital": "new delhi",
    "majorCities": ["mumbai", "bangalore", "kolkata", "chennai", "hyderabad"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "hinduism",
    "currency": "rupee",
    "flagColors": ["saffron", "white", "green", "blue"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["bollywood", "spices", "yoga", "taj mahal", "cricket", "it industry", "curry", "zero"],
    "landmarks": ["taj mahal", "red fort", "varanasi ghats", "gateway of india", "golden temple"],
    "nationalDish": "khichdi",
    "famousPeople": ["mahatma gandhi", "shah rukh khan", "virat kohli", "narendra modi", "ratan tata"],
    "language": "hindi",
    "neighbors": ["pakistan", "china", "nepal", "bangladesh", "bhutan", "myanmar", "sri lanka"],
    "exports": ["software", "pharmaceuticals", "spices", "tea", "textiles"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "India invented the number zero, chess, and yoga.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "India invented the number zero — mathematician Brahmagupta formalized it in the 7th century",
      "Chess was invented in India over 1,500 years ago — originally called Chaturanga",
      "Bollywood produces over 1,500 films per year — more than Hollywood",
      "The Taj Mahal took 22 years and over 20,000 workers to complete",
      "India is the world's largest democracy with over 900 million eligible voters",
      "Shampoo was invented in India — the word comes from the Sanskrit 'champo'",
      "India has more vegetarians than the rest of the world combined",
      "The game of Snakes and Ladders was invented in India as a moral lesson game"
    ],
    "info": "India is the world's most populous democracy, birthplace of zero, chess, and yoga — famous for the Taj Mahal, Bollywood, cricket, and spices."
  },
  {
    "id": 3,
    "name": "United States",
    "emoji": "🇺🇸",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "northern america",
    "capital": "washington dc",
    "majorCities": ["new york", "los angeles", "chicago", "miami", "houston"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "temperate",
    "famousFor": ["technology", "hollywood", "fast food", "military", "nasa", "music", "silicon valley", "superpower"],
    "landmarks": ["statue of liberty", "grand canyon", "white house", "mount rushmore", "golden gate bridge"],
    "nationalDish": "hamburger",
    "famousPeople": ["george washington", "michael jackson", "elon musk", "lebron james", "taylor swift"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["canada", "mexico"],
    "exports": ["aircraft", "refined petroleum", "cars", "movies", "software"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France — and America has no official national language.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, not built by America",
      "Alaska was purchased from Russia for just $7.2 million in 1867 — about 2 cents per acre",
      "Has no official national language — English is dominant but never legally declared",
      "More tornadoes strike here each year than anywhere else on Earth",
      "The Pentagon has twice as many bathrooms as needed — designed during racial segregation",
      "Montana has 3 cows for every 1 person",
      "The first ever iPhone was announced here in 2007, changing the entire world's communication",
      "The US has put men on the Moon 6 times — a feat no other country has achieved"
    ],
    "info": "The USA is the world's most powerful nation — home to Hollywood, Silicon Valley, NASA, and the Statue of Liberty (gifted by France)."
  },
  {
    "id": 4,
    "name": "China",
    "emoji": "🇨🇳",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east asia",
    "capital": "beijing",
    "majorCities": ["shanghai", "shenzhen", "guangzhou", "chengdu"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "communist",
    "mainReligion": "secular",
    "currency": "yuan",
    "flagColors": ["red", "yellow"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "temperate",
    "famousFor": ["great wall", "pandas", "kung fu", "tea", "manufacturing", "silk", "fireworks", "noodles"],
    "landmarks": ["great wall of china", "forbidden city", "terracotta army", "shanghai tower", "li river"],
    "nationalDish": "peking duck",
    "famousPeople": ["jackie chan", "mao zedong", "confucius", "jack ma", "yao ming"],
    "language": "chinese",
    "neighbors": ["india", "russia", "mongolia", "pakistan", "north korea", "vietnam", "kazakhstan"],
    "exports": ["electronics", "machinery", "clothing", "toys", "steel"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "China uses only ONE time zone despite being wide enough for FIVE.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Uses only one official time zone despite spanning the natural width of five time zones",
      "The Great Wall is NOT visible from space with the naked eye — this is a popular myth",
      "Produces and consumes more than half the world's pork each year",
      "Toilet paper was invented here in the 14th century for use by emperors",
      "Has more billionaires than the USA",
      "Table tennis (ping pong) — an Olympic sport — was actually invented in England but became China's national obsession",
      "Paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass — the Four Great Inventions — all come from China",
      "The Terracotta Army has over 8,000 unique soldier statues, each with a different face"
    ],
    "info": "China is one of the oldest civilizations, inventor of paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass — home to the Great Wall, pandas, and the world's largest population (now 2nd)."
  },
  {
    "id": 5,
    "name": "Brazil",
    "emoji": "🇧🇷",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "brasilia",
    "majorCities": ["sao paulo", "rio de janeiro", "salvador", "fortaleza"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "real",
    "flagColors": ["green", "yellow", "blue", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["amazon rainforest", "carnival", "samba", "football", "coffee", "rio de janeiro", "iguazu falls"],
    "landmarks": ["christ the redeemer", "amazon river", "iguazu falls", "sugarloaf mountain", "pantanal"],
    "nationalDish": "feijoada",
    "famousPeople": ["pele", "ronaldo", "neymar", "ayrton senna", "paulo coelho"],
    "language": "portuguese",
    "neighbors": ["argentina", "colombia", "peru", "venezuela", "bolivia", "uruguay"],
    "exports": ["soybeans", "iron ore", "coffee", "beef", "oil"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "portugal",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Brazil is the ONLY country in South America where Portuguese — not Spanish — is the official language.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The only country in South America where the official language is Portuguese — not Spanish",
      "The Amazon River discharges more water into the ocean than the next seven largest rivers combined",
      "Has won the FIFA World Cup a record 5 times",
      "Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is the largest party on Earth — over 2 million people take to the streets daily",
      "The Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the world's oxygen",
      "Brazil has more species of animals and plants than any other country on Earth",
      "Ayrton Senna — considered the greatest Formula 1 driver ever — was Brazilian",
      "The capital Brasilia was designed from scratch in 41 months and is shaped like a bird from above"
    ],
    "info": "Brazil is the giant of South America — home to the Amazon, Carnival, Pelé, Christ the Redeemer, and the world's richest biodiversity."
  },
  {
    "id": 6,
    "name": "Australia",
    "emoji": "🇦🇺",
    "continent": "oceania",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "australasia",
    "capital": "canberra",
    "majorCities": ["sydney", "melbourne", "brisbane", "perth"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "red", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["wildlife", "great barrier reef", "outback", "kangaroos", "sydney opera house", "beaches", "surfing"],
    "landmarks": ["sydney opera house", "great barrier reef", "uluru", "bondi beach", "twelve apostles"],
    "nationalDish": "meat pie",
    "famousPeople": ["steve irwin", "cate blanchett", "crocodile dundee", "kylie minogue", "nick kyrgios"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["new zealand", "papua new guinea"],
    "exports": ["iron ore", "coal", "gold", "wool", "beef"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Sydney is NOT the capital — Canberra is. Most people get this wrong.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Sydney is NOT the capital of Australia — Canberra is (selected as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne)",
      "Has more kangaroos than people — about 2 kangaroos per human",
      "21 of the world's 25 most venomous snakes are found here",
      "96% of Australian wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth",
      "The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living structure — visible from space",
      "The box jellyfish found in Australian waters is the most venomous creature on Earth",
      "Australia is both a country AND a continent",
      "The boomerang — one of the oldest human tools — was invented by Aboriginal Australians"
    ],
    "info": "Australia is a continent-country where Sydney isn't the capital, kangaroos outnumber people, and most of the world's deadliest animals call home."
  },
  {
    "id": 7,
    "name": "Russia",
    "emoji": "🇷🇺",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "moscow",
    "majorCities": ["st petersburg", "novosibirsk", "yekaterinburg", "kazan"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "ruble",
    "flagColors": ["white", "blue", "red"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["size", "cold war", "space", "chess", "vodka", "ballet", "trans-siberian railway", "bears"],
    "landmarks": ["red square", "kremlin", "lake baikal", "trans-siberian railway", "hermitage museum"],
    "nationalDish": "borscht",
    "famousPeople": ["vladimir putin", "leo tolstoy", "yuri gagarin", "tchaikovsky", "dostoevsky"],
    "language": "russian",
    "neighbors": ["china", "norway", "finland", "ukraine", "kazakhstan", "mongolia", "georgia"],
    "exports": ["oil", "gas", "military equipment", "wheat", "diamonds"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Russia is so large it spans 11 time zones — fly from one end to the other and you'd need almost a full day.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Russia spans 11 time zones — the largest country on Earth by a massive margin",
      "Lake Baikal contains 20% of the world's entire fresh surface water",
      "Yuri Gagarin — the first human in space — was Russian",
      "Russia sold Alaska to the USA for just $7.2 million in 1867",
      "The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world at 9,289 km",
      "Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal",
      "The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has 3 million items — if you spent 1 minute on each, it would take 6 years",
      "Russia invented the famous Tetris video game in 1984"
    ],
    "info": "Russia is the world's largest country, spanning 11 time zones — birthplace of Yuri Gagarin, Tetris, ballet, and Lake Baikal (20% of Earth's fresh water)."
  },
  {
    "id": 8,
    "name": "Japan",
    "emoji": "🇯🇵",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east asia",
    "capital": "tokyo",
    "majorCities": ["osaka", "kyoto", "hiroshima", "fukuoka"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "shinto",
    "currency": "yen",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["anime", "sushi", "technology", "samurai", "cherry blossoms", "video games", "cars", "vending machines"],
    "landmarks": ["mount fuji", "tokyo tower", "kinkaku-ji", "shibuya crossing", "fushimi inari"],
    "nationalDish": "sushi",
    "famousPeople": ["emperor naruhito", "hayao miyazaki", "ichiro suzuki", "akira kurosawa", "marie kondo"],
    "language": "japanese",
    "neighbors": [],
    "exports": ["cars", "electronics", "machinery", "robots", "anime"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Japan has more vending machines than people in many cities — including ones selling beer, umbrellas, and even live crabs.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has approximately 5 million vending machines — selling everything from beer to live crabs to fresh ramen",
      "Train delays here are so rare that even a 1-minute delay requires a formal written apology from the operator",
      "Square watermelons are grown to fit more efficiently in refrigerators — each costs over $100",
      "Has the world's oldest company still operating — Kongo Gumi, a construction firm founded in 578 AD",
      "Japan has the world's longest average life expectancy",
      "There are more pets than children under 15 in Japan",
      "Nintendo, Sony, and Toyota — three companies that changed the world — all started here",
      "The country experiences about 1,500 earthquakes per year"
    ],
    "info": "Japan is an island nation with the world's oldest company, longest-living people, most vending machines, and birthplace of anime, sushi, and Nintendo."
  },
  {
    "id": 9,
    "name": "France",
    "emoji": "🇫🇷",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "paris",
    "majorCities": ["marseille", "lyon", "nice", "bordeaux"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["eiffel tower", "wine", "cheese", "fashion", "art", "perfume", "tour de france", "napoleon"],
    "landmarks": ["eiffel tower", "louvre museum", "palace of versailles", "notre dame", "mont saint-michel"],
    "nationalDish": "pot-au-feu",
    "famousPeople": ["napoleon bonaparte", "coco chanel", "kylian mbappe", "monet", "marie curie"],
    "language": "french",
    "neighbors": ["spain", "germany", "italy", "belgium", "switzerland", "luxembourg"],
    "exports": ["aircraft", "wine", "cosmetics", "luxury goods", "cheese"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "France is the most visited country in the world — but Napoleon Bonaparte was NOT French by birth. He was born in Corsica, which was Genoan.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "France is the most visited country in the world — over 90 million tourists per year",
      "Napoleon Bonaparte was NOT born in France — he was born in Corsica just after it was annexed from Genoa",
      "The Eiffel Tower was originally meant to be a temporary structure and was almost demolished in 1909",
      "France has won more Nobel Prizes in Literature than any other country",
      "The Louvre is the world's most visited art museum — home to the Mona Lisa",
      "France produces over 1,200 different types of cheese",
      "French was the official language of England for about 300 years after the Norman Conquest in 1066",
      "Marie Curie — the only person to win Nobel Prizes in TWO different sciences — lived and worked in France"
    ],
    "info": "France is the world's most-visited country — home to the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, 1,200 cheeses, and Napoleon (who wasn't actually French by birth)."
  },
  {
    "id": 10,
    "name": "Germany",
    "emoji": "🇩🇪",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "berlin",
    "majorCities": ["munich", "hamburg", "cologne", "frankfurt"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["black", "red", "yellow"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["cars", "beer", "oktoberfest", "world war 2", "engineering", "football", "berlin wall", "sausages"],
    "landmarks": ["berlin wall", "neuschwanstein castle", "cologne cathedral", "brandenburg gate", "oktoberfest"],
    "nationalDish": "bratwurst",
    "famousPeople": ["albert einstein", "beethoven", "angela merkel", "franz kafka", "goethe"],
    "language": "german",
    "neighbors": ["france", "poland", "netherlands", "austria", "switzerland", "czech republic", "belgium", "denmark"],
    "exports": ["cars", "machinery", "chemicals", "pharmaceuticals", "electronics"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Germany has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe — and Albert Einstein was German.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Albert Einstein was born in Germany — yet he renounced his German citizenship at age 16",
      "Germany has the most Nobel Prize winners in sciences globally",
      "The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989 — reunifying a divided nation after 28 years",
      "Oktoberfest in Munich is the world's largest beer festival — over 7 million visitors each year",
      "Germany invented the car — Karl Benz built the first true automobile in 1885",
      "The Autobahn — Germany's famous highway — has sections with NO speed limit",
      "Neuschwanstein Castle inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle",
      "Germany has over 1,500 different types of beer and about 1,300 breweries"
    ],
    "info": "Germany gave the world the automobile, Albert Einstein, Beethoven, and the Autobahn — Europe's engineering powerhouse."
  },
  {
    "id": 11,
    "name": "Italy",
    "emoji": "🇮🇹",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern europe",
    "capital": "rome",
    "majorCities": ["milan", "naples", "florence", "venice", "turin"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["pizza", "pasta", "colosseum", "renaissance", "ferrari", "fashion", "opera", "gondolas"],
    "landmarks": ["colosseum", "leaning tower of pisa", "venice canals", "vatican city", "sistine chapel"],
    "nationalDish": "pizza",
    "famousPeople": ["julius caesar", "leonardo da vinci", "michelangelo", "mario draghi", "andrea bocelli"],
    "language": "italian",
    "neighbors": ["france", "switzerland", "austria", "slovenia", "san marino", "vatican city"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "cars", "fashion", "food", "pharmaceuticals"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Italy contains two independent countries INSIDE it — Vatican City and San Marino.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Italy contains two entirely independent countries inside its borders — Vatican City and San Marino",
      "The Colosseum could hold 80,000 spectators and had a retractable roof",
      "Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy — and Italians eat about 5 billion pizzas per year",
      "Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world",
      "Da Vinci's Last Supper and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling were both painted here",
      "The first university in the Western world — University of Bologna — opened in Italy in 1088",
      "Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Maserati all have Italian origins",
      "Rome alone has more ancient fountains than any other city — over 2,000"
    ],
    "info": "Italy is the birthplace of pizza, the Renaissance, Ferrari, the Roman Empire, and has more UNESCO sites than any country on Earth."
  },
  {
    "id": 12,
    "name": "Canada",
    "emoji": "🇨🇦",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "northern america",
    "capital": "ottawa",
    "majorCities": ["toronto", "vancouver", "montreal", "calgary"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["maple syrup", "ice hockey", "cold weather", "politeness", "moose", "niagara falls", "lakes", "geese"],
    "landmarks": ["cn tower", "niagara falls", "banff national park", "parliament hill", "old quebec"],
    "nationalDish": "poutine",
    "famousPeople": ["justin bieber", "drake", "keanu reeves", "ryan reynolds", "celine dion"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["usa"],
    "exports": ["oil", "cars", "wood", "gold", "maple syrup"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world's lakes combined — over 2 million lakes.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has more lakes than all other countries on Earth combined — over 2 million freshwater lakes",
      "Basketball was invented by a Canadian — James Naismith — not an American",
      "Produces 71% of the world's entire maple syrup supply",
      "Niagara Falls is shared with the USA — the Canadian side (Horseshoe Falls) is more powerful",
      "Has the world's longest coastline — over 202,080 km",
      "Justin Bieber, Drake, Celine Dion, and Keanu Reeves are all Canadian",
      "Canada is the second-largest country on Earth yet has only 38 million people",
      "The Canadian motto is 'A Mari Usque Ad Mare' meaning 'From sea to sea' — it borders three oceans"
    ],
    "info": "Canada is the world's second-largest country — where basketball was invented, 71% of maple syrup comes from, and lakes outnumber the world's combined."
  },
  {
    "id": 13,
    "name": "Mexico",
    "emoji": "🇲🇽",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "central america",
    "capital": "mexico city",
    "majorCities": ["guadalajara", "monterrey", "cancun", "tijuana"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["tacos", "pyramids", "sombreros", "tequila", "dia de muertos", "aztecs", "mariachi", "chili"],
    "landmarks": ["chichen itza", "teotihuacan", "palenque", "copper canyon", "cenotes"],
    "nationalDish": "tacos",
    "famousPeople": ["frida kahlo", "diego rivera", "emiliano zapata", "carlos slim", "salma hayek"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["usa", "guatemala", "belize"],
    "exports": ["oil", "cars", "electronics", "avocados", "tomatoes"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 50 cm per year — it was built on a drained lake by the Aztecs.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Mexico City is sinking about 50 cm per year because it was built on a drained Aztec lake",
      "Mexico introduced chocolate, tomatoes, and avocados to the entire world",
      "Chichén Itzá is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World",
      "Mexico has the world's largest pyramid by volume — the Great Pyramid of Cholula",
      "Frida Kahlo — one of the world's most iconic artists — was Mexican",
      "The chihuahua dog breed is named after a Mexican state",
      "Mexico City has more museums than any city in the Western Hemisphere",
      "Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage"
    ],
    "info": "Mexico gave the world chocolate, avocados, and tomatoes — home to Aztec pyramids, Frida Kahlo, tequila, and a capital city that's slowly sinking."
  },
  {
    "id": 14,
    "name": "South Korea",
    "emoji": "🇰🇷",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east asia",
    "capital": "seoul",
    "majorCities": ["busan", "incheon", "daegu", "gwangju"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "won",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red", "blue", "black"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["kpop", "samsung", "kimchi", "squid game", "bts", "taekwondo", "kdramas", "beauty"],
    "landmarks": ["gyeongbokgung palace", "n seoul tower", "jeju island", "dmz", "bukchon hanok village"],
    "nationalDish": "kimchi",
    "famousPeople": ["bts", "psy", "son heung-min", "bong joon-ho", "blackpink"],
    "language": "korean",
    "neighbors": ["north korea", "china", "japan"],
    "exports": ["electronics", "cars", "ships", "kpop", "smartphones"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "japan",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "South Korea has the fastest average internet speed in the world — and BTS generates more revenue than some countries.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "South Korea has the world's fastest average internet speed — nearly 10x faster than the global average",
      "BTS (K-pop group) contributes more to South Korea's economy than some smaller nations",
      "Parasite (2019) became the first non-English film to win the Oscar for Best Picture",
      "Taekwondo is the national sport — invented here and now an Olympic sport",
      "South Korea went from one of the poorest nations after the Korean War to the 12th largest economy in 50 years",
      "Plastic surgery rate is the highest in the world per capita",
      "The Samsung Group is so large it accounts for about 20% of South Korea's entire GDP",
      "Seoul's subway system is the world's most used — handling over 7 million passengers daily"
    ],
    "info": "South Korea is an Asian miracle — from post-war poverty to K-pop, Samsung, BTS, Parasite, and the world's fastest internet in 70 years."
  },
  {
    "id": 15,
    "name": "Spain",
    "emoji": "🇪🇸",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern europe",
    "capital": "madrid",
    "majorCities": ["barcelona", "seville", "valencia", "bilbao"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["red", "yellow"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["flamenco", "bullfighting", "football", "paella", "gaudi", "siesta", "columbus", "sangria"],
    "landmarks": ["sagrada familia", "alhambra", "park guell", "running of the bulls", "plaza mayor"],
    "nationalDish": "paella",
    "famousPeople": ["pablo picasso", "salvador dali", "rafael nadal", "penelope cruz", "christopher columbus"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["portugal", "france", "andorra", "morocco"],
    "exports": ["cars", "machinery", "wine", "olive oil", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Spain's Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882 and is STILL not finished.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona has been under construction since 1882 and is still being built",
      "Christopher Columbus — who 'discovered' America — was funded by Spain (though born in Italy)",
      "Spain introduced tomatoes, potatoes, chocolate, and tobacco from the Americas to Europe",
      "La Tomatina — the world's largest food fight — takes place annually in Buñol, Spain",
      "Spain has the second-highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe",
      "The Spanish language is spoken by 500+ million people as a native language — more than English",
      "Spain's national football team won 3 consecutive major tournaments (2008–2012)",
      "The Alhambra palace in Granada is one of the most visited monuments in the world"
    ],
    "info": "Spain brought tomatoes and chocolate to Europe, funded Columbus, built Sagrada Familia for 140+ years, and speaks a language with 500 million native speakers."
  },
  {
    "id": 16,
    "name": "Pakistan",
    "emoji": "🇵🇰",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "indian subcontinent",
    "capital": "islamabad",
    "majorCities": ["karachi", "lahore", "faisalabad", "peshawar"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "rupee",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["cricket", "mountains", "k2", "food", "textiles", "truck art", "music", "sufi"],
    "landmarks": ["k2 mountain", "badshahi mosque", "minar-e-pakistan", "lahore fort", "mohenjo-daro"],
    "nationalDish": "nihari",
    "famousPeople": ["imran khan", "malala yousafzai", "nusrat fateh ali khan", "atif aslam", "wasim akram"],
    "language": "urdu",
    "neighbors": ["india", "afghanistan", "iran", "china"],
    "exports": ["textiles", "rice", "cotton", "leather", "footballs"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Pakistan makes about 50% of the world's hand-stitched footballs — including those used in the FIFA World Cup.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Pakistan stitches about 50% of the world's hand-sewn footballs — most from the city of Sialkot",
      "K2, the world's second-highest mountain, is in Pakistan — considered deadlier to climb than Everest",
      "Malala Yousafzai — the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner — is Pakistani",
      "Atif Aslam is one of the most listened-to South Asian singers in the world with hundreds of millions of fans",
      "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — the king of Qawwali — was Pakistani and is considered one of the greatest vocalists in history",
      "Pakistan has more glaciers outside the polar regions than any other country — over 7,000",
      "The ancient city of Mohenjo-daro (now in Pakistan) had modern sewage systems 4,500 years ago",
      "Wasim Akram is widely regarded as the greatest left-arm fast bowler in cricket history"
    ],
    "info": "Pakistan — home of K2, Malala, Atif Aslam, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and 7,000+ glaciers — stitches half the world's footballs."
  },
  {
    "id": 17,
    "name": "Nigeria",
    "emoji": "🇳🇬",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "west africa",
    "capital": "abuja",
    "majorCities": ["lagos", "kano", "ibadan", "port harcourt"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "naira",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["nollywood", "oil", "afrobeats", "football", "diversity", "lagos", "jollof rice"],
    "landmarks": ["aso rock", "zuma rock", "lekki conservation centre", "yankari national park"],
    "nationalDish": "jollof rice",
    "famousPeople": ["wole soyinka", "burna boy", "wizkid", "chimamanda ngozi adichie", "jay jay okocha"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["benin", "niger", "chad", "cameroon"],
    "exports": ["oil", "petroleum", "cocoa", "rubber", "music"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Nollywood is the world's second-largest film industry by volume — producing more movies than Hollywood.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Nollywood (Nigerian cinema) is the world's second-largest film producer — making 2,500+ films per year",
      "Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the 7th most populated in the world",
      "Wole Soyinka became Africa's first Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1986",
      "Lagos is Africa's largest city and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world",
      "Nigeria has more than 500 distinct ethnic groups and over 500 languages spoken within its borders",
      "Burna Boy and Wizkid have put Afrobeats on the global music map",
      "Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa",
      "The Niger Delta region is one of the most oil-rich areas on Earth"
    ],
    "info": "Nigeria is Africa's giant — most populated, largest economy, home to Nollywood (bigger than Hollywood), Afrobeats, and 500+ languages."
  },
  {
    "id": 18,
    "name": "Turkey",
    "emoji": "🇹🇷",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "western asia",
    "capital": "ankara",
    "majorCities": ["istanbul", "izmir", "bursa", "antalya"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "lira",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["istanbul", "kebabs", "tea", "hammam", "hagia sophia", "cappadocia", "troy", "santa claus"],
    "landmarks": ["hagia sophia", "blue mosque", "cappadocia", "ephesus", "pamukkale"],
    "nationalDish": "doner kebab",
    "famousPeople": ["ataturk", "suleiman the magnificent", "tarkan", "orhan pamuk"],
    "language": "turkish",
    "neighbors": ["greece", "bulgaria", "georgia", "armenia", "iran", "syria", "iraq"],
    "exports": ["cars", "textiles", "electronics", "hazelnuts", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) was actually born in what is now Turkey — not the North Pole.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Istanbul is the only city in the world that lies on TWO continents — Europe and Asia",
      "Santa Claus — Saint Nicholas — was born in Patara, which is in present-day Turkey",
      "The world's first shopping mall — the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul — opened in 1461",
      "Coffee was introduced to all of Europe through Turkey and the Ottoman Empire",
      "Noah's Ark is traditionally said to have landed on Mount Ararat — a mountain in Turkey",
      "Produces 75% of the world's hazelnuts",
      "The Hagia Sophia has served as a church, mosque, museum, and is now a mosque again",
      "Troy — the city of the legendary Trojan War — is a real archaeological site in Turkey"
    ],
    "info": "Turkey is where two continents meet, Santa Claus was born, coffee reached Europe, and the Grand Bazaar — the world's first mall — still operates."
  },
  {
    "id": 19,
    "name": "Egypt",
    "emoji": "🇪🇬",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "north africa",
    "capital": "cairo",
    "majorCities": ["alexandria", "luxor", "giza", "aswan"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "pound",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "black"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["pyramids", "sphinx", "nile river", "cleopatra", "pharaohs", "mummies", "archaeology"],
    "landmarks": ["pyramids of giza", "sphinx", "valley of the kings", "luxor temple", "abu simbel"],
    "nationalDish": "kushari",
    "famousPeople": ["cleopatra", "naguib mahfouz", "mo salah", "anwar sadat", "ramesses ii"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["libya", "sudan", "israel"],
    "exports": ["oil", "natural gas", "cotton", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Cleopatra was NOT Egyptian — she was Greek. And the pyramids were NOT built by slaves.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Cleopatra was Greek, not Egyptian — she was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty founded by a general of Alexander the Great",
      "The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure on Earth for 3,800 years",
      "The pyramids were built by paid workers, NOT slaves — workers were fed, housed, and even had health care",
      "Mo Salah — one of the world's best footballers — is Egyptian",
      "Ancient Egyptians invented paper, ink, the 365-day calendar, and toothpaste",
      "Cairo is Africa's largest city with over 20 million people in the metro area",
      "Egypt controls the Suez Canal — the most important shipping route in the world",
      "The Nile River, which flows through Egypt, is the world's longest river at 6,650 km"
    ],
    "info": "Egypt is where Cleopatra (a Greek) ruled, where paid workers (not slaves) built pyramids that stood tallest for 3,800 years, and Mo Salah plays football."
  },
  {
    "id": 20,
    "name": "South Africa",
    "emoji": "🇿🇦",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern africa",
    "capital": "pretoria",
    "majorCities": ["johannesburg", "cape town", "durban", "port elizabeth"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "rand",
    "flagColors": ["red", "blue", "green", "yellow", "black", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["nelson mandela", "diamonds", "safari", "apartheid", "rugby", "cape town", "elon musk"],
    "landmarks": ["table mountain", "cape of good hope", "robben island", "kruger national park", "cape winelands"],
    "nationalDish": "braai",
    "famousPeople": ["nelson mandela", "elon musk", "trevor noah", "charlize theron", "christiaan barnard"],
    "language": "zulu",
    "neighbors": ["namibia", "botswana", "zimbabwe", "mozambique", "swaziland", "lesotho"],
    "exports": ["gold", "diamonds", "platinum", "iron ore", "wine"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "South Africa has THREE capital cities and 11 official languages — more than any other country.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has three capital cities — Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)",
      "Has 11 official languages — the most of any country in the world",
      "Elon Musk — the world's richest person — was born and raised in South Africa",
      "Trevor Noah — host of The Daily Show — is South African",
      "Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years and then became the country's first Black president",
      "The world's first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in 1967",
      "South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum and chrome",
      "Table Mountain in Cape Town is one of the oldest mountains on Earth — over 600 million years old"
    ],
    "info": "South Africa — where Elon Musk grew up, Mandela served 27 years then became president, and the world's first heart transplant happened."
  },
  {
    "id": 21,
    "name": "Argentina",
    "emoji": "🇦🇷",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern cone",
    "capital": "buenos aires",
    "majorCities": ["cordoba", "rosario", "mendoza", "bariloche"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["messi", "tango", "beef", "wine", "patagonia", "football", "pope francis", "iguazu falls"],
    "landmarks": ["iguazu falls", "perito moreno glacier", "patagonia", "buenos aires", "aconcagua"],
    "nationalDish": "asado",
    "famousPeople": ["lionel messi", "pope francis", "che guevara", "jorge luis borges", "eva peron"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["chile", "bolivia", "brazil", "paraguay", "uruguay"],
    "exports": ["soybeans", "beef", "wine", "corn", "lithium"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Pope Francis — the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics — is Argentine, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Pope Francis — the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics — was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina",
      "Lionel Messi — widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time — is Argentine",
      "Che Guevara, the iconic revolutionary, was Argentine by birth",
      "Argentina has the highest number of psychologists per capita in the world",
      "Aconcagua in Argentina is the highest mountain outside Asia at 6,961 m",
      "Argentina's Iguazu Falls is wider and more powerful than Niagara Falls",
      "Buenos Aires has the widest road in the world — Avenida 9 de Julio (16 lanes)",
      "Argentina won the FIFA World Cup in 2022 with Messi — ending a 36-year drought"
    ],
    "info": "Argentina — home to Messi (greatest footballer), Pope Francis, Che Guevara, tango, and Iguazu Falls (more powerful than Niagara)."
  },
  {
    "id": 22,
    "name": "Indonesia",
    "emoji": "🇮🇩",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "jakarta",
    "majorCities": ["surabaya", "bandung", "medan", "bali"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "rupiah",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["bali", "volcanoes", "batik", "orangutans", "komodo dragons", "rice", "spices"],
    "landmarks": ["borobudur", "prambanan", "mount bromo", "bali rice terraces", "komodo island"],
    "nationalDish": "nasi goreng",
    "famousPeople": ["joko widodo", "soekarno", "anggun"],
    "language": "indonesian",
    "neighbors": ["malaysia", "papua new guinea", "east timor"],
    "exports": ["coal", "palm oil", "rubber", "electronics", "spices"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "netherlands",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Indonesia has over 17,000 islands and more active volcanoes than any other country on Earth.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Indonesia has over 17,000 islands — the world's largest archipelago nation",
      "Has more active volcanoes than any other country on Earth — over 127",
      "The Komodo Dragon — the world's largest living lizard — lives only in Indonesia",
      "The 4th most populous country in the world with 275 million people",
      "Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple",
      "Bali alone attracts over 6 million foreign tourists per year",
      "The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 was heard 4,800 km away — one of history's loudest sounds",
      "Orangutans exist naturally only in Sumatra and Borneo, both part of Indonesia"
    ],
    "info": "Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago — 17,000+ islands, 127 active volcanoes, Komodo Dragons, Bali, and the world's largest Buddhist temple."
  },
  {
    "id": 23,
    "name": "Saudi Arabia",
    "emoji": "🇸🇦",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "riyadh",
    "majorCities": ["jeddah", "mecca", "medina", "dammam"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "riyal",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["mecca", "oil", "islam", "desert", "wealth", "camels", "no alcohol"],
    "landmarks": ["mecca", "medina", "al-ula", "neom", "edge of the world cliff"],
    "nationalDish": "kabsa",
    "famousPeople": ["king salman", "mohammed bin salman", "osama bin laden"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["jordan", "iraq", "kuwait", "uae", "oman", "yemen"],
    "exports": ["oil", "petroleum", "petrochemicals", "dates"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Saudi Arabia has no rivers at all — the entire country relies on desalination and underground water.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has no rivers — the entire country relies entirely on desalination plants and underground fossil water",
      "Women were not legally allowed to drive until 2018",
      "Mecca receives over 2 million pilgrims during Hajj — the world's largest annual mass gathering",
      "Has 25% of the world's proven oil reserves",
      "Was the last country on Earth to officially abolish slavery — in 1962",
      "The Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert is larger than France",
      "Construction on NEOM — a $500 billion futuristic mega-city — is currently underway",
      "Saudi Arabia has no income tax for citizens"
    ],
    "info": "Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, holds 25% of world oil reserves, has no rivers, and only allowed women to drive since 2018."
  },
  {
    "id": 24,
    "name": "United Kingdom",
    "emoji": "🇬🇧",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "london",
    "majorCities": ["manchester", "edinburgh", "birmingham", "glasgow", "liverpool"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "pound",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["queen", "bbc", "football", "shakespeare", "beatles", "royals", "tea", "empire"],
    "landmarks": ["big ben", "tower bridge", "buckingham palace", "stonehenge", "edinburgh castle"],
    "nationalDish": "chicken tikka masala",
    "famousPeople": ["william shakespeare", "isaac newton", "david beckham", "adele", "john lennon"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["ireland", "france"],
    "exports": ["aircraft", "pharmaceuticals", "cars", "financial services", "music"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The UK's national dish is officially Chicken Tikka Masala — an Indian-origin curry — not Fish and Chips.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The UK's official national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala — an Indian curry — not fish and chips",
      "The British Empire was the largest empire in history — covering 24% of the Earth at its peak",
      "Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking were all British",
      "The Beatles — the best-selling music artist of all time — were from Liverpool, England",
      "The UK invented the World Wide Web (Tim Berners-Lee), football, and the television",
      "Stonehenge is older than the Egyptian Pyramids",
      "The Queen's Guards cannot smile or react while on duty — even if someone tries to make them laugh",
      "English has over 1 million words — the largest vocabulary of any language"
    ],
    "info": "The UK invented football, the internet, and TV — home to Shakespeare, The Beatles, Newton, and an empire that once covered 24% of Earth."
  },
  {
    "id": 25,
    "name": "Netherlands",
    "emoji": "🇳🇱",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "amsterdam",
    "majorCities": ["rotterdam", "the hague", "utrecht", "eindhoven"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["tulips", "windmills", "cycling", "cheese", "rembrandt", "van gogh", "canals", "weed"],
    "landmarks": ["anne frank house", "rijksmuseum", "keukenhof", "windmills of kinderdijk", "van gogh museum"],
    "nationalDish": "stamppot",
    "famousPeople": ["vincent van gogh", "rembrandt", "anne frank", "erasmus", "dj tiesto"],
    "language": "dutch",
    "neighbors": ["germany", "belgium"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "chemicals", "food", "electronics", "flowers"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Netherlands is so flat that 26% of its land is BELOW sea level — and they built it themselves using dikes.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "About 26% of the Netherlands is below sea level — yet the Dutch have kept it dry for centuries using dikes and pumps",
      "Has more bicycles than people — about 23 million bikes for 17 million people",
      "Van Gogh only sold ONE painting during his entire lifetime",
      "Anne Frank, who wrote her famous diary while hiding from the Nazis, was from Amsterdam",
      "The Netherlands exports more flowers than any other country — 90% of the world's flower trade",
      "Has the world's tallest average height — Dutch men average 6 feet (182 cm)",
      "Dutch people are among the most fluent English speakers outside native-English countries",
      "Rotterdam is Europe's busiest port"
    ],
    "info": "The Netherlands is below sea level, built by dikes, has more bikes than people, and gave the world Van Gogh, Anne Frank, and 90% of global flower exports."
  },
  {
    "id": 26,
    "name": "Sweden",
    "emoji": "🇸🇪",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "scandinavia",
    "capital": "stockholm",
    "majorCities": ["gothenburg", "malmo", "uppsala", "vasteras"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "krona",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["abba", "ikea", "volvo", "spotify", "northern lights", "vikings", "welfare", "meatballs"],
    "landmarks": ["vasa museum", "gamla stan", "abisko national park", "drottningholm palace"],
    "nationalDish": "meatballs",
    "famousPeople": ["abba", "ingmar bergman", "greta thunberg", "zlatan ibrahimovic", "alfred nobel"],
    "language": "swedish",
    "neighbors": ["norway", "finland"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "cars", "paper", "iron ore", "music"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Sweden invented dynamite, the pacemaker, the Celsius scale, and spawned ABBA, IKEA, Spotify, and Volvo.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Alfred Nobel — the Swede who invented dynamite — created the Nobel Prize to redeem his legacy",
      "IKEA, Spotify, Skype, Minecraft, and Volvo were all founded in Sweden",
      "ABBA — one of the best-selling musical acts of all time — is from Sweden",
      "Zlatan Ibrahimovic — one of football's greatest strikers — is Swedish (of Bosnian origin)",
      "Greta Thunberg — the world's most famous climate activist — is Swedish",
      "Sweden has the highest per capita consumption of music production in the world",
      "The Nobel Prize is awarded every year in Stockholm",
      "Sweden has had an official government policy supporting work-life balance and gender equality for decades"
    ],
    "info": "Sweden gave the world ABBA, IKEA, Spotify, Volvo, dynamite, the Nobel Prize, and Greta Thunberg — all from a country of only 10 million people."
  },
  {
    "id": 27,
    "name": "Norway",
    "emoji": "🇳🇴",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "scandinavia",
    "capital": "oslo",
    "majorCities": ["bergen", "trondheim", "stavanger", "tromso"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "krone",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["fjords", "northern lights", "oil", "vikings", "salmon", "skiing", "trolls", "midnight sun"],
    "landmarks": ["geirangerfjord", "briksdal glacier", "preikestolen", "northern lights", "bryggen"],
    "nationalDish": "rakfisk",
    "famousPeople": ["roald dahl", "edvard grieg", "edvard munch", "magnus carlsen"],
    "language": "norwegian",
    "neighbors": ["sweden", "finland", "russia"],
    "exports": ["oil", "gas", "fish", "aluminium", "ships"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Norway has a sovereign wealth fund worth over $1.4 trillion — the world's largest — funded entirely by oil.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Norway's sovereign wealth fund is worth over $1.4 trillion — the world's largest — giving every Norwegian a stake in the nation's oil wealth",
      "Magnus Carlsen — the greatest chess player of the current era — is Norwegian",
      "The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are visible for 6 months in northern Norway",
      "Roald Dahl — author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — was of Norwegian descent",
      "Norway's fjords are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and formed by glaciers over 10,000 years ago",
      "Norway has the Midnight Sun — in summer, the sun never fully sets in the north for weeks",
      "Norway consistently ranks #1 in the UN Human Development Index",
      "The painting 'The Scream' by Edvard Munch — one of the world's most iconic artworks — was painted by a Norwegian"
    ],
    "info": "Norway has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, Magnus Carlsen (chess GOAT), fjords, midnight sun, and 'The Scream' by Munch."
  },
  {
    "id": 28,
    "name": "Switzerland",
    "emoji": "🇨🇭",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "bern",
    "majorCities": ["zurich", "geneva", "basel", "lausanne"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "franc",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["chocolate", "watches", "banking", "alps", "skiing", "neutrality", "fondue", "roger federer"],
    "landmarks": ["matterhorn", "jungfrau", "lake geneva", "chillon castle", "cern"],
    "nationalDish": "fondue",
    "famousPeople": ["roger federer", "william tell", "jean calvin", "henri dunant", "le corbusier"],
    "language": "german",
    "neighbors": ["france", "germany", "italy", "austria", "liechtenstein"],
    "exports": ["watches", "pharmaceuticals", "machines", "chocolate", "banking"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "CERN — where the World Wide Web was invented AND the world's most powerful particle collider operates — is in Switzerland.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "CERN — where the internet (World Wide Web) was invented by Tim Berners-Lee — is in Geneva, Switzerland",
      "The Large Hadron Collider — the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth — runs under Switzerland and France",
      "Has 4 official national languages — German, French, Italian, and Romansh",
      "Has maintained complete military neutrality in ALL wars since 1815",
      "Roger Federer — widely considered the greatest tennis player of all time — is Swiss",
      "Has more Nobel Prize winners per capita than almost any other nation",
      "Swiss watches are so precise that 'Swiss Made' is a legally protected quality standard worldwide",
      "Switzerland consistently ranks #1 in quality of life, press freedom, and innovation globally"
    ],
    "info": "Switzerland — where the internet was invented (CERN), Roger Federer is from, 4 languages are spoken, and neutrality has been sacred since 1815."
  },
  {
    "id": 29,
    "name": "Portugal",
    "emoji": "🇵🇹",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern europe",
    "capital": "lisbon",
    "majorCities": ["porto", "braga", "coimbra", "faro"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["green", "red"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["cristiano ronaldo", "fado music", "pasteis de nata", "wine", "cork", "explorers", "piri piri"],
    "landmarks": ["torre de belem", "pena palace", "alfama district", "douro valley", "cape st. vincent"],
    "nationalDish": "bacalhau",
    "famousPeople": ["cristiano ronaldo", "vasco da gama", "jose mourinho", "luis figo", "fernando pessoa"],
    "language": "portuguese",
    "neighbors": ["spain"],
    "exports": ["wine", "cork", "textiles", "cars", "fish"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Portugal supplies 50% of the world's cork — and Cristiano Ronaldo's hometown airport is named after him.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Cristiano Ronaldo is so beloved in Portugal that Madeira's airport was officially renamed after him",
      "Portugal supplies about 50% of the world's entire cork supply",
      "Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world — across Brazil, Africa, and Asia",
      "Portugal founded the first true global empire in the 15th century — reaching Asia, Africa, and the Americas",
      "Vasco da Gama was the first European to sail directly to India",
      "Fado music — Portugal's soulful folk music — is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage",
      "Portugal is the oldest nation-state in Europe with borders virtually unchanged since 1143",
      "José Mourinho — one of football's greatest managers — is Portuguese"
    ],
    "info": "Portugal — the world's oldest nation-state — built the first global empire, named an airport after Ronaldo, and supplies 50% of the world's cork."
  },
  {
    "id": 30,
    "name": "Greece",
    "emoji": "🇬🇷",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern europe",
    "capital": "athens",
    "majorCities": ["thessaloniki", "patras", "heraklion", "volos"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["ancient history", "olympics", "philosophy", "mythology", "acropolis", "democracy", "gyros", "islands"],
    "landmarks": ["acropolis", "parthenon", "santorini", "meteora", "olympia"],
    "nationalDish": "moussaka",
    "famousPeople": ["aristotle", "plato", "socrates", "alexander the great", "nikos kazantzakis"],
    "language": "greek",
    "neighbors": ["turkey", "bulgaria", "albania", "north macedonia"],
    "exports": ["petroleum", "olive oil", "cheese", "fish", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Democracy, the Olympics, Philosophy, and Western Mathematics all originated in ancient Greece.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Democracy, philosophy, the Olympics, geometry, and Western theatre were all invented in ancient Greece",
      "The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC",
      "Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world",
      "Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, and Archimedes — some of history's greatest thinkers — were all Greek",
      "Alexander the Great — who conquered most of the known world by age 30 — was Greek/Macedonian",
      "Greece has over 6,000 islands — 227 of which are inhabited",
      "Santorini's iconic blue-domed white buildings are one of the most photographed sights on Earth",
      "The word 'mathematics' comes from the Greek word 'mathema' meaning 'learning'"
    ],
    "info": "Greece is the birthplace of democracy, the Olympics, philosophy, mathematics, and Western civilization itself."
  },
  {
    "id": 31,
    "name": "Poland",
    "emoji": "🇵🇱",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "warsaw",
    "majorCities": ["krakow", "gdansk", "wroclaw", "poznan"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "zloty",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["pope john paul ii", "marie curie", "pierogies", "vodka", "history", "solidarity", "amber"],
    "landmarks": ["auschwitz", "wawel castle", "old town warsaw", "wieliczka salt mine", "bialowieza forest"],
    "nationalDish": "pierogi",
    "famousPeople": ["marie curie", "pope john paul ii", "frederic chopin", "lech walesa", "robert lewandowski"],
    "language": "polish",
    "neighbors": ["germany", "czech republic", "ukraine", "russia", "belarus", "slovakia", "lithuania"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "food", "furniture", "chemicals", "electronics"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Marie Curie — the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences — was born in Warsaw, Poland.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Marie Curie — the only human to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences (Physics and Chemistry) — was Polish",
      "Pope John Paul II — one of the most influential religious figures of the 20th century — was Polish",
      "Frederic Chopin — one of the greatest composers in piano history — was Polish",
      "Poland was wiped completely off the map between 1795 and 1918, yet the nation survived",
      "Robert Lewandowski — one of the greatest strikers in football — is Polish",
      "The Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow has been operating for 700 years and has underground chapels carved from salt",
      "Poland's Białowieża Forest is the last primeval forest in Europe — home to the last European bison",
      "Poland is the 6th largest economy in the EU"
    ],
    "info": "Poland gave the world Marie Curie, Pope John Paul II, and Chopin — a country that was erased from maps for 123 years yet survived."
  },
  {
    "id": 32,
    "name": "Ukraine",
    "emoji": "🇺🇦",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "kyiv",
    "majorCities": ["kharkiv", "odessa", "dnipro", "lviv"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "hryvnia",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["sunflowers", "breadbasket of europe", "chernobyl", "borsch", "cossacks", "zelensky", "chess"],
    "landmarks": ["saint sophia cathedral", "kyiv pechersk lavra", "chernobyl", "odessa opera house"],
    "nationalDish": "borsch",
    "famousPeople": ["volodymyr zelensky", "serhiy bubka", "klitschko brothers", "andriy shevchenko"],
    "language": "ukrainian",
    "neighbors": ["russia", "poland", "romania", "belarus", "moldova", "hungary", "slovakia"],
    "exports": ["wheat", "sunflower oil", "iron", "steel", "military equipment"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Ukraine is the largest country entirely within Europe and is often called the 'breadbasket of Europe' — feeding millions worldwide.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Ukraine is the largest country located entirely within Europe by land area",
      "Called the 'Breadbasket of Europe' — produces about 10% of the world's wheat",
      "Chernobyl — site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986 — is in Ukraine",
      "Serhiy Bubka broke the pole vault world record 35 times",
      "Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko — two brothers — simultaneously held all heavyweight boxing world championship titles",
      "Andriy Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest footballers in history",
      "Ukraine's blue and yellow flag represents the sky above golden wheat fields",
      "Borsch — the famous beet soup — is Ukrainian in origin, not Russian"
    ],
    "info": "Ukraine — Europe's largest country — is the world's breadbasket, home of Chernobyl, the Klitschko brothers, and a flag that represents sky over wheat."
  },
  {
    "id": 33,
    "name": "Iran",
    "emoji": "🇮🇷",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "tehran",
    "majorCities": ["isfahan", "shiraz", "tabriz", "mashhad"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "rial",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["persian empire", "poetry", "carpets", "nuclear program", "oil", "saffron", "pistachios"],
    "landmarks": ["persepolis", "nasir ol-molk mosque", "golestan palace", "si-o-se pol bridge"],
    "nationalDish": "ghormeh sabzi",
    "famousPeople": ["rumi", "cyrus the great", "khomeini", "avicenna", "ali daei"],
    "language": "persian",
    "neighbors": ["iraq", "turkey", "pakistan", "afghanistan", "russia", "azerbaijan"],
    "exports": ["oil", "gas", "saffron", "pistachios", "carpets"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Rumi — the 13th century Persian poet — is the best-selling poet in the United States today, 800 years after his death.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Rumi — a 13th-century Persian poet born in what is now Afghanistan — is the best-selling poet in the USA today",
      "Iran (Persia) was once the world's largest empire under Cyrus the Great",
      "Iran produces 80% of the world's saffron — the world's most expensive spice by weight",
      "Iranian women have won the Nobel Peace Prize (Shirin Ebadi, 2003)",
      "Chess originated in India but was perfected and spread to the world by Persians",
      "Persepolis — built over 2,500 years ago — was one of the ancient world's greatest cities",
      "Iran has the world's oldest continuously inhabited city — Susa — dating back 7,000 years",
      "Iran produces 50% of the world's pistachios"
    ],
    "info": "Iran (ancient Persia) is where the world's biggest empire rose, Rumi wrote poetry, saffron grows, and Cyrus the Great created the first human rights charter."
  },
  {
    "id": 34,
    "name": "Kenya",
    "emoji": "🇰🇪",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east africa",
    "capital": "nairobi",
    "majorCities": ["mombasa", "kisumu", "nakuru", "eldoret"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "shilling",
    "flagColors": ["black", "red", "green", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["safari", "great rift valley", "marathon runners", "maasai", "elephants", "obama's roots", "tea"],
    "landmarks": ["maasai mara", "mount kenya", "great rift valley", "amboseli national park", "lamu island"],
    "nationalDish": "ugali",
    "famousPeople": ["barack obama", "eliud kipchoge", "wangari maathai", "lupita nyong'o"],
    "language": "swahili",
    "neighbors": ["ethiopia", "somalia", "tanzania", "uganda", "south sudan"],
    "exports": ["tea", "coffee", "flowers", "fish", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Eliud Kipchoge — the first human to run a marathon in under 2 hours — is Kenyan.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Eliud Kipchoge was the first human in history to run a marathon in under 2 hours — he's Kenyan",
      "Barack Obama's father was from Kenya — making Obama the first US President of African descent",
      "Lupita Nyong'o — Academy Award-winning actress — is Kenyan",
      "Kenya is home to the Maasai Mara — one of the world's greatest wildlife reserves",
      "Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize",
      "Kenya's Great Rift Valley stretches from the Middle East through East Africa",
      "Kenya is one of the world's top producers of tea and flowers",
      "Nairobi is the only city in the world with a national park within its city limits"
    ],
    "info": "Kenya — where Eliud Kipchoge broke 2-hour marathon, Obama's roots are, Lupita Nyong'o grew up, and lions roam near Nairobi's capital."
  },
  {
    "id": 35,
    "name": "Ethiopia",
    "emoji": "🇪🇹",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east africa",
    "capital": "addis ababa",
    "majorCities": ["dire dawa", "adama", "gondar", "mekelle"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "birr",
    "flagColors": ["green", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["coffee", "marathon runners", "lucy fossil", "ancient history", "Abebe Bikila", "obelisks", "oldest nation"],
    "landmarks": ["lalibela", "axum obelisks", "blue nile falls", "danakil depression", "simien mountains"],
    "nationalDish": "injera",
    "famousPeople": ["haile selassie", "abebe bikila", "haile gebrselassie", "tirunesh dibaba"],
    "language": "amharic",
    "neighbors": ["kenya", "somalia", "eritrea", "sudan", "djibouti", "south sudan"],
    "exports": ["coffee", "oilseeds", "gold", "flowers", "khat"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia — and Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon running BAREFOOT.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia — a goat herder noticed his goats became energetic after eating coffee berries",
      "Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome running completely barefoot",
      "Ethiopia is one of the only two African countries never colonized by a European power",
      "'Lucy' — one of the oldest humanoid fossils ever found (3.2 million years old) — was discovered in Ethiopia",
      "Ethiopia has its own calendar with 13 months — making it 7 years 'behind' the Gregorian calendar",
      "Haile Selassie is worshipped as a god by the Rastafarian religion — followers include Bob Marley",
      "Ethiopia has the 2nd largest population in Africa — over 120 million people",
      "Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the African Union"
    ],
    "info": "Ethiopia — where coffee was discovered, barefoot Olympic champion ran, 'Lucy' fossil was found, and never colonized by Europeans."
  },
  {
    "id": 36,
    "name": "Morocco",
    "emoji": "🇲🇦",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "north africa",
    "capital": "rabat",
    "majorCities": ["casablanca", "marrakech", "fez", "tangier"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dirham",
    "flagColors": ["red", "green"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["sahara desert", "medinas", "tagine", "argan oil", "riads", "casablanca", "hammams"],
    "landmarks": ["marrakech medina", "sahara desert", "hassan ii mosque", "chefchaouen", "ait benhaddou"],
    "nationalDish": "tagine",
    "famousPeople": ["youssef en-nesyri", "hakim ziyech", "achraf hakimi", "ibn battuta"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["algeria", "spain", "mauritania"],
    "exports": ["phosphates", "fish", "argan oil", "tourism", "textiles"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Morocco became the first African country ever to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final — in 2022.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final (Qatar 2022)",
      "Chefchaouen — the 'Blue City' — has every building painted blue and no one is quite sure why",
      "Morocco controls about 70% of the world's phosphate reserves — crucial for global agriculture",
      "Ibn Battuta — the greatest medieval traveler — was Moroccan and visited more countries than Marco Polo",
      "The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, founded in 859 AD, is the world's oldest continuously operating university",
      "Morocco is the only African country with coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea",
      "Argan oil — used in the beauty industry worldwide — comes almost exclusively from Morocco",
      "The Sahara Desert, which borders Morocco, is the world's largest hot desert"
    ],
    "info": "Morocco — Africa's 2022 World Cup semi-finalist, home to the world's oldest university, the Blue City, and 70% of world's phosphates."
  },
  {
    "id": 37,
    "name": "Thailand",
    "emoji": "🇹🇭",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "bangkok",
    "majorCities": ["chiang mai", "phuket", "pattaya", "ayutthaya"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "baht",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["temples", "pad thai", "elephants", "muay thai", "beaches", "street food", "floating markets"],
    "landmarks": ["grand palace", "wat pho", "phi phi islands", "chiang mai temples", "ayutthaya ruins"],
    "nationalDish": "pad thai",
    "famousPeople": ["king bhumibol", "tony jaa", "pen-ek ratanaruang"],
    "language": "thai",
    "neighbors": ["myanmar", "laos", "cambodia", "malaysia"],
    "exports": ["electronics", "rice", "rubber", "cars", "gems"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Thailand is the ONLY country in Southeast Asia that was NEVER colonized by a European power.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation that was never colonized by Europeans",
      "Bangkok's official full ceremonial name is 168 letters long — the world's longest place name",
      "Thailand is the world's largest exporter of natural rubber",
      "Muay Thai — Thailand's national martial art — is one of the most effective fighting styles in the world",
      "Over 35,000 temples exist across the country",
      "The Thai royal family is one of the wealthiest royal families in the world",
      "Pad Thai was actually introduced by the government in the 1930s to promote national identity",
      "Thailand is the world's largest producer and exporter of rice"
    ],
    "info": "Thailand — never colonized, world's largest rubber and rice exporter, 35,000+ temples, and Bangkok has the world's longest place name."
  },
  {
    "id": 38,
    "name": "Vietnam",
    "emoji": "🇻🇳",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "hanoi",
    "majorCities": ["ho chi minh city", "da nang", "hoi an", "hue"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "communist",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "dong",
    "flagColors": ["red", "yellow"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["vietnam war", "pho", "halong bay", "motorcycles", "coffee", "ao dai", "rice paddies"],
    "landmarks": ["halong bay", "hoi an ancient town", "my son sanctuary", "phong nha caves", "hue imperial city"],
    "nationalDish": "pho",
    "famousPeople": ["ho chi minh", "nguyen ngoc ngan"],
    "language": "vietnamese",
    "neighbors": ["china", "laos", "cambodia"],
    "exports": ["electronics", "clothing", "footwear", "coffee", "rice"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Vietnam defeated the United States in the Vietnam War — and now the two countries are major trade partners.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Vietnam defeated the United States in war — yet today they are close trade partners and 95% of Vietnamese have a favorable view of the USA",
      "Halong Bay — with its 1,600 limestone islands — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site",
      "Vietnam is the 2nd largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil",
      "Son Doong — the world's largest cave — is in Vietnam, large enough to contain a skyscraper",
      "Vietnam has a longer history of resisting foreign domination than almost any other nation — defeating China, France, Japan, and the USA",
      "There are more motorbikes than cars in Vietnam — Hanoi has over 7 million motorbikes",
      "Vietnam is one of only 5 remaining communist countries in the world",
      "The Vietnamese language has 6 tones — the same word said in different pitches means completely different things"
    ],
    "info": "Vietnam defeated America in war, exports more coffee than almost anyone, houses the world's largest cave, and now gets millions of US tourists."
  },
  {
    "id": 39,
    "name": "Colombia",
    "emoji": "🇨🇴",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "bogota",
    "majorCities": ["medellin", "cali", "barranquilla", "cartagena"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["yellow", "blue", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["coffee", "emeralds", "cumbia", "gabriel garcia marquez", "narcos", "james rodriguez", "flowers"],
    "landmarks": ["lost city", "cartagena walls", "coffee region", "caño cristales", "salt cathedral"],
    "nationalDish": "bandeja paisa",
    "famousPeople": ["gabriel garcia marquez", "shakira", "james rodriguez", "sofia vergara", "pablo escobar"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["venezuela", "brazil", "peru", "ecuador", "panama"],
    "exports": ["coffee", "oil", "coal", "gold", "emeralds", "flowers"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Shakira and Sofia Vergara — two of the world's most famous entertainers — are both Colombian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Shakira and Sofia Vergara — two of the world's most globally famous entertainers — are both Colombian",
      "Colombia is the only country in South America with coastline on BOTH the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea",
      "Colombia produces 90% of the world's emeralds",
      "Gabriel García Márquez — who invented magical realism — won the Nobel Prize in Literature and was Colombian",
      "Colombia is the world's leading producer of flowers — exporting to 100+ countries",
      "Medellín was once the world's most dangerous city and is now one of the world's most innovative",
      "Caño Cristales river turns red, yellow, blue, and green — called the 'liquid rainbow'",
      "Colombia has more bird species than any other country on Earth — over 1,900 species"
    ],
    "info": "Colombia — where Shakira dances, García Márquez wrote, 90% of world's emeralds come from, and Caño Cristales flows in 5 colors."
  },
  {
    "id": 40,
    "name": "New Zealand",
    "emoji": "🇳🇿",
    "continent": "oceania",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "polynesia",
    "capital": "wellington",
    "majorCities": ["auckland", "christchurch", "hamilton", "dunedin"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "red", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["lord of the rings", "rugby", "kiwis", "maori culture", "bungee jumping", "sheep", "all blacks"],
    "landmarks": ["milford sound", "hobbiton", "tongariro", "fiordland", "waitomo caves"],
    "nationalDish": "hangi",
    "famousPeople": ["peter jackson", "jacinda ardern", "ernest rutherford", "lorde"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["australia"],
    "exports": ["dairy", "lamb", "wool", "wine", "kiwifruit"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote — in 1893, 27 years before the USA.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote — in 1893",
      "The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies were entirely filmed in New Zealand",
      "Bungee jumping was invented in New Zealand",
      "New Zealand has more sheep than people — about 6 sheep per person",
      "Ernest Rutherford — the father of nuclear physics — was from New Zealand",
      "The All Blacks rugby team has the highest win rate of any sporting team in history",
      "New Zealand is one of the last places on Earth settled by humans — Māori arrived only around 1300 AD",
      "Jacinda Ardern became the world's youngest female head of government at age 37"
    ],
    "info": "New Zealand — first to give women the vote, filmed Lord of the Rings, invented bungee jumping, and where the All Blacks dominate rugby."
  },
  {
    "id": 41,
    "name": "Israel",
    "emoji": "🇮🇱",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "jerusalem",
    "majorCities": ["tel aviv", "haifa", "beer sheva", "nazareth"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "judaism",
    "currency": "shekel",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["holy land", "tech startups", "dead sea", "jerusalem", "military", "innovation", "kibbutz"],
    "landmarks": ["western wall", "dome of the rock", "dead sea", "masada", "church of holy sepulchre"],
    "nationalDish": "hummus",
    "famousPeople": ["golda meir", "albert einstein", "natalie portman", "gal gadot"],
    "language": "hebrew",
    "neighbors": ["egypt", "jordan", "lebanon", "syria"],
    "exports": ["diamonds", "technology", "chemicals", "weapons", "citrus"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Israel has more tech startups per capita than any country in the world — and the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth's surface.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Israel has more high-tech startups per capita than any other country in the world — nicknamed 'Startup Nation'",
      "The Dead Sea — shared with Jordan — is the lowest point on Earth's surface at 430 m below sea level",
      "Hebrew was a dead language for 1,700 years until it was revived in the 19th century as a living spoken language",
      "Gal Gadot — Wonder Woman — is Israeli and served in the Israeli Defence Forces",
      "Israel produces 40% of the world's polished diamonds",
      "WhatsApp was co-founded by Israeli Jan Koum",
      "USB flash drives were invented by an Israeli engineer in 1999",
      "The cherry tomato was developed by Israeli scientists"
    ],
    "info": "Israel — where Hebrew was resurrected after 1,700 years, the Dead Sea is Earth's lowest point, Gal Gadot served in the army, and the USB drive was invented."
  },
  {
    "id": 42,
    "name": "Romania",
    "emoji": "🇷🇴",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "bucharest",
    "majorCities": ["cluj-napoca", "timisoara", "iasi", "constanta"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "leu",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["dracula", "transylvania", "gymnastics", "castles", "nadia comaneci", "black sea", "vampires"],
    "landmarks": ["bran castle", "peles castle", "sighisoara", "painted monasteries", "danube delta"],
    "nationalDish": "mamaliga",
    "famousPeople": ["nadia comaneci", "vlad the impaler", "gheorghe hagi", "ilie nastase"],
    "language": "romanian",
    "neighbors": ["ukraine", "moldova", "hungary", "serbia", "bulgaria"],
    "exports": ["cars", "textiles", "machinery", "wheat", "software"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Nadia Comaneci scored the first ever perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history — at age 14.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Nadia Comaneci scored the FIRST EVER perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history at just 14 years old",
      "Dracula is based on real Romanian ruler Vlad the Impaler — known for impaling his enemies on stakes",
      "Transylvania is a real region in Romania — not just a fictional vampire setting",
      "Romania has the world's heaviest building — the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest",
      "Bram Stoker never once visited Romania yet wrote the most famous vampire novel set here",
      "Romania became the largest IT exporter in Eastern Europe per capita",
      "The Palace of the Parliament has 1,100 rooms and cost more than Romania earned in 3 years to build",
      "Romania has the second-fastest internet speed in Europe"
    ],
    "info": "Romania — where Dracula's Transylvania exists for real, Nadia scored gymnastics' first perfect 10, and the world's heaviest building stands."
  },
  {
    "id": 43,
    "name": "Hungary",
    "emoji": "🇭🇺",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "budapest",
    "majorCities": ["debrecen", "pecs", "gyor", "miskolc"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "forint",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "green"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["budapest", "goulash", "thermal baths", "rubik's cube", "paprika", "chess", "mathematicians"],
    "landmarks": ["parliament building", "chain bridge", "lake balaton", "thermal baths", "fisherman's bastion"],
    "nationalDish": "goulash",
    "famousPeople": ["erno rubik", "bela bartok", "harry houdini", "johnny von neumann"],
    "language": "hungarian",
    "neighbors": ["austria", "slovakia", "ukraine", "romania", "serbia", "croatia", "slovenia"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "cars", "electronics", "food", "pharmaceuticals"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Rubik's Cube — the world's best-selling toy — was invented by a Hungarian, Ernő Rubik, in 1974.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Rubik's Cube — the world's best-selling toy with 450 million sold — was invented by Hungarian Ernő Rubik",
      "Harry Houdini — the world's most famous escape artist — was born in Budapest, Hungary",
      "Hungary has produced 13 Nobel Prize winners — extraordinary for a small nation",
      "John von Neumann — the father of modern computing — was Hungarian",
      "Budapest's Parliament building is the world's third-largest parliament building",
      "Hungary has the most thermal baths of any European city — Budapest alone has 118 springs",
      "Paprika — the spice synonymous with Hungarian food — was imported from America via the Ottomans",
      "Hungary is the world's top producer of goose liver (foie gras)"
    ],
    "info": "Hungary — where the Rubik's Cube was invented, Houdini was born, computing was theorized, and 118 thermal springs bubble under Budapest."
  },
  {
    "id": 44,
    "name": "Czech Republic",
    "emoji": "🇨🇿",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "prague",
    "majorCities": ["brno", "ostrava", "plzen", "liberec"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "secular",
    "currency": "koruna",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red", "blue"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["beer", "prague", "glass", "kafka", "architecture", "velvet revolution", "skoda"],
    "landmarks": ["prague castle", "charles bridge", "old town square", "cesky krumlov", "bohemian paradise"],
    "nationalDish": "svickova",
    "famousPeople": ["franz kafka", "martina navratilova", "jan palach", "vaclav havel"],
    "language": "czech",
    "neighbors": ["germany", "austria", "slovakia", "poland"],
    "exports": ["cars", "machinery", "electronics", "glass", "beer"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world — every Czech drinks over 180 liters a year.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Czechs drink more beer per capita than any other nation — about 184 liters per person per year",
      "Prague's Charles Bridge has stood since 1357 and is adorned with 30 baroque statues",
      "Franz Kafka — one of the most influential writers in literary history — was born and lived in Prague",
      "The Velvet Revolution of 1989 peacefully ended Communist rule without a single death",
      "Martina Navratilova — one of the greatest tennis players in history — was born in Prague",
      "Prague's Old Town Square has an astronomical clock that dates back to 1410",
      "The Czech Pilsner Urquell was the world's first blonde lager — now the basis of most global beers",
      "Skoda — one of Europe's oldest car manufacturers — is Czech"
    ],
    "info": "Czech Republic — where the world drinks most beer per capita, Kafka was born, and the Velvet Revolution overthrew Communism without a single death."
  },
  {
    "id": 45,
    "name": "Austria",
    "emoji": "🇦🇹",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "vienna",
    "majorCities": ["graz", "linz", "salzburg", "innsbruck"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["mozart", "classical music", "skiing", "schnitzel", "vienna", "austrian empire", "arnold schwarzenegger"],
    "landmarks": ["schonbrunn palace", "vienna opera house", "hohensalzburg castle", "hallstatt", "grossglockner"],
    "nationalDish": "wiener schnitzel",
    "famousPeople": ["mozart", "sigmund freud", "arnold schwarzenegger", "adolph hitler", "haydn"],
    "language": "german",
    "neighbors": ["germany", "switzerland", "italy", "czech republic", "hungary", "slovenia", "slovakia", "liechtenstein"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "cars", "paper", "chemicals", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria — and Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California — is also Austrian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria and composed over 600 works by age 35",
      "Arnold Schwarzenegger — Hollywood star and Governor of California — is Austrian",
      "Sigmund Freud — the father of psychoanalysis — was Austrian",
      "Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria — a fact Austrians find uncomfortable",
      "Vienna was once the capital of the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire — one of the world's great powers",
      "The waltz — the world's most iconic ballroom dance — was invented in Austria",
      "Vienna is consistently ranked the world's most liveable city",
      "Red Bull — the world's most popular energy drink — was founded in Austria"
    ],
    "info": "Austria — where Mozart composed, Freud analyzed minds, Schwarzenegger was born, Red Bull was created, and Vienna is the world's most liveable city."
  },
  {
    "id": 46,
    "name": "Finland",
    "emoji": "🇫🇮",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "scandinavia",
    "capital": "helsinki",
    "majorCities": ["tampere", "turku", "oulu", "jyvaskyla"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["nokia", "sauna", "northern lights", "santa claus homeland", "happiest country", "midnight sun", "reindeer"],
    "landmarks": ["northern lights in lapland", "helsinki cathedral", "suomenlinna fortress", "santa claus village"],
    "nationalDish": "karjalanpiirakka",
    "famousPeople": ["jean sibelius", "linus torvalds", "kimi raikkonen", "tove jansson"],
    "language": "finnish",
    "neighbors": ["sweden", "norway", "russia"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "paper", "electronics", "ships", "timber"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Finland has been ranked the World's Happiest Country 7 years in a row — and is the official homeland of Santa Claus.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Finland has been ranked the World's Happiest Country 7 consecutive years by the UN",
      "Santa Claus's official hometown is Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland — you can visit him there",
      "Linus Torvalds — the Finnish programmer who created the Linux operating system — is Finnish",
      "Finland has more saunas than cars — 3.3 million saunas for 5.5 million people",
      "Nokia — which dominated global mobile phones — was Finnish",
      "Finland has one of the world's best education systems — yet no homework",
      "Finnish is one of the world's hardest languages — with 15 grammatical cases",
      "F1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen is Finnish"
    ],
    "info": "Finland — the world's happiest nation, official Santa Claus homeland, creator of Linux, 3.3 million saunas, and Nokia."
  },
  {
    "id": 47,
    "name": "Denmark",
    "emoji": "🇩🇰",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "scandinavia",
    "capital": "copenhagen",
    "majorCities": ["aarhus", "odense", "aalborg", "esbjerg"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "krone",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "language": "danish",
    "languageFamily": "germanic",
    "isEUMember": true,
    "isNATOMember": true,
    "isSchengen": true,
    "bordersRussia": false,
    "bordersGermany": true,
    "hasBalticCoast": false,
    "hasNorthSeaCoast": true,
    "size": "small",
    "gdpLevel": "high",
    "isFormerSoviet": false,
    "hasChristianHeritageChurch": true,
    "monarchyType": "constitutional",
    "famousFor": ["lego", "hans christian andersen", "vikings", "hygge", "wind energy", "the little mermaid", "bacon", "danish pastry", "christianborg palace"],
    "landmarks": ["little mermaid statue", "tivoli gardens", "kronborg castle", "legoland billund", "nyhavn harbor", "freetown christiania", "christiansborg palace"],
    "nationalDish": "smorrebrod",
    "famousPeople": ["hans christian andersen", "soren kierkegaard", "lars ulrich", "caroline wozniacki", "viggo mortensen", "mads mikkelsen"],
    "neighbors": ["germany", "sweden"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "meat", "pharmaceuticals", "wind turbines", "lego", "dairy", "fish"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "nobelCount": 14,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "islandCount": 443,
    "hasGreenland": true,
    "hasFaroeIslands": true,
    "viralFact": "LEGO was invented in Denmark — the name means 'play well' in Danish. The LEGO brick was patented in 1958.",
    "historicFact": "Denmark has the world's oldest national flag still in use — the Dannebrog, dating back to 1370. Vikings originated from Denmark.",
    "currentFact": "Denmark consistently ranks #1 or #2 in global happiness indexes and is a world leader in wind energy (50%+ of electricity).",
    "funFact": "LEGO — the world's most popular toy — is Danish. The word means 'play well' in Danish.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "LEGO — the world's most iconic toy — is Danish, invented by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932",
      "The Little Mermaid fairy tale was written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen",
      "Denmark generates over 50% of its electricity from wind power — among the highest in the world",
      "Lars Ulrich of Metallica is Danish — one of the most successful rock bands in history",
      "Copenhagen is consistently ranked the world's most bicycle-friendly city",
      "Denmark has the oldest national flag in continuous use — the Dannebrog dates back to 1370",
      "The concept of 'hygge' — cozy communal happiness — is a Danish cultural export adopted globally",
      "Greenland — the world's largest island — is an autonomous territory of Denmark",
      "Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Doctor Strange villain) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn in LOTR) are Danish",
      "Denmark is a constitutional monarchy — Queen Margrethe II ruled for 52 years before abdicating in 2024",
      "Denmark abolished the death penalty in 1933 and has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe",
      "The Danish pastry ('wienerbrød') is world-famous but was actually invented by Austrian bakers in Denmark"
    ],
    "info": "Denmark created LEGO, The Little Mermaid fairy tale, hygge, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, and powers itself 50%+ with wind energy. Home to Greenland."
  },
  {
    "id": 48,
    "name": "Serbia",
    "emoji": "🇷🇸",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "balkans",
    "capital": "belgrade",
    "majorCities": ["novi sad", "nis", "kragujevac", "subotica"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "blue", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["novak djokovic", "nikola tesla", "exit festival", "raspberries", "rakija", "belgrade nightlife"],
    "landmarks": ["belgrade fortress", "sveti sava temple", "novi sad", "djerdap gorge"],
    "nationalDish": "cevapi",
    "famousPeople": ["novak djokovic", "nikola tesla", "emir kusturica", "ana ivanovic"],
    "language": "serbian",
    "neighbors": ["croatia", "bosnia", "hungary", "romania", "bulgaria", "north macedonia", "kosovo"],
    "exports": ["raspberries", "machinery", "cars", "steel", "corn"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Novak Djokovic — the most decorated tennis player in Grand Slam history — is Serbian. And Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Novak Djokovic — the most Grand Slams won in tennis history — is Serbian",
      "Nikola Tesla — inventor of alternating current (AC electricity that powers the world) — was born in Serbia",
      "Serbia is the world's largest exporter of raspberries — supplying 90% of the global market",
      "Serbia has 4G coverage in over 95% of the country despite being a developing nation",
      "Belgrade is one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities — over 7,000 years",
      "EXIT music festival in Novi Sad is one of Europe's top 5 music festivals",
      "Serbia has the world's second-largest Orthodox Christian church — the Temple of Saint Sava",
      "Rakija (fruit brandy) is the national drink and is 40-70% alcohol"
    ],
    "info": "Serbia — where Djokovic smashes Grand Slams, Tesla electrified the world, and 90% of global raspberries grow."
  },
  {
    "id": 49,
    "name": "Peru",
    "emoji": "🇵🇪",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "lima",
    "majorCities": ["arequipa", "trujillo", "chiclayo", "cusco"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "sol",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["machu picchu", "inca empire", "amazon", "potatoes", "llamas", "cuisine", "nazca lines"],
    "landmarks": ["machu picchu", "nazca lines", "lake titicaca", "colca canyon", "rainbow mountain"],
    "nationalDish": "ceviche",
    "famousPeople": ["mario vargas llosa", "paddington bear", "atahualpa"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["ecuador", "colombia", "brazil", "bolivia", "chile"],
    "exports": ["copper", "gold", "zinc", "textiles", "asparagus"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Machu Picchu — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World — was built by the Inca Empire and was 'lost' for 400 years.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Machu Picchu was built in the 1450s by the Incas and was 'lost' to the outside world until 1911",
      "All the world's potatoes trace back to Peru — over 3,000 varieties are grown there",
      "Paddington Bear is named after a station in London but comes from 'darkest Peru' in the story",
      "Peru's Colca Canyon is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the USA",
      "Lake Titicaca — the world's highest navigable lake — straddles Peru and Bolivia",
      "The Nazca Lines — enormous ancient geoglyphs — are only fully visible from the air and are still mysterious",
      "Peru's cuisine is considered among the best in the world — Lima has 5 restaurants in the world's top 50",
      "The Amazon River starts in Peru — not Brazil"
    ],
    "info": "Peru — where Machu Picchu hid for 400 years, all potatoes come from, the Amazon begins, and Lima's cuisine is among the world's finest."
  },
  {
    "id": 50,
    "name": "United Arab Emirates",
    "emoji": "🇦🇪",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "abu dhabi",
    "majorCities": ["dubai", "sharjah", "ajman", "ras al khaimah"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dirham",
    "flagColors": ["red", "green", "white", "black"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["burj khalifa", "dubai", "oil", "luxury", "gold", "skyscrapers", "artificial islands", "formula 1"],
    "landmarks": ["burj khalifa", "palm jumeirah", "sheikh zayed mosque", "dubai mall", "burj al arab"],
    "nationalDish": "al harees",
    "famousPeople": ["sheikh mohammed bin rashid", "sheikh zayed"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["saudi arabia", "oman"],
    "exports": ["oil", "gas", "aluminum", "re-exports", "gold"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world's tallest building — and 90% of UAE's population are FOREIGNERS.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Burj Khalifa at 828 m is the world's tallest building — its top floors are 40 degrees cooler than the ground",
      "About 90% of the UAE's population are foreigners — Emiratis are a minority in their own country",
      "Dubai has the world's largest mall, largest indoor ski slope, and largest gold souk",
      "The Palm Jumeirah — an artificial archipelago shaped like a palm tree — was built in the sea",
      "Dubai Police have Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Bugattis in their fleet",
      "The UAE switched from 5-day to 4.5-day working weeks in 2022",
      "Dubai's indoor ski slope (Ski Dubai) operates in the middle of the desert at -2°C",
      "The UAE is predicted to run out of oil by 2060 and is aggressively diversifying its economy"
    ],
    "info": "UAE — where 90% are foreigners, the world's tallest building stands, police drive Lamborghinis, and there's an indoor ski slope in the desert."
  },
  {
    "id": 51,
    "name": "Singapore",
    "emoji": "🇸🇬",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "singapore",
    "majorCities": ["singapore"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["cleanliness", "strictness", "financial hub", "hawker centres", "gardens by the bay", "changi airport", "chewing gum ban"],
    "landmarks": ["marina bay sands", "gardens by the bay", "merlion", "sentosa island", "changi airport"],
    "nationalDish": "chili crab",
    "famousPeople": ["lee kuan yew", "joseph schooling"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["malaysia"],
    "exports": ["electronics", "pharmaceuticals", "financial services", "refined petroleum"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Chewing gum is BANNED in Singapore — and Changi Airport has consistently been voted the world's best airport.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Chewing gum has been banned since 1992 — you can be fined for importing it",
      "Changi Airport has a 40m indoor waterfall, a butterfly garden, and cinemas — voted world's best airport",
      "Singapore went from third-world to first-world in a single generation under Lee Kuan Yew",
      "Has one of the world's lowest corruption rates and highest standard of living",
      "Joseph Schooling beat Michael Phelps — the greatest Olympian ever — at the 2016 Olympics",
      "The city-state is so small it takes about 1 hour to drive from one end to the other",
      "Singapore is one of only 3 city-states in the world",
      "Has 4 official languages — English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil"
    ],
    "info": "Singapore — where gum is banned, the airport has a waterfall and butterfly garden, and a tiny island became a first-world nation in one generation."
  },
  {
    "id": 52,
    "name": "North Korea",
    "emoji": "🇰🇵",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east asia",
    "capital": "pyongyang",
    "majorCities": ["hamhung", "wonsan", "nampo"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "dictatorship",
    "mainReligion": "secular",
    "currency": "won",
    "flagColors": ["red", "blue", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["kim dynasty", "nuclear weapons", "isolation", "propaganda", "military", "mass games"],
    "landmarks": ["kumsusan palace", "ryugyong hotel", "masikryong ski resort", "juche tower"],
    "nationalDish": "kimchi",
    "famousPeople": ["kim jong-un", "kim il-sung", "kim jong-il"],
    "language": "korean",
    "neighbors": ["south korea", "china", "russia"],
    "exports": ["coal", "weapons", "minerals"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "japan",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "North Korea operates on its own calendar — 'Juche' time — where the year 2024 is year 113, counting from Kim Il-sung's birth.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "North Korea operates on its own calendar called 'Juche' — year 2024 is year 113, starting from Kim Il-sung's birth in 1912",
      "Has the world's largest stadium — the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, holding 114,000 people",
      "Citizens must choose from one of only 28 approved haircut styles",
      "North Korea's Ryugyong Hotel has been under construction since 1987 and has never opened",
      "Watching foreign TV or listening to foreign music can result in execution",
      "Every year, all citizens must perform in the Mass Games — the world's largest choreographed human display",
      "North Korea claims to have invented the hamburger — calling it a 'double-bread with meat'",
      "The country has virtually no light at night — visible from satellite images next to a brightly lit South Korea"
    ],
    "info": "North Korea — the world's most isolated country, with its own calendar, 28 approved haircuts, and visible from space as a black void next to bright South Korea."
  },
  {
    "id": 53,
    "name": "Cuba",
    "emoji": "🇨🇺",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "caribbean",
    "subRegion": "caribbean",
    "capital": "havana",
    "majorCities": ["santiago de cuba", "camaguey", "holguin", "santa clara"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "communist",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["fidel castro", "cigars", "rum", "salsa", "vintage cars", "baseball", "che guevara"],
    "landmarks": ["old havana", "vinales valley", "morro castle", "trinidad old town"],
    "nationalDish": "ropa vieja",
    "famousPeople": ["fidel castro", "che guevara", "jose marti", "celia cruz"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["usa", "haiti", "jamaica"],
    "exports": ["sugar", "tobacco", "cigars", "nickel", "rum"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Cuba has 1950s American cars still driving on the roads because of the US trade embargo — they became symbols of Cuban identity.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Vintage 1950s American cars are everywhere in Cuba because the US trade embargo stopped new car imports",
      "Cuba has one of the world's highest literacy rates — 99.7% — despite being a developing country",
      "Cuba produces the world's most prestigious cigars — Cohiba and Montecristo — handrolled by trained workers",
      "Che Guevara — the iconic revolutionary — lived and led from Cuba with Fidel Castro",
      "Cuba has a two-currency system that even confused its own citizens",
      "Cuban baseball players are so talented that dozens have defected to play in the US Major Leagues",
      "The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 nearly triggered a nuclear World War III",
      "Cuba sends more doctors per capita to international missions than any other country"
    ],
    "info": "Cuba — where 1950s cars still run because of embargo, cigars are handrolled art, Che Guevara plotted revolution, and doctors go abroad by the thousands."
  },
  {
    "id": 54,
    "name": "Jamaica",
    "emoji": "🇯🇲",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "caribbean",
    "subRegion": "caribbean",
    "capital": "kingston",
    "majorCities": ["montego bay", "portmore", "spanish town", "mandeville"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["black", "green", "yellow"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["bob marley", "reggae", "usain bolt", "rum", "jerk chicken", "rastafarianism", "sprinting"],
    "landmarks": ["blue mountains", "dunn's river falls", "seven mile beach", "negril cliffs"],
    "nationalDish": "ackee and saltfish",
    "famousPeople": ["usain bolt", "bob marley", "grace jones", "colin powell"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["cuba", "haiti"],
    "exports": ["sugar", "bauxite", "rum", "coffee", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Jamaica has never won a gold medal in winter sports — yet their bobsled team became world famous, inspiring the movie 'Cool Runnings'.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Usain Bolt — the fastest human being ever recorded — is Jamaican, from a country of just 3 million people",
      "Bob Marley — reggae's global ambassador — was Jamaican and is one of the best-selling musicians in history",
      "Jamaica's bobsled team competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics despite no snow in Jamaica — inspiring 'Cool Runnings'",
      "Jamaica produces Blue Mountain coffee — one of the world's most expensive and exclusive coffees",
      "Jamaica was the first Caribbean country to compete at the Olympics",
      "Rastafarianism — the religion associated with Bob Marley — originated in Jamaica",
      "Jamaica has the most churches per square mile of any country in the world",
      "Colin Powell — first Black US Secretary of State — was of Jamaican descent"
    ],
    "info": "Jamaica — tiny island where Usain Bolt ran fastest, Bob Marley sang, Rastafarianism was born, and a bobsled team became global icons in the snow."
  },
  {
    "id": 55,
    "name": "Iceland",
    "emoji": "🇮🇸",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "scandinavia",
    "capital": "reykjavik",
    "majorCities": ["akureyri", "kopavogur", "hafnarfjordur"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "krona",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["northern lights", "volcanoes", "geysers", "puffins", "midnight sun", "elf belief", "most books per capita"],
    "landmarks": ["gullfoss waterfall", "geysir geyser", "blue lagoon", "thingvellir", "skaftafell glacier"],
    "nationalDish": "skyr",
    "famousPeople": ["bjork", "aron gunnarsson", "snorri sturluson", "vigdis finnbogadottir"],
    "language": "icelandic",
    "neighbors": [],
    "exports": ["fish", "aluminum", "geothermal energy", "silicon"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Iceland has NO mosquitoes — they cannot survive in the climate — and is the world's most peaceful country for 15 years running.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Iceland has been the world's most peaceful country (Global Peace Index) for 15 consecutive years",
      "There are NO mosquitoes in Iceland — the climate does not support them",
      "Iceland runs on 100% renewable energy — mostly geothermal and hydro",
      "Iceland has the world's highest book publication per capita — 1 in 10 Icelanders will publish a book in their lifetime",
      "About 54% of Icelanders believe in elves or consider their existence possible",
      "Iceland has no army and has never been to war in modern times",
      "The Blue Lagoon is a man-made phenomenon — a by-product of a geothermal power plant",
      "Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was the world's first democratically elected female president — in 1980"
    ],
    "info": "Iceland — world's most peaceful nation, no mosquitoes, 100% renewable energy, a million elf-believers, and where the world reads most books."
  },
  {
    "id": 56,
    "name": "Ghana",
    "emoji": "🇬🇭",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "west africa",
    "capital": "accra",
    "majorCities": ["kumasi", "tamale", "takoradi", "cape coast"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "cedi",
    "flagColors": ["red", "gold", "green", "black"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["cocoa", "gold", "highlife music", "kente cloth", "democracy", "year of return", "michael essien"],
    "landmarks": ["cape coast castle", "kakum national park", "volta lake", "mole national park"],
    "nationalDish": "fufu",
    "famousPeople": ["kofi annan", "michael essien", "kwame nkrumah", "asamoah gyan"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["ivory coast", "burkina faso", "togo"],
    "exports": ["gold", "cocoa", "oil", "timber", "tuna"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Ghana's Kofi Annan was the UN Secretary-General — and Ghana is the largest producer of cocoa in the world.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Kofi Annan — the 7th UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner — was Ghanaian",
      "Ghana is the world's 2nd largest producer of cocoa — responsible for a huge chunk of the world's chocolate",
      "Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957",
      "In 2019, Ghana launched the 'Year of Return' — inviting African Americans to reconnect with their ancestry",
      "Ghana's Volta Lake is one of the world's largest artificial lakes",
      "Kente cloth — the colorful woven fabric worn at ceremonies — is Ghanaian and recognized worldwide",
      "Ghana has one of Africa's most stable democracies with peaceful transfers of power",
      "Michael Essien — the 'Bison of Chelsea' — is one of Ghana's greatest footballers"
    ],
    "info": "Ghana — Africa's first independent colony, world's #2 cocoa producer, home of Kofi Annan, Kente cloth, and the Year of Return initiative."
  },
  {
    "id": 57,
    "name": "Nepal",
    "emoji": "🇳🇵",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "indian subcontinent",
    "capital": "kathmandu",
    "majorCities": ["pokhara", "lalitpur", "bhaktapur", "biratnagar"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "hinduism",
    "currency": "rupee",
    "flagColors": ["red", "blue", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["mount everest", "himalayas", "buddha", "trekking", "gurkhas", "yak", "prayer flags"],
    "landmarks": ["mount everest", "boudhanath stupa", "pashupatinath temple", "annapurna", "chitwan national park"],
    "nationalDish": "dal bhat",
    "famousPeople": ["tenzing norgay", "buddha", "man bahadur gurung"],
    "language": "nepali",
    "neighbors": ["china", "india"],
    "exports": ["carpets", "clothing", "tourism", "water", "herbs"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Nepal is home to 8 of the world's 10 tallest mountains — including Everest — AND is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha).",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "8 of the world's 10 highest mountains — including Mount Everest — are in Nepal",
      "Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) was born in Lumbini, Nepal",
      "Nepal is the only country in the world with a non-rectangular national flag",
      "Tenzing Norgay — one of the first two men to reach Everest's summit — was Nepali",
      "Gurkha soldiers from Nepal are famous worldwide for their bravery — serving in British and Indian armies",
      "Nepal never allowed itself to be colonized by any European power",
      "Nepal has 8 of the 14 mountains in the world over 8,000 m ('Death Zone')",
      "The living goddess 'Kumari' — a young girl worshipped as a deity — is a tradition unique to Nepal"
    ],
    "info": "Nepal — home to 8 of the world's 10 highest peaks, birthplace of Buddha, non-rectangular flag, and the legendary Gurkha warriors."
  },
  {
    "id": 58,
    "name": "Sri Lanka",
    "emoji": "🇱🇰",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "indian subcontinent",
    "capital": "colombo",
    "majorCities": ["kandy", "galle", "jaffna", "negombo"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "rupee",
    "flagColors": ["maroon", "orange", "green"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["tea", "cricket", "elephants", "beautiful beaches", "spices", "gems", "ancient ruins"],
    "landmarks": ["sigiriya rock", "temple of the tooth", "galle fort", "adam's peak", "polonnaruwa"],
    "nationalDish": "rice and curry",
    "famousPeople": ["muttiah muralitharan", "mahela jayawardene", "kumar sangakkara"],
    "language": "sinhala",
    "neighbors": ["india"],
    "exports": ["tea", "garments", "gems", "coconut", "rubber"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Muttiah Muralitharan — Sri Lanka's cricketing legend — is the highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket with 800 wickets.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Muttiah Muralitharan took 800 Test wickets — the most in cricket history — and is Sri Lankan",
      "Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest tea exporters — Ceylon Tea is world-famous",
      "Sigiriya Rock — a 5th century royal palace built on top of a 200m rock — is one of the world's most dramatic ancient sites",
      "Sri Lanka has the highest literacy rate in South Asia — nearly 93%",
      "The island nation's Adam's Peak is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, AND Christians simultaneously",
      "Sri Lanka is one of Asia's oldest civilizations — with an unbroken chronicle dating back 2,500 years",
      "Sri Lanka's Galle Fort — built by Portuguese then Dutch — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site",
      "Sri Lanka produces 90% of the world's finest cinnamon"
    ],
    "info": "Sri Lanka — where Murali took 800 wickets, Ceylon Tea is legendary, Sigiriya Rock palace towers 200m high, and cinnamon was born."
  },
  {
    "id": 59,
    "name": "Chile",
    "emoji": "🇨🇱",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern cone",
    "capital": "santiago",
    "majorCities": ["valparaiso", "concepcion", "antofagasta", "vina del mar"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["andes", "atacama desert", "wine", "copper", "easter island", "earthquakes", "narcos penguins"],
    "landmarks": ["torres del paine", "easter island", "atacama desert", "valparaiso", "cape horn"],
    "nationalDish": "empanadas",
    "famousPeople": ["gabriela mistral", "pablo neruda", "augusto pinochet"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["argentina", "bolivia", "peru"],
    "exports": ["copper", "wine", "lithium", "fish", "fruit"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Chile is the world's longest country — stretching 4,300 km from north to south — yet only 350 km wide on average.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Chile stretches 4,300 km north to south — the longest country in the world — yet averages only 177 km wide",
      "The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on Earth — some areas have had no recorded rainfall in 400 years",
      "Chile is the world's largest copper producer — with 28% of global reserves",
      "Easter Island's famous Moai statues — giant stone heads — are part of Chile",
      "Chile experiences more earthquakes than almost any other country — the largest ever recorded (9.5) was in Valdivia in 1960",
      "Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral — two of Latin America's greatest poets — were Chilean",
      "Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous countries",
      "The Colchagua Valley in Chile is considered one of the world's top wine regions"
    ],
    "info": "Chile — the world's longest and narrowest country, driest desert, largest copper mine, Easter Island moai, and two Nobel Prize-winning poets."
  },
  {
    "id": 60,
    "name": "Bolivia",
    "emoji": "🇧🇴",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "sucre",
    "majorCities": ["la paz", "santa cruz", "cochabamba", "potosi"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "boliviano",
    "flagColors": ["red", "yellow", "green"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["salar de uyuni", "andes", "lake titicaca", "high altitude", "coca leaves", "potosi silver", "llamas"],
    "landmarks": ["salar de uyuni", "lake titicaca", "death road", "tiwanaku", "potosi silver mountain"],
    "nationalDish": "salteñas",
    "famousPeople": ["evo morales", "simon bolivar", "marcelo martins"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["chile", "peru", "brazil", "argentina", "paraguay"],
    "exports": ["natural gas", "silver", "zinc", "gold", "lithium"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Bolivia has TWO capital cities — Sucre and La Paz. La Paz is the world's highest capital city at 3,640 m above sea level.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Bolivia has TWO capitals — Sucre (constitutional) and La Paz (government seat) — the world's highest capital at 3,640 m",
      "The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat — 10,582 sq km of pure white salt",
      "Bolivia has the largest lithium reserves in the world — crucial for electric car batteries",
      "Lake Titicaca — shared with Peru — is the world's highest navigable lake and has floating islands made of reeds",
      "The 'Death Road' in Bolivia is a narrow mountain road once considered the world's most dangerous",
      "Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879) and has sought sea access ever since",
      "Potosi's silver mountain funded the entire Spanish Empire for centuries",
      "Bolivia has 36 officially recognized indigenous languages"
    ],
    "info": "Bolivia — two capitals, world's highest city, largest salt flat, biggest lithium reserve, floating reed islands, and lost its coastline in 1879."
  },
  {
    "id": 61,
    "name": "Uzbekistan",
    "emoji": "🇺🇿",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "central asia",
    "capital": "tashkent",
    "majorCities": ["samarkand", "bukhara", "namangan", "andijan"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "som",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white", "green"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["silk road", "samarkand", "gold", "cotton", "melons", "timur", "chess", "plov"],
    "landmarks": ["registan", "bibi-khanym mosque", "shah-i-zinda", "ark fortress bukhara", "itchan kala"],
    "nationalDish": "plov",
    "famousPeople": ["timur (tamerlane)", "avicenna", "ulugh beg", "al-kwarizmi"],
    "language": "uzbek",
    "neighbors": ["kazakhstan", "kyrgyzstan", "tajikistan", "afghanistan", "turkmenistan"],
    "exports": ["cotton", "gold", "uranium", "gas", "copper"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The word 'Algorithm' comes from Al-Khwarizmi — a mathematician born in what is now Uzbekistan — who also helped invent Algebra.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Al-Khwarizmi — who invented Algebra and the concept of Algorithms — was born in what is now Uzbekistan",
      "Avicenna (Ibn Sina) — known as the father of modern medicine — was born in Bukhara, Uzbekistan",
      "Samarkand was the capital of Timur's empire and is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia — 2,700 years",
      "The Registan in Samarkand is considered one of the most beautiful architectural squares in the world",
      "Uzbekistan is one of only two 'doubly landlocked' countries in the world (surrounded only by other landlocked countries)",
      "The Aral Sea — once the 4th largest lake on Earth — has almost completely disappeared due to Soviet cotton irrigation",
      "Produces 5% of the world's gold",
      "Uzbekistan's plov (rice pilaf) is on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list"
    ],
    "info": "Uzbekistan — where Al-Khwarizmi invented algorithms and algebra, Avicenna pioneered medicine, and the Silk Road connected civilizations."
  },
  {
    "id": 62,
    "name": "Kazakhstan",
    "emoji": "🇰🇿",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "central asia",
    "capital": "astana",
    "majorCities": ["almaty", "shymkent", "karaganda", "aktobe"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "tenge",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["borat", "oil", "steppe", "space launch", "apples origin", "nomads", "world's largest landlocked country"],
    "landmarks": ["baiterek tower", "khan shatyr", "charyn canyon", "altyn-emel national park"],
    "nationalDish": "beshbarmak",
    "famousPeople": ["nursultan nazarbayev", "dimash kudaibergen", "gennady golovkin"],
    "language": "kazakh",
    "neighbors": ["russia", "china", "kyrgyzstan", "uzbekistan", "turkmenistan"],
    "exports": ["oil", "gas", "uranium", "wheat", "steel"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "All apples in the world are descended from wild apples originally found in Kazakhstan — the word 'apple' may come from a Kazakh city name.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "All apples in the world are genetically descended from wild apples (Malus sieversii) found in Kazakhstan's Tian Shan mountains",
      "Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country — bigger than all of Western Europe",
      "The Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan launched Sputnik, Yuri Gagarin, and continues to launch ISS missions",
      "Kazakhstan produces 40% of the world's uranium — essential for nuclear energy",
      "Singer Dimash Kudaibergen is a Kazakh with a vocal range of 6 octaves — one of the widest ever recorded",
      "Gennady Golovkin (GGG) — former WBC/WBA/IBF middleweight world champion boxer — is Kazakh",
      "Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Borat' film used Kazakhstan as its fictional backdrop, causing controversy",
      "Kazakhstan has the world's largest dry steppe ecosystem"
    ],
    "info": "Kazakhstan — world's largest landlocked country, origin of all apples, launch site of Gagarin's rocket, and 40% of world's uranium."
  },
  {
    "id": 63,
    "name": "Azerbaijan",
    "emoji": "🇦🇿",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "caucasus",
    "capital": "baku",
    "majorCities": ["ganja", "sumqayit", "mingachevir"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "manat",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "red", "green", "white"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["oil", "fire", "baku", "mud volcanoes", "eurovision", "chess", "pomegranates", "garry kasparov"],
    "landmarks": ["flame towers", "old city baku", "gobustan", "yanar dag burning hillside"],
    "nationalDish": "plov",
    "famousPeople": ["garry kasparov", "ilham aliyev", "gurban gurbanov"],
    "language": "azerbaijani",
    "neighbors": ["russia", "georgia", "armenia", "iran", "turkey"],
    "exports": ["oil", "gas", "chemicals", "fruit", "cotton"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Garry Kasparov — widely considered the greatest chess player in history — is Azerbaijani. And the ground literally catches fire here.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Garry Kasparov — considered the greatest chess player in all of history — is Azerbaijani",
      "Yanar Dag is a hillside that has been burning continuously for thousands of years — natural gas seeps from the ground",
      "Azerbaijan means 'Land of Fire' — and it literally lives up to the name",
      "Has more mud volcanoes than any other country — about 400 of the world's 700",
      "The Baku Flame Towers glow orange at night like giant flames — visible from 20 km away",
      "Ancient cave paintings in Gobustan date back 40,000 years and are a UNESCO site",
      "Baku hosted Formula 1 Grand Prix events with the longest straight on the F1 calendar",
      "Azerbaijan was the first Muslim-majority country to establish a democratic republic in 1918"
    ],
    "info": "Azerbaijan — land of fire where the ground burns, Garry Kasparov played chess, mud volcanoes outnumber all others, and Baku towers glow like flames."
  },
  {
    "id": 64,
    "name": "Georgia",
    "emoji": "🇬🇪",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "caucasus",
    "capital": "tbilisi",
    "majorCities": ["batumi", "kutaisi", "rustavi"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "lari",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["wine", "mountains", "khachapuri", "polyphonic singing", "joseph stalin", "hospitality", "khinkali"],
    "landmarks": ["gergeti trinity church", "narikala fortress", "vardzia cave city", "tbilisi old town"],
    "nationalDish": "khachapuri",
    "famousPeople": ["joseph stalin", "katie melua", "salome zourabichvili", "mikhail saakashvili"],
    "language": "georgian",
    "neighbors": ["russia", "turkey", "armenia", "azerbaijan"],
    "exports": ["copper", "wine", "cars", "manganese", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Wine was invented in Georgia 8,000 years ago — and Joseph Stalin, one of history's most powerful dictators, was Georgian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Wine was invented in Georgia — 8,000-year-old wine residue has been found in clay vessels here",
      "Joseph Stalin — one of the most powerful and feared rulers in history — was born in Gori, Georgia",
      "Georgia has its own unique alphabet — one of only 14 true original alphabets in the world",
      "The Vardzia cave city was carved into a mountainside and had a palace, 500 caves, and 50,000 inhabitants in the 12th century",
      "Georgian polyphonic singing — where voices harmonize in multiple independent parts — is a UNESCO heritage",
      "Katie Melua — the British singer — was born in Georgia",
      "Georgia has over 400 indigenous grape varieties — more than France",
      "Georgian hospitality is legendary — there's a saying: 'A guest is a gift from God'"
    ],
    "info": "Georgia — where wine was born 8,000 years ago, Stalin grew up, a 500-cave city was carved into mountains, and 400 grape varieties grow."
  },
  {
    "id": 65,
    "name": "Belgium",
    "emoji": "🇧🇪",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "brussels",
    "majorCities": ["antwerp", "ghent", "bruges", "liege"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["black", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["chocolate", "waffles", "beer", "eu headquarters", "brussels", "tintin", "atomium"],
    "landmarks": ["atomium", "grand place brussels", "manneken pis", "bruges canals"],
    "nationalDish": "moules-frites",
    "famousPeople": ["rene magritte", "hercule poirot", "jean-claude van damme", "kim clijsters"],
    "language": "dutch",
    "neighbors": ["france", "germany", "netherlands", "luxembourg"],
    "exports": ["diamonds", "pharmaceuticals", "cars", "chocolate"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Belgium produces 220,000 tons of chocolate per year — and Brussels is the EU headquarters.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union — hosting NATO and EU headquarters",
      "Belgium has three official languages — Dutch, French, and German",
      "Produces 220,000 tons of chocolate annually — Godiva and Neuhaus are Belgian",
      "The French fries (frites) were actually invented in Belgium, not France",
      "Has more comic book authors per square mile than any other country — Tintin was created here",
      "The Atomium in Brussels was built for the 1958 World's Fair and represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times",
      "Belgium has the world's longest tram line — the Belgian Coast Tram runs 68 km",
      "Hercule Poirot — Agatha Christie's famous detective — is Belgian"
    ],
    "info": "Belgium — where the EU has its headquarters, French fries were invented, Tintin was created, and 220,000 tons of chocolate are made yearly."
  },
 {
    "id": 66,
    "name": "Philippines",
    "emoji": "🇵🇭",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "manila",
    "majorCities": ["quezon city", "davao", "cebu", "makati", "pasig"],
    "population": "verylarge",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "red", "white", "yellow"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "language": "filipino",
    "languageFamily": "austronesian",
    "isEUMember": false,
    "isNATOMember": false,
    "isASEANMember": true,
    "isArchipelago": true,
    "islandCount": 7641,
    "bordersRussia": false,
    "bordersChina": false,
    "hasBalticCoast": false,
    "size": "medium",
    "gdpLevel": "developing",
    "isFormerSoviet": false,
    "isOnlyChristianAsianNation": true,
    "officialLanguageEnglish": true,
    "namedAfterKing": true,
    "namedAfter": "king philip ii of spain",
    "famousFor": ["islands", "beaches", "catholicism", "manny pacquiao", "karaoke", "jeepneys", "typhoons", "rizal park", "overseas workers", "adobo"],
    "landmarks": ["chocolate hills", "banaue rice terraces", "mayon volcano", "boracay", "palawan", "intramuros", "rizal park"],
    "nationalDish": "adobo",
    "famousPeople": ["manny pacquiao", "ferdinand marcos", "lea salonga", "jose rizal", "rodrigo duterte", "corazon aquino"],
    "neighbors": ["china", "taiwan", "malaysia", "indonesia", "vietnam"],
    "exports": ["electronics", "coconut oil", "bananas", "pineapple", "seafarers", "semiconductors", "copper"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "colonizedAlsoBy": "united states",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "viralFact": "Filipinos invented Karaoke — the world's most popular singing pastime — in the 1970s. The Philippines also sends more sailors/seafarers globally than any other country.",
    "historicFact": "The Philippines was the site of the Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944) — the largest naval battle in history. José Rizal's execution in 1896 ignited the Philippine Revolution against Spain.",
    "currentFact": "Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013 was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, killing 6,300 people in the Philippines. The country faces an average of 20 typhoons per year.",
    "funFact": "The Philippines has over 7,640 islands — and Filipinos send more seafarers around the world than any other nation.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has over 7,641 islands — only about 2,000 are inhabited",
      "Manny Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight divisions",
      "The Philippines is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia — over 80% Catholic",
      "Filipinos invented Karaoke in the 1970s (disputed with Japan, but widely credited)",
      "Sends more seafarers (sailors, ship workers) around the world than any other country",
      "The Jeepney — brightly painted public jeep — is a uniquely Filipino icon",
      "Lea Salonga — Broadway star — was Disney's singing voice for both Mulan and Princess Jasmine",
      "Named after King Philip II of Spain — the only country named after a European king",
      "Typhoon Haiyan (2013) was one of the strongest storms ever recorded — devastated Tacloban",
      "Ferdinand Marcos — one of history's most corrupt leaders — stole an estimated $10 billion from the country",
      "The Philippines and English: it's the third-largest English-speaking country in the world",
      "The Banaue Rice Terraces were carved into the mountains over 2,000 years ago — called the '8th Wonder of the World'"
    ],
    "info": "Philippines — 7,641 islands, Asia's only Catholic nation, Manny Pacquiao's 8-division boxing glory, inventors of karaoke, and world's top seafarer-sending nation."
  },
  {
    "id": 67,
    "name": "Malaysia",
    "emoji": "🇲🇾",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "kuala lumpur",
    "majorCities": ["george town", "johor bahru", "ipoh", "malacca"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "ringgit",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue", "yellow"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["petronas towers", "palm oil", "multiculturalism", "rainforests", "orangutans", "durian"],
    "landmarks": ["petronas twin towers", "batu caves", "langkawi", "mount kinabalu", "george town"],
    "nationalDish": "nasi lemak",
    "famousPeople": ["mahathir mohamad", "michelle yeoh", "jimmy choo", "lee chong wei"],
    "language": "malay",
    "neighbors": ["thailand", "singapore", "indonesia", "brunei"],
    "exports": ["palm oil", "electronics", "rubber", "petroleum", "timber"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Michelle Yeoh — the first Asian woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress — is Malaysian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress (2023)",
      "The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004",
      "Malaysia produces 85% of the world's palm oil",
      "Has some of the oldest rainforests on Earth — over 130 million years old",
      "Borneo's orangutans and Sumatran rhinos are found here",
      "Durian — the 'king of fruits' with a strong smell — is beloved in Malaysia",
      "Lee Chong Wei is considered one of the greatest badminton players ever",
      "Malaysia is one of the world's most multicultural nations — Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous groups"
    ],
    "info": "Malaysia — where Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar, Petronas Towers stood tallest, 85% of world's palm oil grows, and 130-million-year rainforests thrive."
  },
  {
    "id": 68,
    "name": "Venezuela",
    "emoji": "🇻🇪",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "caracas",
    "majorCities": ["maracaibo", "valencia", "barquisimeto", "ciudad guayana"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "bolivar",
    "flagColors": ["yellow", "blue", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["angel falls", "oil", "miss universe", "arepas", "baseball", "chavez"],
    "landmarks": ["angel falls", "los roques", "canaima national park", "mount roraima"],
    "nationalDish": "pabellon criollo",
    "famousPeople": ["hugo chavez", "simon bolivar", "gustavo dudamel"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["colombia", "brazil", "guyana"],
    "exports": ["oil", "petroleum", "gold", "aluminum"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Angel Falls — the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall at 979 m — is in Venezuela.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Angel Falls is the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall — 979 m (15 times taller than Niagara)",
      "Venezuela has won more Miss Universe and Miss World titles than any other country",
      "Has the world's largest proven oil reserves — even more than Saudi Arabia",
      "Simon Bolivar — the liberator of much of South America — was Venezuelan",
      "Mount Roraima inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel 'The Lost World'",
      "Venezuela's national sport is baseball, not football like most of South America",
      "Gustavo Dudamel — one of the world's most acclaimed orchestra conductors — is Venezuelan",
      "The country's name means 'Little Venice' — named by Spanish explorers"
    ],
    "info": "Venezuela — home to Angel Falls (world's tallest waterfall), most Miss Universe winners, largest oil reserves, and baseball-loving South Americans."
  },
  {
    "id": 69,
    "name": "Myanmar",
    "emoji": "🇲🇲",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "naypyidaw",
    "majorCities": ["yangon", "mandalay", "bago", "pathein"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "military junta",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "kyat",
    "flagColors": ["yellow", "green", "red", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["golden pagodas", "buddhism", "aung san suu kyi", "rubies", "shwedagon", "isolation"],
    "landmarks": ["shwedagon pagoda", "bagan temples", "inle lake", "golden rock"],
    "nationalDish": "mohinga",
    "famousPeople": ["aung san suu kyi", "u thant"],
    "language": "burmese",
    "neighbors": ["bangladesh", "india", "china", "laos", "thailand"],
    "exports": ["natural gas", "jade", "rubies", "teak", "rice"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Myanmar produces 90% of the world's rubies — and Bagan has over 2,000 ancient Buddhist temples.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Produces about 90% of the world's rubies — the 'Sunrise Ruby' sold for $30 million",
      "Bagan has over 2,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas dating back to the 11th–13th centuries",
      "Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest",
      "The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is covered in tons of gold and diamonds",
      "Myanmar was largely isolated from the world for over 50 years under military rule",
      "The capital was mysteriously moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2006 with little explanation",
      "U Thant from Myanmar was the third UN Secretary-General",
      "Myanmar's script is one of the most circular — rounded letters everywhere"
    ],
    "info": "Myanmar — where 90% of the world's rubies come from, 2,000 ancient temples stand in Bagan, and Aung San Suu Kyi won a Nobel Prize."
  },
  {
    "id": 70,
    "name": "Afghanistan",
    "emoji": "🇦🇫",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "central asia",
    "capital": "kabul",
    "majorCities": ["kandahar", "herat", "mazar-i-sharif", "jalalabad", "kunduz"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "islamic emirate",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "islamBranch": "sunni",
    "currency": "afghani",
    "flagColors": ["black", "red", "green"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "language": "dari",
    "secondLanguage": "pashto",
    "languageFamily": "indo-iranian",
    "isEUMember": false,
    "isNATOMember": false,
    "bordersRussia": false,
    "bordersChina": true,
    "bordersIran": true,
    "bordersPakistan": true,
    "size": "medium",
    "gdpLevel": "low",
    "isFormerSoviet": false,
    "underTalibanRule": true,
    "calledGraveyardOfEmpires": true,
    "isEthnicPashtun": true,
    "hasMajorConflict": true,
    "hindukushMountains": true,
    "famousFor": ["conflict", "taliban", "mountains", "bamiyan buddhas", "carpets", "saffron", "graveyard of empires", "silk road", "pomegranates"],
    "landmarks": ["bamiyan buddhas site", "band-e-amir lakes", "minaret of jam", "herat citadel", "buddhas of bamiyan (destroyed)", "khyber pass"],
    "nationalDish": "kabuli pulao",
    "famousPeople": ["ahmad shah massoud", "khaled hosseini", "hamid karzai", "malala yousafzai (pakistan/pashtun)"],
    "neighbors": ["pakistan", "iran", "uzbekistan", "tajikistan", "turkmenistan", "china"],
    "exports": ["opium", "fruits", "nuts", "carpets", "saffron", "dried fruits", "cotton"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "britishInvasionFailed": true,
    "sovietInvasion": true,
    "usaOccupation2001to2021": true,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "viralFact": "The Taliban destroyed the giant Bamiyan Buddha statues in 2001, called one of history's greatest acts of cultural vandalism. Afghanistan produces 90% of the world's opium.",
    "historicFact": "Called 'The Graveyard of Empires' — Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British Empire (3 wars), the Soviet Union (1979–1989), and the USA (2001–2021) all failed to permanently control it.",
    "currentFact": "The Taliban retook power in August 2021 as US forces withdrew, 20 years after being toppled. They immediately banned girls from schools and women from universities.",
    "funFact": "Afghanistan has been invaded by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the USA — yet never permanently conquered.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Called 'The Graveyard of Empires' — Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British (3 times), Soviets, and Americans all failed to conquer it permanently",
      "The Bamiyan Buddhas — 6th-century giant statues — were dynamited by the Taliban in March 2001, 6 months before 9/11",
      "Produces approximately 80-90% of the world's illicit opium (source of heroin)",
      "The USA spent $2.3 trillion and 20 years fighting in Afghanistan (2001-2021) before withdrawing",
      "Taliban retook power in August 2021 within days of US withdrawal — completing the collapse",
      "Afghanistan's saffron is some of the finest in the world — a major legal export",
      "Khaled Hosseini — author of 'The Kite Runner' (2003 global bestseller) — is Afghan-American",
      "Band-e-Amir — Afghanistan's stunning blue crater lakes — was the country's first national park",
      "Afghan buzkashi (goat-dragging horse polo) is the national sport",
      "Afghanistan is one of the most mined countries in the world — millions of landmines remain from Soviet era"
    ],
    "info": "Afghanistan — 'Graveyard of Empires' that defeated Alexander, Genghis Khan, Britain, Soviets, and America. Taliban retook power in 2021. Produces 90% of world's opium."
  },
  {
    "id": 71,
    "name": "Iraq",
    "emoji": "🇮🇶",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "baghdad",
    "majorCities": ["basra", "mosul", "erbil", "najaf"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "black", "green"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["mesopotamia", "tigris euphrates", "babylon", "war", "saddam hussein", "oil"],
    "landmarks": ["ziggurat of ur", "babylon ruins", "ishtar gate replica", "great mosque of samarra"],
    "nationalDish": "masgouf",
    "famousPeople": ["saddam hussein", "gilgamesh"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["iran", "turkey", "syria", "jordan", "saudi arabia", "kuwait"],
    "exports": ["oil", "petroleum", "dates"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Iraq is ancient Mesopotamia — where writing, the wheel, and the first cities were invented.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) is where writing, the wheel, and the first cities were invented",
      "The Epic of Gilgamesh — the world's oldest known story — comes from Iraq",
      "Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with its Hanging Gardens",
      "The Tigris and Euphrates rivers created the 'Cradle of Civilization' here",
      "Iraq has the world's fifth-largest proven oil reserves",
      "The Ziggurat of Ur is over 4,000 years old and still partially standing",
      "Baghdad was once the world's largest city and center of learning during the Islamic Golden Age",
      "Iraq has experienced multiple wars since the 1980s — Iran-Iraq War, Gulf War, Iraq War"
    ],
    "info": "Iraq — ancient Mesopotamia where writing, the wheel, and cities were invented, home to Babylon's Hanging Gardens and Gilgamesh's epic."
  },
  {
    "id": 72,
    "name": "Tanzania",
    "emoji": "🇹🇿",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east africa",
    "capital": "dodoma",
    "majorCities": ["dar es salaam", "mwanza", "arusha", "zanzibar"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "shilling",
    "flagColors": ["green", "yellow", "blue", "black"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["mount kilimanjaro", "serengeti", "zanzibar", "safari", "wildebeest migration", "maasai"],
    "landmarks": ["mount kilimanjaro", "serengeti national park", "ngorongoro crater", "zanzibar beaches", "olduvai gorge"],
    "nationalDish": "ugali",
    "famousPeople": ["julius nyerere", "freddie mercury"],
    "language": "swahili",
    "neighbors": ["kenya", "uganda", "rwanda", "burundi", "mozambique", "malawi", "zambia"],
    "exports": ["gold", "coffee", "cashews", "tobacco", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Freddie Mercury — Queen's legendary frontman — was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Freddie Mercury of Queen — one of rock music's greatest voices — was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania",
      "Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and can be climbed without technical gear",
      "The Serengeti hosts the Great Migration — 1.5 million wildebeest moving annually",
      "Olduvai Gorge is where some of the oldest human ancestor fossils were found",
      "Tanzania is home to the Maasai people — known for their distinctive dress and jumping dance",
      "Has over 120 ethnic groups — one of Africa's most diverse nations",
      "Zanzibar was once the world's largest producer of cloves",
      "Tanzania has more land dedicated to national parks and reserves than almost any country"
    ],
    "info": "Tanzania — where Freddie Mercury was born, Kilimanjaro towers, 1.5 million wildebeest migrate, and humanity's oldest fossils were found."
  },
  {
    "id": 73,
    "name": "Algeria",
    "emoji": "🇩🇿",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "north africa",
    "capital": "algiers",
    "majorCities": ["oran", "constantine", "annaba", "blida"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["sahara desert", "oil", "berbers", "couscous", "riyad mahrez", "natural gas"],
    "landmarks": ["sahara desert", "timgad ruins", "djemila", "tassili n'ajjer", "notre dame d'afrique"],
    "nationalDish": "couscous",
    "famousPeople": ["riyad mahrez", "zinedine zidane", "albert camus"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["morocco", "tunisia", "libya", "niger", "mali", "mauritania"],
    "exports": ["oil", "natural gas", "petroleum products"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Algeria is Africa's largest country by area — 80% of it is covered by the Sahara Desert.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Algeria is the largest country in Africa by land area — bigger than all of Western Europe combined",
      "Over 80% of Algeria is covered by the Sahara Desert",
      "Riyad Mahrez — Premier League and Champions League winner — is Algerian",
      "Zinedine Zidane's parents were Algerian immigrants to France",
      "Albert Camus — Nobel Prize-winning author — was born in Algeria",
      "Has the world's 10th largest natural gas reserves",
      "The Roman ruins of Timgad and Djemila are UNESCO World Heritage Sites",
      "Algeria fought a brutal 8-year independence war against France (1954–1962)"
    ],
    "info": "Algeria — Africa's largest country, 80% Sahara Desert, birthplace of Camus, and home to Riyad Mahrez and Zidane's roots."
  },
  {
    "id": 74,
    "name": "Libya",
    "emoji": "🇱🇾",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "north africa",
    "capital": "tripoli",
    "majorCities": ["benghazi", "misrata", "bayda"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "transitional",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "black", "green", "white"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["oil", "gaddafi", "desert", "roman ruins", "leptis magna"],
    "landmarks": ["leptis magna", "sabratha", "ghadames", "akakus mountains"],
    "nationalDish": "couscous",
    "famousPeople": ["muammar gaddafi"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["egypt", "tunisia", "algeria", "niger", "chad", "sudan"],
    "exports": ["oil", "natural gas", "petroleum"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "italy",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Libya has 90% of its land covered by desert — one of the most arid countries on Earth.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "About 90% of Libya is covered by the Sahara Desert",
      "Has the world's 9th largest proven oil reserves",
      "Leptis Magna is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world",
      "Muammar Gaddafi ruled for 42 years until overthrown in 2011",
      "Libya has no permanent rivers — one of the driest countries",
      "The Great Man-Made River project is the world's largest irrigation project",
      "Was once one of Africa's wealthiest nations due to oil",
      "Ancient Greeks called Libya 'the known world west of Egypt'"
    ],
    "info": "Libya — 90% desert, Roman ruins, Gaddafi's 42-year rule, world's 9th largest oil reserves, and no permanent rivers."
  },
  {
    "id": 75,
    "name": "Tunisia",
    "emoji": "🇹🇳",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "north africa",
    "capital": "tunis",
    "majorCities": ["sfax", "sousse", "kairouan", "bizerte"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["arab spring", "carthage", "beaches", "couscous", "star wars filming"],
    "landmarks": ["carthage ruins", "el djem amphitheater", "sidi bou said", "medina of tunis"],
    "nationalDish": "couscous",
    "famousPeople": ["hannibal", "habib bourguiba"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["algeria", "libya"],
    "exports": ["textiles", "olive oil", "phosphates", "dates"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Arab Spring — which changed the entire Middle East — began in Tunisia in 2010.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Arab Spring that swept the Middle East began in Tunisia in December 2010",
      "Ancient Carthage — home of Hannibal who nearly conquered Rome — was in Tunisia",
      "The El Djem Amphitheater is the 3rd largest Roman amphitheater in the world",
      "Tunisia was the filming location for Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine in Star Wars",
      "Has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa alongside Ethiopia",
      "Tunisia was the first Arab country to abolish polygamy in 1956",
      "Sidi Bou Said — the blue and white village — inspired many artists including Paul Klee",
      "Tunisia won the Nobel Peace Prize (Quartet) in 2015"
    ],
    "info": "Tunisia — where the Arab Spring started, Carthage's Hannibal came from, Star Wars was filmed, and polygamy was first abolished in the Arab world."
  },
  {
    "id": 76,
    "name": "Jordan",
    "emoji": "🇯🇴",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "amman",
    "majorCities": ["zarqa", "irbid", "aqaba"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["black", "white", "green", "red"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["petra", "dead sea", "wadi rum", "lawrence of arabia", "hospitality"],
    "landmarks": ["petra", "dead sea", "wadi rum", "jerash", "mount nebo"],
    "nationalDish": "mansaf",
    "famousPeople": ["king abdullah ii", "queen rania"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["israel", "syria", "iraq", "saudi arabia"],
    "exports": ["phosphates", "potash", "textiles", "pharmaceuticals"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Petra — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World — is a 2,000-year-old city carved into rose-red rock.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World — a city carved into rock 2,000 years ago",
      "The Dead Sea — Earth's lowest point on land (430 m below sea level) — is shared with Israel",
      "Wadi Rum desert was the filming location for movies like Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, and Dune",
      "Jordan has taken in millions of refugees from neighboring conflicts",
      "Queen Rania is one of the world's most influential and admired royals",
      "The Romans built the well-preserved city of Jerash here 2,000 years ago",
      "Mount Nebo is where Moses is believed to have seen the Promised Land",
      "Jordan is one of the most stable countries in a volatile region"
    ],
    "info": "Jordan — home to Petra (Wonder of the World), the Dead Sea (Earth's lowest point), Wadi Rum's Martian deserts, and Queen Rania."
  },
  {
    "id": 77,
    "name": "Lebanon",
    "emoji": "🇱🇧",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "beirut",
    "majorCities": ["tripoli", "sidon", "tyre", "byblos"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "pound",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "green"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["cedar trees", "phoenicians", "beirut", "mezze", "civil war", "diversity"],
    "landmarks": ["baalbek", "jeita grotto", "byblos", "cedars of god", "qadisha valley"],
    "nationalDish": "kibbeh",
    "famousPeople": ["kahlil gibran", "fairuz", "carlos ghosn"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["syria", "israel"],
    "exports": ["jewelry", "food products", "chemicals", "textiles"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Lebanon's cedars — featured on its flag — were used to build Solomon's Temple 3,000 years ago.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Phoenicians — inventors of the alphabet — came from Lebanon 3,000 years ago",
      "Lebanon's cedar trees are on the national flag and were used to build Solomon's Temple",
      "Byblos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities — over 7,000 years",
      "Kahlil Gibran — author of 'The Prophet' — was Lebanese-American",
      "Beirut was called the 'Paris of the Middle East' before the civil war",
      "Lebanon has 18 officially recognized religious sects",
      "Baalbek has some of the best-preserved Roman temple ruins in the world",
      "Carlos Ghosn — former Nissan-Renault CEO — is Lebanese-Brazilian-French"
    ],
    "info": "Lebanon — birthplace of the alphabet (Phoenicians), home to 7,000-year-old Byblos, cedars on the flag, and Beirut once called 'Paris of the Middle East'."
  },
  {
    "id": 78,
    "name": "Yemen",
    "emoji": "🇾🇪",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "sanaa",
    "majorCities": ["aden", "taiz", "hodeidah"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "transitional",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "rial",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "black"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["civil war", "mocha coffee", "socotra island", "old sanaa", "ancient architecture"],
    "landmarks": ["socotra island", "old city of sanaa", "shibam", "marib dam"],
    "nationalDish": "saltah",
    "famousPeople": ["queen of sheba"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["saudi arabia", "oman"],
    "exports": ["oil", "coffee", "fish", "honey"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Mocha coffee — the world-famous coffee style — is named after the Yemeni port city of Mocha.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Mocha coffee gets its name from the Yemeni port city of Mocha",
      "Socotra Island has plants found nowhere else on Earth — called the 'Galapagos of the Indian Ocean'",
      "The Old City of Sanaa has been inhabited for over 2,500 years",
      "Shibam is called the 'Manhattan of the Desert' — 500-year-old mud brick skyscrapers",
      "Yemen is believed to be the biblical land of the Queen of Sheba",
      "Tawakkol Karman won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011",
      "Yemen has been in civil war since 2014 — one of the world's worst humanitarian crises",
      "Was once divided into North and South Yemen until reunification in 1990"
    ],
    "info": "Yemen — where Mocha coffee originated, Socotra's alien trees grow, 500-year-old mud skyscrapers stand, and the Queen of Sheba ruled."
  },
  {
    "id": 79,
    "name": "Oman",
    "emoji": "🇴🇲",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "muscat",
    "majorCities": ["salalah", "sohar", "nizwa"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "rial",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red", "green"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["frankincense", "sultan qaboos", "forts", "deserts", "beaches", "frankincense trail"],
    "landmarks": ["sultan qaboos grand mosque", "wahiba sands", "nizwa fort", "jebel shams", "musandam fjords"],
    "nationalDish": "shuwa",
    "famousPeople": ["sultan qaboos", "sultan haitham"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["uae", "saudi arabia", "yemen"],
    "exports": ["oil", "fish", "dates", "copper"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Oman produces some of the world's finest frankincense — used for 6,000 years in perfumes and religious ceremonies.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Oman has been producing the world's finest frankincense for over 6,000 years",
      "Sultan Qaboos ruled for 50 years and transformed Oman from isolation to modernity",
      "The Musandam Peninsula has fjord-like landscapes — unusual for a desert country",
      "Oman was never colonized by European powers",
      "Has over 500 forts and castles — more per capita than almost anywhere",
      "Jebel Shams is Oman's highest mountain — nicknamed the 'Grand Canyon of Arabia'",
      "Oman is one of the safest and most welcoming countries in the Middle East",
      "The frankincense trade made Oman wealthy in ancient times"
    ],
    "info": "Oman — producer of the world's finest frankincense for 6,000 years, 500+ forts, fjord-like Musandam, and never colonized."
  },
  {
    "id": 80,
    "name": "Kuwait",
    "emoji": "🇰🇼",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "kuwait city",
    "majorCities": ["salmiya", "hawalli", "jahra"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["green", "white", "red", "black"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["oil wealth", "kuwait towers", "invasion by iraq", "wealth", "shopping malls"],
    "landmarks": ["kuwait towers", "grand mosque", "liberation tower", "failaka island"],
    "nationalDish": "machboos",
    "famousPeople": ["jaber al-ahmad al-sabah"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["iraq", "saudi arabia"],
    "exports": ["oil", "petroleum products"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Kuwait has the world's 6th largest oil reserves — and the Kuwaiti Dinar is the highest-valued currency in the world.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Kuwaiti Dinar is the highest-valued currency unit in the world",
      "Has the world's 6th largest proven oil reserves",
      "Kuwait was invaded by Iraq in 1990 — leading to the Gulf War",
      "Over 600 oil wells were set on fire by retreating Iraqi forces in 1991",
      "Kuwait has one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world",
      "The Liberation Tower is taller than the Eiffel Tower",
      "Kuwait gives its citizens free healthcare, education, and subsidized housing",
      "About 70% of Kuwait's population are expatriates"
    ],
    "info": "Kuwait — world's highest-valued currency, 6th largest oil reserves, invaded by Iraq in 1990, and 600 oil wells set ablaze."
  },
  {
    "id": 81,
    "name": "Qatar",
    "emoji": "🇶🇦",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "doha",
    "majorCities": ["al rayyan", "al wakrah", "al khor"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "riyal",
    "flagColors": ["maroon", "white"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["world cup 2022", "wealth", "al jazeera", "natural gas", "psg ownership", "luxury"],
    "landmarks": ["museum of islamic art", "katara cultural village", "the pearl", "souq waqif"],
    "nationalDish": "machboos",
    "famousPeople": ["sheikh tamim bin hamad"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["saudi arabia"],
    "exports": ["natural gas", "petroleum", "liquefied natural gas"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup — the first World Cup in the Middle East and the most expensive ever at $220 billion.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup — the first in the Middle East and most expensive ever ($220 billion)",
      "Has the highest GDP per capita in the world",
      "Owns Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club and signed Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe",
      "Al Jazeera — the influential news network — is based in Qatar",
      "Has the world's 3rd largest natural gas reserves",
      "About 90% of Qatar's population are expatriates",
      "Built air-conditioned outdoor stadiums for the World Cup",
      "Qatar is the world's richest country by GDP per capita"
    ],
    "info": "Qatar — hosted 2022 World Cup ($220B), world's richest per capita, owns PSG, founded Al Jazeera, 90% expats."
  },
  {
    "id": 82,
    "name": "Bahrain",
    "emoji": "🇧🇭",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "manama",
    "majorCities": ["muharraq", "riffa", "hamad town"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dinar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "desert",
    "avgTemperature": "very hot",
    "famousFor": ["formula 1", "banking", "pearls", "king fahd causeway", "oil"],
    "landmarks": ["bahrain fort", "tree of life", "al fateh grand mosque", "bahrain national museum"],
    "nationalDish": "machboos",
    "famousPeople": ["hamad bin isa al khalifa"],
    "language": "arabic",
    "neighbors": ["saudi arabia"],
    "exports": ["petroleum", "aluminum", "financial services"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Bahrain has a 400-year-old tree growing alone in the desert called the 'Tree of Life' — with no water source nearby.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The 'Tree of Life' has survived 400 years in the desert with no visible water source",
      "Bahrain means 'two seas' in Arabic — referring to freshwater springs in the ocean",
      "Was a major pearl diving center before oil was discovered",
      "The King Fahd Causeway connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia — 25 km long",
      "Hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix — a major Formula 1 race",
      "Bahrain was the first Gulf state to discover oil in 1932",
      "Has become a major financial hub in the Middle East",
      "The Bahrain Fort dates back 4,000 years to the Dilmun civilization"
    ],
    "info": "Bahrain — tiny island with a 400-year Tree of Life in the desert, F1 races, pearl diving heritage, and a 25 km causeway to Saudi Arabia."
  },
  {
    "id": 83,
    "name": "Mongolia",
    "emoji": "🇲🇳",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "central asia",
    "capital": "ulaanbaatar",
    "majorCities": ["erdenet", "darkhan", "choibalsan"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "togrog",
    "flagColors": ["red", "blue", "yellow"],
    "climate": "cold",
    "avgTemperature": "freezing",
    "famousFor": ["genghis khan", "nomads", "horses", "gobi desert", "vast emptiness", "eagles"],
    "landmarks": ["gobi desert", "genghis khan statue", "erdene zuu monastery", "khustain national park"],
    "nationalDish": "buuz",
    "famousPeople": ["genghis khan", "kublai khan"],
    "language": "mongolian",
    "neighbors": ["russia", "china"],
    "exports": ["copper", "coal", "gold", "cashmere", "livestock"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Mongolia has the lowest population density on Earth — 2 people per square kilometer — and Genghis Khan conquered 20% of the world.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has the world's lowest population density — about 2 people per square kilometer",
      "Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire conquered about 20% of the Earth's land at its peak",
      "More people live in traditional nomadic gers (yurts) than any other country",
      "Mongolia has more horses than people — about 3 million horses for 3.3 million people",
      "The Gobi Desert covers a third of Mongolia and is one of Earth's largest deserts",
      "Eagle hunting with golden eagles is still practiced in western Mongolia",
      "Genghis Khan's tomb has never been found despite centuries of searching",
      "Mongolia was the world's second communist country after the Soviet Union"
    ],
    "info": "Mongolia — world's emptiest country (2 people/km²), where Genghis Khan conquered 20% of Earth, horses outnumber humans, and nomads live in gers."
  },
  {
    "id": 84,
    "name": "Cambodia",
    "emoji": "🇰🇭",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "phnom penh",
    "majorCities": ["siem reap", "battambang", "sihanoukville"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "riel",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "red", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["angkor wat", "khmer rouge", "pol pot genocide", "temples", "tonle sap lake"],
    "landmarks": ["angkor wat", "bayon temple", "tonle sap lake", "silver pagoda", "bamboo train"],
    "nationalDish": "amok",
    "famousPeople": ["pol pot", "norodom sihamoni", "angelina jolie adopted from here"],
    "language": "khmer",
    "neighbors": ["thailand", "laos", "vietnam"],
    "exports": ["garments", "rice", "rubber", "fish"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": true,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious structure — and Cambodia's flag is the only national flag to feature a building.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world — built in the 12th century",
      "Cambodia's flag is the only national flag in the world with a building on it (Angkor Wat)",
      "The Khmer Rouge regime killed about 2 million Cambodians (1975-1979) — a quarter of the population",
      "Angelina Jolie adopted her son Maddox from Cambodia and became a citizen",
      "Tonle Sap Lake reverses its flow direction twice a year",
      "Cambodia has over 4,000 ancient temples scattered across the country",
      "Landmines from civil wars still affect rural areas decades later",
      "The Khmer Empire once controlled much of Southeast Asia"
    ],
    "info": "Cambodia — home to Angkor Wat (world's largest religious structure), survived Khmer Rouge genocide, and the only flag with a building on it."
  },
  {
    "id": 85,
    "name": "Laos",
    "emoji": "🇱🇦",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "vientiane",
    "majorCities": ["luang prabang", "pakse", "savannakhet"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "communist",
    "mainReligion": "buddhism",
    "currency": "kip",
    "flagColors": ["red", "blue", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["landlocked southeast asia", "unexploded bombs", "mekong river", "temples", "slow pace"],
    "landmarks": ["luang prabang", "plain of jars", "kuang si falls", "pha that luang"],
    "nationalDish": "larb",
    "famousPeople": ["bounnhang vorachith"],
    "language": "lao",
    "neighbors": ["china", "vietnam", "cambodia", "thailand", "myanmar"],
    "exports": ["electricity", "copper", "coffee", "wood"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in history — the US dropped 2 million tons of bombs during the Vietnam War.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The most heavily bombed country in history per capita — US dropped over 2 million tons during the Vietnam War",
      "Millions of unexploded bombs (UXO) still remain in the countryside",
      "The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia",
      "Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with hundreds of temples",
      "The Plain of Jars has thousands of mysterious ancient stone jars — origin unknown",
      "The Mekong River flows through Laos for over 1,800 km",
      "Laos is one of the world's few remaining communist states",
      "Has become known as a backpacker paradise for its natural beauty and low costs"
    ],
    "info": "Laos — the world's most bombed country per capita, only landlocked Southeast Asian nation, mysterious Plain of Jars, and unexploded bombs everywhere."
  },
  {
    "id": 86,
    "name": "Brunei",
    "emoji": "🇧🇳",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southeast asia",
    "capital": "bandar seri begawan",
    "majorCities": ["kuala belait", "seria", "tutong"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["yellow", "white", "black"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["sultan wealth", "oil wealth", "sharia law", "no taxes", "gold-domed mosques"],
    "landmarks": ["omar ali saifuddien mosque", "istana nurul iman palace", "kampong ayer water village"],
    "nationalDish": "ambuyat",
    "famousPeople": ["sultan hassanal bolkiah"],
    "language": "malay",
    "neighbors": ["malaysia"],
    "exports": ["oil", "natural gas"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "The Sultan of Brunei is one of the world's richest monarchs — worth $30 billion — and Brunei has no income tax.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Sultan of Brunei is worth about $30 billion — one of the world's richest individuals",
      "Brunei has no income tax — oil and gas wealth funds everything",
      "The Sultan's palace (Istana Nurul Iman) has 1,788 rooms — the world's largest residential palace",
      "Citizens get free education and healthcare",
      "Kampong Ayer is the world's largest water village — 30,000 people live on stilts",
      "Alcohol is banned under Sharia law",
      "The country is completely surrounded by Malaysia",
      "The Sultan reportedly owns over 7,000 luxury cars"
    ],
    "info": "Brunei — ruled by a $30 billion Sultan, no income tax, world's largest palace (1,788 rooms), 7,000 royal cars, and free everything for citizens."
  },
  {
    "id": 87,
    "name": "Bangladesh",
    "emoji": "🇧🇩",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "indian subcontinent",
    "capital": "dhaka",
    "majorCities": ["chittagong", "sylhet", "khulna", "rajshahi"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "taka",
    "flagColors": ["green", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["cricket", "garments", "rivers", "sundarbans", "royal bengal tiger", "muslin", "rickshaw", "shakib al hasan"],
    "landmarks": ["cox's bazar", "ahsan manzil", "national parliament house", "sundarbans", "sixty dome mosque"],
    "nationalDish": "hilsa fish curry",
    "famousPeople": ["sheikh mujibur rahman", "muhammad yunus", "shakib al hasan", "james grant"],
    "language": "bengali",
    "neighbors": ["india", "myanmar"],
    "exports": ["textiles", "jute", "fish", "garments"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Cox's Bazar is the world's longest natural sea beach at 120 km.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Cox's Bazar is the world's longest unbroken natural sea beach — 120 km of uninterrupted sand",
      "The ready-made garment industry here clothes more than half the world's population",
      "Has six seasons — not four — including a Monsoon and a Harvest season",
      "The national language movement of 1952 inspired UNESCO to declare February 21 as International Mother Language Day",
      "Shakib Al Hasan is officially ranked the greatest cricket all-rounder in history by the ICC",
      "Has more rivers than any other country in the world — over 700 rivers crisscross the land",
      "Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi, invented microfinance and won the Nobel Peace Prize",
      "The world's largest mangrove forest — the Sundarbans — is shared with India and is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger"
    ],
    "info": "Bangladesh is a riverine nation famous for the Sundarbans, the longest sea beach, cricket passion, and a garment industry that clothes the world."
  },
  {
    "id": 88,
    "name": "Zimbabwe",
    "emoji": "🇿🇼",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern africa",
    "capital": "harare",
    "majorCities": ["bulawayo", "chitungwiza", "mutare"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["green", "yellow", "red", "black", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["victoria falls", "mugabe", "hyperinflation", "great zimbabwe ruins", "economic collapse"],
    "landmarks": ["victoria falls", "great zimbabwe ruins", "hwange national park", "matobo hills"],
    "nationalDish": "sadza",
    "famousPeople": ["robert mugabe", "morgan tsvangirai"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["south africa", "botswana", "mozambique", "zambia"],
    "exports": ["tobacco", "gold", "platinum", "cotton"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Zimbabwe had the worst hyperinflation in history — a loaf of bread cost 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars in 2008.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Experienced the second-worst hyperinflation in history — a loaf of bread cost 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars in 2008",
      "Victoria Falls — one of the Seven Natural Wonders — is shared with Zambia",
      "The Great Zimbabwe ruins are medieval stone structures that gave the country its name",
      "Robert Mugabe ruled for 37 years until ousted in 2017",
      "Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency and now uses US dollars, South African rand, and others",
      "Was once called the 'breadbasket of Africa' before economic collapse",
      "Has the world's highest literacy rate in Africa — over 90%",
      "The Victoria Falls is locally called 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' meaning 'The Smoke That Thunders'"
    ],
    "info": "Zimbabwe — where 100 trillion dollars bought bread, Victoria Falls thunders, Mugabe ruled 37 years, and the economy collapsed from breadbasket to basket case."
  },
  {
    "id": 89,
    "name": "Zambia",
    "emoji": "🇿🇲",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern africa",
    "capital": "lusaka",
    "majorCities": ["kitwe", "ndola", "livingstone"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "kwacha",
    "flagColors": ["green", "red", "black", "orange"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["victoria falls", "copper", "safari", "david livingstone", "wildlife"],
    "landmarks": ["victoria falls", "south luangwa national park", "lake kariba", "lower zambezi"],
    "nationalDish": "nshima",
    "famousPeople": ["kenneth kaunda", "dr david livingstone"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["zimbabwe", "botswana", "namibia", "mozambique", "tanzania", "malawi", "angola", "drc"],
    "exports": ["copper", "cobalt", "tobacco", "electricity"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Zambia has more land dedicated to national parks and reserves than almost any African country — 30% of its land.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Shares Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe — the 'Smoke That Thunders'",
      "Has about 30% of its land area protected as national parks — one of the highest in Africa",
      "David Livingstone — the famous explorer — is buried near Victoria Falls",
      "Produces about 70% of Africa's copper",
      "South Luangwa National Park is one of Africa's best wildlife sanctuaries",
      "Kenneth Kaunda was president for 27 years and a founding father of African independence",
      "Zambia borders 8 countries — one of the most connected in Africa",
      "Lake Kariba is one of the world's largest man-made lakes"
    ],
    "info": "Zambia — where 30% is national parks, Victoria Falls roars, 70% of Africa's copper is mined, and David Livingstone was buried."
  },
  {
    "id": 90,
    "name": "Uganda",
    "emoji": "🇺🇬",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east africa",
    "capital": "kampala",
    "majorCities": ["gulu", "lira", "mbarara", "jinja"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "shilling",
    "flagColors": ["black", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["gorillas", "source of the nile", "idi amin", "pearl of africa", "wildlife"],
    "landmarks": ["bwindi impenetrable forest", "source of the nile", "murchison falls", "rwenzori mountains"],
    "nationalDish": "matoke",
    "famousPeople": ["idi amin", "yoweri museveni", "joshua cheptegei"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["kenya", "tanzania", "rwanda", "south sudan", "drc"],
    "exports": ["coffee", "fish", "flowers", "gold"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Uganda is the source of the Nile River — the world's longest river — and Winston Churchill called it 'The Pearl of Africa'.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The source of the Nile River — the world's longest river — is in Jinja, Uganda",
      "Winston Churchill called Uganda 'The Pearl of Africa' for its natural beauty",
      "Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to nearly half the world's remaining mountain gorillas",
      "Idi Amin was one of history's most brutal dictators — killing 300,000 people in the 1970s",
      "Joshua Cheptegei is a world record holder in 5,000m and 10,000m running",
      "Has the youngest population in the world — median age is 16 years",
      "Lake Victoria — Africa's largest lake — borders Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania",
      "The Rwenzori Mountains are known as the 'Mountains of the Moon'"
    ],
    "info": "Uganda — 'Pearl of Africa' where the Nile begins, half the world's mountain gorillas live, Idi Amin killed 300,000, and the median age is 16."
  },
  {
    "id": 91,
    "name": "Cameroon",
    "emoji": "🇨🇲",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "central africa",
    "capital": "yaounde",
    "majorCities": ["douala", "garoua", "bamenda"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "franc",
    "flagColors": ["green", "red", "yellow"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["football", "samuel eto'o", "mount cameroon", "diversity", "languages"],
    "landmarks": ["mount cameroon", "waza national park", "limbe beach", "rhumsiki"],
    "nationalDish": "ndole",
    "famousPeople": ["samuel eto'o", "roger milla", "paul biya"],
    "language": "french",
    "neighbors": ["nigeria", "chad", "central african republic", "equatorial guinea", "gabon", "republic of congo"],
    "exports": ["oil", "cocoa", "coffee", "cotton", "timber"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Samuel Eto'o — one of the greatest African footballers ever — is Cameroonian and won 4 African Player of the Year awards.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Samuel Eto'o is Africa's most decorated footballer — 4-time African Player of the Year",
      "Roger Milla became the oldest World Cup goalscorer at age 42 in 1994",
      "Called 'Africa in miniature' — has every African ecosystem and climate in one country",
      "Has over 280 languages spoken — one of the most linguistically diverse countries",
      "Mount Cameroon is an active volcano and the highest mountain in West Africa",
      "The country is both Francophone and Anglophone due to colonial history",
      "Paul Biya has been president since 1982 — one of Africa's longest-serving leaders",
      "Cameroon has won the Africa Cup of Nations 5 times"
    ],
    "info": "Cameroon — Samuel Eto'o's homeland, 'Africa in miniature' with 280 languages, Roger Milla's World Cup dance, and an active volcano."
  },
  {
    "id": 92,
    "name": "Senegal",
    "emoji": "🇸🇳",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "west africa",
    "capital": "dakar",
    "majorCities": ["touba", "thies", "saint-louis"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "franc",
    "flagColors": ["green", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["sadio mane", "dakar rally", "goree island", "music", "wrestling", "peanuts"],
    "landmarks": ["goree island", "lake retba", "djoudj national bird sanctuary", "african renaissance monument"],
    "nationalDish": "thieboudienne",
    "famousPeople": ["sadio mane", "leopold sedar senghor", "youssou n'dour"],
    "language": "french",
    "neighbors": ["mauritania", "mali", "guinea", "guinea-bissau", "gambia"],
    "exports": ["peanuts", "fish", "phosphates", "gold"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Sadio Mané — Liverpool's Champions League winner — is Senegalese and funded hospitals and schools in his home village.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Sadio Mané built schools, hospitals, and gave $70 to every family in his home village in Senegal",
      "The Dakar Rally — world's toughest motorsport race — was named after Senegal's capital",
      "Gorée Island was a major slave trade center — now a UNESCO memorial site",
      "Lake Retba (Pink Lake) has pink water due to algae and was a Dakar Rally finish line",
      "Senegal has never had a military coup — rare stability in West Africa",
      "Youssou N'Dour is one of Africa's most famous musicians worldwide",
      "Traditional Senegalese wrestling (Laamb) is the national sport — even bigger than football",
      "Leopold Sedar Senghor was Senegal's first president and a world-renowned poet"
    ],
    "info": "Senegal — Sadio Mané's home, the Dakar Rally, pink Lake Retba, Gorée Island slave history, and the most stable West African democracy."
  },
  {
    "id": 93,
    "name": "Angola",
    "emoji": "🇦🇴",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "southern africa",
    "capital": "luanda",
    "majorCities": ["huambo", "lobito", "benguela"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "kwanza",
    "flagColors": ["red", "black", "yellow"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["oil", "diamonds", "civil war", "portuguese language", "luanda expensive city"],
    "landmarks": ["kalandula falls", "kissama national park", "tundavala gap", "black rocks miradouro"],
    "nationalDish": "muamba de galinha",
    "famousPeople": ["jose eduardo dos santos"],
    "language": "portuguese",
    "neighbors": ["namibia", "zambia", "drc", "republic of congo"],
    "exports": ["oil", "diamonds", "coffee", "fish"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "portugal",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Luanda was the world's most expensive city for expats in 2015 — more expensive than Tokyo or New York.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Luanda was ranked the world's most expensive city for expats multiple times",
      "Angola fought a brutal 27-year civil war after independence (1975-2002)",
      "Has some of the world's largest diamond reserves",
      "The Kalandula Falls are the second-largest waterfalls in Africa by volume",
      "Angola is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in Africa",
      "Has massive oil wealth but also extreme inequality",
      "The civil war killed an estimated 500,000 people",
      "Angola's economy grew faster than China's in the 2000s due to oil"
    ],
    "info": "Angola — once world's most expensive city (Luanda), 27-year civil war, massive oil and diamond wealth, and Africa's largest Portuguese-speaking nation."
  },
  {
    "id": 94,
    "name": "Mozambique",
    "emoji": "🇲🇿",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern africa",
    "capital": "maputo",
    "majorCities": ["beira", "nampula", "matola"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "metical",
    "flagColors": ["green", "black", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["beaches", "portuguese language", "civil war", "eusebio footballer"],
    "landmarks": ["bazaruto archipelago", "gorongosa national park", "ilha de mocambique", "tofo beach"],
    "nationalDish": "peri-peri chicken",
    "famousPeople": ["eusebio", "samora machel"],
    "language": "portuguese",
    "neighbors": ["tanzania", "malawi", "zambia", "zimbabwe", "south africa", "swaziland"],
    "exports": ["aluminum", "prawns", "cashews", "cotton", "natural gas"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "portugal",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Eusébio — one of the greatest footballers of all time — was born in Mozambique and became a Portuguese legend.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Eusébio — one of football's all-time greats — was born in Mozambique",
      "Has some of the world's most pristine beaches and diving spots",
      "Fought a 15-year civil war after independence (1977-1992)",
      "The Bazaruto Archipelago is a protected marine park with rare dugongs",
      "Mozambique's flag features an AK-47 rifle — the only national flag with a modern gun",
      "Peri-peri sauce originated from Portuguese-Mozambican cuisine",
      "Ilha de Mozambique was the capital for centuries and is a UNESCO site",
      "Has massive untapped natural gas reserves discovered in the 2010s"
    ],
    "info": "Mozambique — birthplace of Eusébio, the only flag with an AK-47, pristine beaches, peri-peri sauce origin, and massive new gas reserves."
  },
  {
    "id": 95,
    "name": "Madagascar",
    "emoji": "🇲🇬",
    "continent": "africa",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "east africa",
    "capital": "antananarivo",
    "majorCities": ["toamasina", "antsirabe", "mahajanga"],
    "population": "large",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "ariary",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "green"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["lemurs", "biodiversity", "baobab trees", "vanilla", "unique wildlife", "isolation"],
    "landmarks": ["avenue of the baobabs", "tsingy de bemaraha", "isalo national park", "andasibe-mantadia"],
    "nationalDish": "romazava",
    "famousPeople": ["marc ravalomanana"],
    "language": "malagasy",
    "neighbors": [],
    "exports": ["vanilla", "cloves", "cobalt", "nickel", "coffee"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "france",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "90% of Madagascar's wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth — including all lemur species.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "About 90% of Madagascar's wildlife exists nowhere else on Earth",
      "All lemur species in the world are found only in Madagascar",
      "Produces 80% of the world's natural vanilla",
      "The Avenue of the Baobabs has 800-year-old giant trees lining an ancient road",
      "Madagascar separated from Africa 165 million years ago — creating unique evolution",
      "The island is the world's 4th largest island",
      "Tsingy de Bemaraha has razor-sharp limestone 'forests' you can walk through",
      "Madagascar has its own unique language — Malagasy — closer to Indonesian than African languages"
    ],
    "info": "Madagascar — where 90% of wildlife is unique, all lemurs live, 80% of world's vanilla grows, and evolution isolated species for 165 million years."
  },
  {
    "id": 96,
    "name": "Panama",
    "emoji": "🇵🇦",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "central america",
    "capital": "panama city",
    "majorCities": ["colon", "david", "la chorrera"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "balboa",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "red", "white"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["panama canal", "shipping", "banking", "noriega", "panama hat"],
    "landmarks": ["panama canal", "casco viejo", "san blas islands", "panama viejo ruins"],
    "nationalDish": "sancocho",
    "famousPeople": ["manuel noriega", "ruben blades", "mariano rivera"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["costa rica", "colombia"],
    "exports": ["bananas", "shrimp", "sugar", "coffee"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Panama Canal connects two oceans — and 'Panama hats' are actually from Ecuador, not Panama.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — one of the greatest engineering feats",
      "Over 14,000 ships pass through the canal each year",
      "'Panama hats' are actually made in Ecuador, not Panama",
      "Mariano Rivera — one of baseball's greatest closers — is Panamanian",
      "Panama uses the US dollar as its official currency alongside the Balboa",
      "The canal expansion in 2016 cost $5.25 billion",
      "Manuel Noriega was a dictator ousted by US invasion in 1989",
      "Panama is the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic"
    ],
    "info": "Panama — where two oceans meet via the Canal, 'Panama hats' aren't from here, the US dollar is currency, and Mariano Rivera pitched."
  },
  {
    "id": 97,
    "name": "Costa Rica",
    "emoji": "🇨🇷",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "central america",
    "capital": "san jose",
    "majorCities": ["limon", "alajuela", "cartago"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "colon",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white", "red"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["no army", "biodiversity", "pura vida", "ecotourism", "coffee", "happiness"],
    "landmarks": ["arenal volcano", "monteverde cloud forest", "manuel antonio", "tortuguero"],
    "nationalDish": "gallo pinto",
    "famousPeople": ["keylor navas", "oscar arias"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["nicaragua", "panama"],
    "exports": ["bananas", "pineapples", "coffee", "medical equipment"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Costa Rica abolished its army in 1949 — and has no military, redirecting funds to education and healthcare.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Abolished its military in 1949 — one of the few countries with no army",
      "Uses 99% renewable energy — mostly hydro and geothermal",
      "Has 5% of the world's biodiversity despite being only 0.03% of Earth's surface",
      "'Pura Vida' (pure life) is the national motto and way of life",
      "Keylor Navas — Real Madrid's Champions League-winning goalkeeper — is Costa Rican",
      "Oscar Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize for Central American peace efforts",
      "Costa Rica consistently ranks as one of the world's happiest countries",
      "Over 25% of the country is protected national parks and reserves"
    ],
    "info": "Costa Rica — no army since 1949, 99% renewable energy, 5% of world's biodiversity, 'Pura Vida' lifestyle, and one of Earth's happiest nations."
  },
  {
    "id": 98,
    "name": "Ecuador",
    "emoji": "🇪🇨",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "quito",
    "majorCities": ["guayaquil", "cuenca", "manta"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["yellow", "blue", "red"],
    "climate": "varied",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["galapagos islands", "equator", "bananas", "darwin evolution", "cacao"],
    "landmarks": ["galapagos islands", "cotopaxi volcano", "mitad del mundo", "amazon rainforest"],
    "nationalDish": "ceviche",
    "famousPeople": ["antonio valencia", "jefferson montero"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["colombia", "peru"],
    "exports": ["bananas", "oil", "shrimp", "cacao", "flowers"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "The Galápagos Islands — where Darwin developed the theory of evolution — belong to Ecuador.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "The Galápagos Islands are part of Ecuador — where Darwin studied evolution",
      "Ecuador is named after the equator — which runs through the country",
      "Is the world's largest exporter of bananas",
      "Quito was the first city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site",
      "Cotopaxi is one of the world's highest active volcanoes",
      "Ecuador uses the US dollar as its official currency",
      "The country has Amazon rainforest, Andes mountains, and Pacific coast",
      "Ecuador produces some of the world's finest cacao for chocolate"
    ],
    "info": "Ecuador — home to Darwin's Galápagos, named after the equator that runs through it, world's top banana exporter, and uses US dollars."
  },
  {
    "id": 99,
    "name": "Paraguay",
    "emoji": "🇵🇾",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "south america",
    "capital": "asuncion",
    "majorCities": ["ciudad del este", "san lorenzo", "luque"],
    "population": "medium",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "guarani",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "subtropical",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["guarani language", "itaipu dam", "landlocked", "mate tea", "chipa bread"],
    "landmarks": ["itaipu dam", "jesuit missions", "ybycui national park", "triple frontier"],
    "nationalDish": "sopa paraguaya",
    "famousPeople": ["jose luis chilavert", "roque santa cruz"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["argentina", "brazil", "bolivia"],
    "exports": ["soybeans", "beef", "electricity", "corn"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Guaraní is an official language alongside Spanish — and the Itaipu Dam provides 90% of Paraguay's electricity.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Guaraní is an official language — one of the few indigenous languages with official status",
      "The Itaipu Dam is the world's second-largest hydroelectric dam",
      "Produces so much hydroelectricity that it exports power to Brazil and Argentina",
      "Jose Luis Chilavert was the only goalkeeper to score a hat-trick",
      "Paraguay is one of two landlocked countries in South America (with Bolivia)",
      "Mate (yerba mate tea) is the national drink — consumed more than coffee",
      "The Triple Frontier where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina meet is a famous landmark",
      "Paraguay survived a devastating war in the 1860s that killed 60% of its population"
    ],
    "info": "Paraguay — where Guaraní is official, the Itaipu Dam powers the nation, mate tea is king, and a goalkeeper once scored a hat-trick."
  },
  {
    "id": 100,
    "name": "Uruguay",
    "emoji": "🇺🇾",
    "continent": "southamerica",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern cone",
    "capital": "montevideo",
    "majorCities": ["salto", "paysandu", "maldonado"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "peso",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "white", "yellow"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["luis suarez", "uruguay football", "marijuana legalization", "beef", "mate tea"],
    "landmarks": ["colonia del sacramento", "punta del este", "montevideo old city", "cabo polonio"],
    "nationalDish": "asado",
    "famousPeople": ["luis suarez", "diego forlan", "edinson cavani", "jose mujica"],
    "language": "spanish",
    "neighbors": ["argentina", "brazil"],
    "exports": ["beef", "soybeans", "cellulose", "rice", "wool"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": true,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "spain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Uruguay was the first country in the world to fully legalize marijuana — and won the first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1930.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Was the first country to fully legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2013",
      "Hosted and won the first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1930",
      "Luis Suárez — one of football's greatest strikers — is Uruguayan",
      "Has won 2 FIFA World Cups despite having only 3.5 million people",
      "Jose Mujica — 'the world's poorest president' — donated 90% of his salary to charity",
      "Uruguay has the highest meat consumption per capita in the world",
      "Colonia del Sacramento is a UNESCO World Heritage colonial town",
      "Has one of the most progressive social policies in Latin America"
    ],
    "info": "Uruguay — first to legalize weed, won the first World Cup (1930), 2 World Cups total, Luis Suárez's home, and the 'poorest president' donated 90% of his salary."
  },
  {
    "id": 101,
    "name": "Croatia",
    "emoji": "🇭🇷",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "balkans",
    "capital": "zagreb",
    "majorCities": ["split", "rijeka", "dubrovnik"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["luka modric", "dubrovnik", "adriatic coast", "game of thrones filming", "football"],
    "landmarks": ["dubrovnik old town", "plitvice lakes", "diocletian's palace", "hvar island"],
    "nationalDish": "peka",
    "famousPeople": ["luka modric", "nikola tesla", "drazen petrovic"],
    "language": "croatian",
    "neighbors": ["slovenia", "hungary", "serbia", "bosnia", "montenegro"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "chemicals", "food", "tourism"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Luka Modrić won the 2018 Ballon d'Or — breaking Messi/Ronaldo's 10-year dominance. Nikola Tesla was born in Croatia.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Luka Modrić won the Ballon d'Or in 2018 — ending Messi/Ronaldo's 10-year dominance",
      "Nikola Tesla — inventor of AC electricity — was born in Smiljan, Croatia",
      "Dubrovnik's Old Town was a major filming location for Game of Thrones (King's Landing)",
      "Croatia reached the FIFA World Cup final in 2018 with only 4 million people",
      "Plitvice Lakes National Park has 16 cascading turquoise lakes",
      "The necktie (cravat) was invented by Croatian soldiers in the 17th century",
      "Croatia has over 1,000 islands along the Adriatic coast",
      "Dražen Petrović is considered one of Europe's greatest basketball players"
    ],
    "info": "Croatia — birthplace of Tesla and the necktie, Luka Modrić's Ballon d'Or, Game of Thrones' Dubrovnik, and World Cup finalists with 4 million people."
  },
  {
    "id": 102,
    "name": "Slovakia",
    "emoji": "🇸🇰",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "bratislava",
    "majorCities": ["kosice", "presov", "zilina"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["white", "blue", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["castles", "tatra mountains", "ice hockey", "caves", "folk culture"],
    "landmarks": ["spis castle", "tatra mountains", "devin castle", "dobsinska ice cave"],
    "nationalDish": "bryndzove halusky",
    "famousPeople": ["peter sagan", "andy warhol's parents"],
    "language": "slovak",
    "neighbors": ["poland", "czech republic", "austria", "hungary", "ukraine"],
    "exports": ["cars", "electronics", "machinery", "iron"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Slovakia has more castles per capita than any other country — over 180 castles. Andy Warhol's parents were Slovak immigrants.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has more castles per capita than any country in the world — over 180 castles",
      "Andy Warhol's parents emigrated from Slovakia to the USA",
      "Peter Sagan is a 3-time world champion cyclist",
      "Slovakia has one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe",
      "The Tatra Mountains have unique endemic species found nowhere else",
      "Dobšinská Ice Cave is one of Europe's most spectacular ice caves",
      "Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia until the peaceful split in 1993",
      "Bratislava is the only capital in the world bordering two countries (Austria and Hungary)"
    ],
    "info": "Slovakia — 180+ castles (most per capita), Andy Warhol's parents' homeland, Peter Sagan's cycling dominance, and Bratislava borders 2 countries."
  },
  {
    "id": 103,
    "name": "Slovenia",
    "emoji": "🇸🇮",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "central",
    "subRegion": "balkans",
    "capital": "ljubljana",
    "majorCities": ["maribor", "celje", "kranj"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["white", "blue", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["lake bled", "alps", "caves", "melania trump", "skiing"],
    "landmarks": ["lake bled", "predjama castle", "postojna cave", "triglav national park"],
    "nationalDish": "potica",
    "famousPeople": ["melania trump", "luka doncic", "primoz roglic"],
    "language": "slovenian",
    "neighbors": ["italy", "austria", "hungary", "croatia"],
    "exports": ["cars", "pharmaceuticals", "electric appliances"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Melania Trump — former US First Lady — is from Slovenia. Luka Dončić is also Slovenian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Melania Trump was born in Slovenia and became US First Lady",
      "Luka Dončić — NBA superstar — is Slovenian",
      "Lake Bled has a church on an island — one of Europe's most picturesque spots",
      "Postojna Cave is one of the world's largest karst cave systems",
      "Slovenia is one of the greenest countries in Europe — 60% forest coverage",
      "Primož Roglič won the Vuelta a España 3 times in cycling",
      "Slovenia became the first former communist country to adopt the euro",
      "Ljubljana won European Green Capital award"
    ],
    "info": "Slovenia — Melania Trump's birthplace, Luka Dončić's homeland, Lake Bled's island church, 60% forest coverage, and Europe's Green Capital."
  },
  {
    "id": 104,
    "name": "Lithuania",
    "emoji": "🇱🇹",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "vilnius",
    "majorCities": ["kaunas", "klaipeda", "siauliai"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["yellow", "green", "red"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["basketball", "soviet history", "hill of crosses", "amber"],
    "landmarks": ["hill of crosses", "trakai castle", "curonian spit", "vilnius old town"],
    "nationalDish": "cepelinai",
    "famousPeople": ["arvydas sabonis", "jonas valanciunas"],
    "language": "lithuanian",
    "neighbors": ["latvia", "belarus", "poland", "russia"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "chemicals", "textiles", "food"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Basketball is Lithuania's religion — Arvydas Sabonis is a national hero. The Hill of Crosses has over 100,000 crosses.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Basketball is considered a religion — Lithuania has beaten USA in Olympics",
      "Arvydas Sabonis is one of Europe's greatest basketball players ever",
      "The Hill of Crosses has over 100,000 crosses placed by pilgrims",
      "Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to declare independence in 1990",
      "The Curonian Spit has some of the highest sand dunes in Europe",
      "Lithuania's language is one of the oldest living Indo-European languages",
      "Vilnius has one of the largest baroque old towns in Eastern Europe",
      "Lithuania produces a lot of the world's amber"
    ],
    "info": "Lithuania — where basketball is religion, Sabonis is legend, 100,000 crosses stand on a hill, and they declared independence first from USSR."
  },
  {
    "id": 105,
    "name": "Latvia",
    "emoji": "🇱🇻",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "subRegion2": "baltic states",
    "capital": "riga",
    "majorCities": ["daugavpils", "liepaja", "jelgava", "jurmala"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "hasBalticCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "language": "latvian",
    "languageFamily": "baltic",
    "isEUMember": true,
    "isNATOMember": true,
    "isSchengen": true,
    "isFormerSoviet": true,
    "independenceYear": 1991,
    "isBalticState": true,
    "bordersRussia": true,
    "bordersGermany": false,
    "size": "small",
    "gdpLevel": "medium",
    "artNouveauCapital": true,
    "christmasTreeOrigin": true,
    "hasNationalSong": true,
    "singingRevolution": true,
    "famousFor": ["art nouveau", "riga old town", "nature", "singing revolution", "forests", "amber", "kristaps porzingis", "mikhail tal", "christmas tree origin", "fastest internet"],
    "landmarks": ["riga old town", "rundale palace", "gauja national park", "jurmala beach", "riga central market", "freedom monument riga", "latvian open air ethnographic museum"],
    "nationalDish": "grey peas with bacon",
    "famousPeople": ["mikhail tal", "kristaps porzingis", "vaira vike-freiberga", "janis ivars"],
    "neighbors": ["estonia", "lithuania", "russia", "belarus"],
    "exports": ["wood", "machinery", "food", "textiles", "pharmaceuticals", "it services"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "wasOccupiedBySoviet": true,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "viralFact": "Riga has more Art Nouveau buildings than any other city in the world — over 800 buildings. The Christmas tree tradition may have originated in Riga in 1510.",
    "historicFact": "Latvia gained independence peacefully through the 'Singing Revolution' (1987-1991) — a chain of 2 million people holding hands across all three Baltic states for 675 km.",
    "currentFact": "Latvia joined NATO in 2004 and significantly increased defense spending after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Kristaps Porziņģis plays NBA basketball for the Boston Celtics.",
    "funFact": "Riga has the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. Kristaps Porziņģis is Latvian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Riga has more Art Nouveau buildings than any city in the world — over 800 stunning facades",
      "Kristaps Porziņģis — NBA star for the Boston Celtics — is Latvian",
      "Latvia has one of the fastest average internet speeds in the world",
      "The 'Baltic Way' (1989) — 2 million people holding hands in a human chain across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (675 km) — peacefully demanded independence from USSR",
      "Over 50% of Latvia's land area is covered by forests",
      "Mikhail Tal — nicknamed 'The Magician from Riga' — is considered one of the greatest chess players ever",
      "The Christmas tree tradition may have started in Riga in 1510 — predating all other claims",
      "Latvia's population has shrunk by 25% since independence due to emigration — one of the world's fastest declining populations",
      "Latvia was forcibly occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 and did not regain independence until 1991",
      "Latvian is one of the oldest living languages in Europe — closely related to Sanskrit"
    ],
    "info": "Latvia — world's most Art Nouveau buildings (Riga), Porziņģis's homeland, 'Baltic Way' human chain to freedom, and possibly invented the Christmas tree (1510)."
  },
  {
    "id": 106,
    "name": "Estonia",
    "emoji": "🇪🇪",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "north",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "tallinn",
    "majorCities": ["tartu", "narva", "parnu"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "secular",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "black", "white"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["e-estonia", "digital society", "skype", "medieval tallinn", "startups"],
    "landmarks": ["tallinn old town", "lahemaa national park", "saaremaa island", "toompea castle"],
    "nationalDish": "black bread",
    "famousPeople": ["kerli koiv", "arvo part"],
    "language": "estonian",
    "neighbors": ["latvia", "russia"],
    "exports": ["machinery", "wood", "electronics", "food"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Estonia is the world's most digitally advanced society — voting, taxes, healthcare all online. Skype was invented here.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Skype was invented in Estonia — revolutionizing global communication",
      "Estonia is the world's first 'digital society' — everything from voting to taxes is online",
      "Has the most startups per capita in Europe",
      "Tallinn's Old Town is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities",
      "Estonia offers e-Residency — anyone can become a digital resident",
      "Has over 2,000 islands",
      "Was the first country to declare internet access a human right",
      "The 'Singing Revolution' helped gain independence through mass song festivals"
    ],
    "info": "Estonia — invented Skype, world's first digital society, e-voting pioneer, most startups per capita, and internet is a human right."
  },
 {
    "id": 107,
    "name": "Albania",
    "emoji": "🇦🇱",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "balkans",
    "capital": "tirana",
    "majorCities": ["durres", "vlore", "shkoder", "fier", "korca"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "hasAdriticCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "lek",
    "flagColors": ["red", "black"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "language": "albanian",
    "languageFamily": "albanian",
    "isEUMember": false,
    "isEUCandidate": true,
    "isNATOMember": true,
    "isSchengen": false,
    "isFormerSoviet": false,
    "wasEuropesMostIsolated": true,
    "wasOfficiallyAtheist": true,
    "communistBunkers": 750000,
    "bordersRussia": false,
    "bordersGermany": false,
    "size": "small",
    "gdpLevel": "low-medium",
    "motherTeresaConnection": true,
    "duaLipaConnection": true,
    "famousFor": ["bunkers", "mother teresa", "riviera", "communism isolation", "double-headed eagle", "dua lipa", "eagle country", "skanderbeg"],
    "landmarks": ["butrint", "berat", "gjirokaster", "albanian riviera", "blue eye spring", "skanderbeg square", "rozafa castle"],
    "nationalDish": "tavë kosi",
    "famousPeople": ["mother teresa", "dua lipa", "enver hoxha", "skanderbeg", "ismail kadare"],
    "neighbors": ["greece", "north macedonia", "kosovo", "montenegro"],
    "exports": ["textiles", "footwear", "metals", "crude oil", "chromium"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "nobelConnection": "mother teresa (born to albanian parents)",
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "viralFact": "Mother Teresa — Nobel Peace Prize laureate — was born to Albanian parents. Pop star Dua Lipa also has Albanian heritage. Albania built 750,000 concrete bunkers — 1 for every 4 citizens.",
    "historicFact": "Albania was the only officially atheist state in the world (1967–1991) under Enver Hoxha, who banned all religion. It was also Europe's most isolated communist country for decades.",
    "currentFact": "Albania is now a NATO member (since 2009) and an EU candidate country. Dua Lipa — one of the world's best-selling artists — regularly celebrates her Albanian roots.",
    "funFact": "Mother Teresa was Albanian (born to Albanian parents). Albania built 750,000 concrete bunkers during communism — 1 for every 4 people.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Mother Teresa — Nobel Peace Prize winner — was born to Albanian parents (in Skopje, then Ottoman territory)",
      "Dua Lipa — global pop superstar — has Albanian heritage and holds Albanian citizenship",
      "Albania built 750,000 concrete bunkers under communist dictator Enver Hoxha — 1 for every 4 people",
      "Was the only officially atheist state in the world (1967–1991) under Enver Hoxha — all religion was banned",
      "Was Europe's most isolated country during communism (1944–1991) — more isolated than North Korea at times",
      "Albania's flag features a double-headed eagle — one of the oldest heraldic symbols in the world",
      "The Albanian Riviera rivals the Greek and Croatian coast but remains far less touristy",
      "Albania is one of the few majority-Muslim European countries — yet historically very secular",
      "Skanderbeg — national hero — united Albanian princes to resist Ottoman conquest in the 15th century",
      "Albanians say 'yes' by shaking their head and 'no' by nodding — opposite of most of the world"
    ],
    "info": "Albania — Mother Teresa's heritage, Dua Lipa's roots, 750,000 communist bunkers (1 per 4 people), was the world's only atheist state, and Europe's most isolated nation for 50 years."
  },
  {
    "id": 108,
    "name": "Bosnia and Herzegovina",
    "emoji": "🇧🇦",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "balkans",
    "capital": "sarajevo",
    "majorCities": ["banja luka", "tuzla", "mostar"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "islam",
    "currency": "mark",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow", "white"],
    "climate": "continental",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["bosnian war", "sarajevo assassination", "mostar bridge", "ottoman heritage", "edin dzeko"],
    "landmarks": ["stari most bridge", "sarajevo tunnel", "kravice waterfalls", "vrelo bosne"],
    "nationalDish": "cevapi",
    "famousPeople": ["edin dzeko", "gavrilo princip"],
    "language": "bosnian",
    "neighbors": ["croatia", "serbia", "montenegro"],
    "exports": ["metals", "machinery", "wood", "textiles"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "WWI started in Sarajevo when Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. Edin Džeko is Bosnia's football legend.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "World War I started here — Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo (1914)",
      "Edin Džeko is one of Europe's top strikers and Bosnia's football icon",
      "The Stari Most (Old Bridge) in Mostar was destroyed in war and rebuilt",
      "Sarajevo survived the longest siege in modern warfare (1992-1996) — 1,425 days",
      "Bosnia has one of the most complex governments — 3 presidents rotating every 8 months",
      "The Sarajevo Tunnel saved the city during the siege",
      "Bosnia has a mix of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Yugoslav heritage",
      "Has some of Europe's last remaining primeval forests"
    ],
    "info": "Bosnia — where WWI started (Princip's assassination), Sarajevo survived 1,425-day siege, Edin Džeko scores goals, and 3 presidents rotate."
  },
  {
    "id": 109,
    "name": "North Macedonia",
    "emoji": "🇲🇰",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "balkans",
    "capital": "skopje",
    "majorCities": ["bitola", "kumanovo", "prilep"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "denar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "yellow"],
    "climate": "continental",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["alexander the great", "mother teresa birthplace", "lake ohrid", "name dispute"],
    "landmarks": ["lake ohrid", "matka canyon", "stone bridge skopje", "kokino observatory"],
    "nationalDish": "tavce gravce",
    "famousPeople": ["mother teresa", "alexander the great", "goran pandev"],
    "language": "macedonian",
    "neighbors": ["serbia", "kosovo", "bulgaria", "greece", "albania"],
    "exports": ["food", "beverages", "tobacco", "iron"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Mother Teresa was born in Skopje — and Alexander the Great was from ancient Macedon (disputed heritage).",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, North Macedonia in 1910",
      "Alexander the Great came from ancient Macedon — a source of national pride (and Greek dispute)",
      "Lake Ohrid is one of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes — over 1 million years old",
      "Changed its name from 'Macedonia' to 'North Macedonia' in 2019 after a 27-year dispute with Greece",
      "Skopje's center was rebuilt with dozens of nationalist statues and buildings",
      "Goran Pandev is the nation's greatest footballer",
      "The Kokino Observatory is one of the world's oldest astronomical sites (1800 BC)",
      "Has over 50 lakes and 16 mountains higher than 2,000m"
    ],
    "info": "North Macedonia — Mother Teresa's birthplace, Alexander the Great's heritage (disputed), 1-million-year-old Lake Ohrid, and renamed after 27-year name dispute."
  },
  {
    "id": 110,
    "name": "Moldova",
    "emoji": "🇲🇩",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "east",
    "subRegion": "eastern europe",
    "capital": "chisinau",
    "majorCities": ["tiraspol", "balti", "bender"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "leu",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow", "red"],
    "climate": "continental",
    "avgTemperature": "moderate",
    "famousFor": ["wine", "poorest in europe", "transnistria breakaway", "orthodox monasteries"],
    "landmarks": ["orheiul vechi", "milestii mici wine cellar", "cricova winery", "soroca fortress"],
    "nationalDish": "mamaliga",
    "famousPeople": ["maia sandu"],
    "language": "romanian",
    "neighbors": ["romania", "ukraine"],
    "exports": ["wine", "fruits", "vegetables", "textiles"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Moldova has the world's largest wine cellar — Mileștii Mici — with 2 million bottles in 200 km of underground tunnels.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has the world's largest wine cellar — Mileștii Mici holds 2 million bottles in 200 km of tunnels",
      "Moldova is Europe's poorest country by GDP per capita",
      "Transnistria is a breakaway region that declared independence but isn't recognized",
      "The Cricova winery stores wines for world leaders — Putin and Merkel visited",
      "Moldova was part of Romania until 1940 when the Soviets annexed it",
      "Over 25% of Moldova's GDP comes from remittances — workers abroad sending money home",
      "Orheiul Vechi is a stunning monastery carved into cliffs",
      "Moldova has more vineyards per capita than any other country"
    ],
    "info": "Moldova — world's largest wine cellar (2M bottles in 200 km), Europe's poorest nation, breakaway Transnistria, and 25% GDP from remittances."
  },
  {
    "id": 111,
    "name": "Luxembourg",
    "emoji": "🇱🇺",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "west",
    "subRegion": "western europe",
    "capital": "luxembourg city",
    "majorCities": ["esch-sur-alzette", "differdange", "dudelange"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": true,
    "hasCoast": false,
    "isIsland": false,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": true,
    "driveSide": "right",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "blue"],
    "climate": "temperate",
    "avgTemperature": "cool",
    "famousFor": ["wealth", "banking", "eu headquarters", "castles", "highest gdp per capita"],
    "landmarks": ["bock casemates", "vianden castle", "notre-dame cathedral", "grund district"],
    "nationalDish": "judd mat gaardebounen",
    "famousPeople": ["jean-claude juncker"],
    "language": "luxembourgish",
    "neighbors": ["germany", "france", "belgium"],
    "exports": ["banking services", "steel", "chemicals", "rubber"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": false,
    "colonizedBy": null,
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Luxembourg has the world's highest GDP per capita — over $140,000 per person. It's also an EU founding member.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Has the world's highest GDP per capita — around $140,000 per person",
      "Is the only remaining Grand Duchy in the world",
      "Was a founding member of the EU, NATO, and the UN",
      "Luxembourg City is one of the EU's three capitals (with Brussels and Strasbourg)",
      "The Bock Casemates are 17 km of underground tunnels built in the 17th century",
      "Over 170 nationalities live in Luxembourg — nearly 50% are foreign residents",
      "Has the world's highest minimum wage",
      "Luxembourg is the world's largest investment fund center after the US"
    ],
    "info": "Luxembourg — world's richest per capita ($140K), only Grand Duchy, 50% foreigners, EU founding member, and massive banking center."
  },
  {
    "id": 112,
    "name": "Malta",
    "emoji": "🇲🇹",
    "continent": "europe",
    "region": "south",
    "subRegion": "southern europe",
    "capital": "valletta",
    "majorCities": ["birkirkara", "mosta", "qormi", "sliema", "st julians"],
    "population": "micro",
    "populationCount": 520000,
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "hasMediterraneanCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "isArchipelago": true,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["white", "red"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "language": "maltese",
    "secondLanguage": "english",
    "languageFamily": "semitic",
    "isEUMember": true,
    "isNATOMember": false,
    "isSchengen": true,
    "isFormerSoviet": false,
    "isEUSmallest": true,
    "isDensestEUCountry": true,
    "euSmallest": true,
    "bordersRussia": false,
    "bordersGermany": false,
    "islandCount": 3,
    "size": "micro",
    "gdpLevel": "high",
    "isFormerBritishColony": true,
    "gamesOfThronesLocation": true,
    "azureWindowCollapsed": true,
    "templesOlderThanPyramids": true,
    "knightsOfMaltaHistory": true,
    "famousFor": ["knights of malta", "game of thrones filming", "azure window", "ancient temples", "eu smallest", "300 sunny days", "valletta capital of culture", "daphne caruana galizia"],
    "landmarks": ["valletta", "azure window ruins (collapsed 2017)", "hagar qim temples", "blue lagoon", "mdina", "fort st elmo", "hypogeum of hal saflieni"],
    "nationalDish": "rabbit stew",
    "famousPeople": ["daphne caruana galizia", "joseph muscat", "edward de bono"],
    "neighbors": [],
    "exports": ["electronics", "pharmaceuticals", "tourism", "financial services", "igaming"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "viralFact": "Game of Thrones filmed much of King's Landing in Malta. The iconic Azure Window natural arch collapsed into the sea during a storm in March 2017 — watched live on TV worldwide.",
    "historicFact": "Malta's megalithic temples (Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra) are among the oldest freestanding structures on Earth — older than Stonehenge AND the Egyptian Pyramids. Built around 3600–2500 BCE.",
    "currentFact": "Investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated by a car bomb in Malta in 2017 — exposing massive corruption. The Panama Papers scandal also implicated Maltese officials.",
    "funFact": "Malta is the EU's smallest and most densely populated country. The Azure Window collapsed in 2017.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Malta is the smallest and most densely populated country in the EU — with only 316 sq km",
      "The Azure Window — a stunning natural rock arch — collapsed dramatically into the sea in March 2017",
      "Game of Thrones filmed many iconic scenes in Malta — King's Landing was largely based on Mdina",
      "Malta's megalithic temples are older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids (3600–2500 BCE)",
      "The Knights of St. John (Knights Hospitaller) ruled Malta for over 250 years after being given the island by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1530",
      "Malta has 300+ days of sunshine per year — the sunniest country in the EU",
      "Maltese language is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet — a unique linguistic mix of Arabic, Italian, English",
      "Daphne Caruana Galizia — investigative journalist who exposed government corruption via Panama Papers — was assassinated by car bomb in 2017",
      "Valletta — Malta's capital — is the EU's smallest national capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site",
      "Malta drives on the left — a legacy of British colonial rule (independent since 1964)",
      "Edward de Bono — inventor of 'lateral thinking' — is Maltese",
      "Malta has no rivers and relies on desalination for most of its fresh water"
    ],
    "info": "Malta — EU's tiniest nation, Azure Window collapsed (2017), Game of Thrones location, temples older than pyramids, Maltese is the only Semitic-Latin script language, 300+ sunny days."
  },
  {
    "id": 113,
    "name": "Cyprus",
    "emoji": "🇨🇾",
    "continent": "asia",
    "region": "middle",
    "subRegion": "middle east",
    "capital": "nicosia",
    "majorCities": ["limassol", "larnaca", "famagusta"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": true,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "euro",
    "flagColors": ["white", "orange"],
    "climate": "mediterranean",
    "avgTemperature": "warm",
    "famousFor": ["divided island", "aphrodite birthplace", "halloumi cheese", "british bases"],
    "landmarks": ["paphos archaeological park", "troodos mountains", "kyrenia castle", "kolossi castle"],
    "nationalDish": "halloumi",
    "famousPeople": ["marcos baghdatis"],
    "language": "greek",
    "neighbors": [],
    "exports": ["citrus", "potatoes", "pharmaceuticals", "halloumi"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": true,
    "funFact": "Cyprus is the only divided capital in the world — Nicosia is split by the 'Green Line' between Greek and Turkish sides.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Nicosia is the world's only divided capital — split between Greek Cyprus and Turkish Cyprus",
      "The island has been divided since 1974 after Turkey invaded the north",
      "Cyprus is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite — goddess of love and beauty",
      "Halloumi cheese originated in Cyprus",
      "The UK still has two military bases on the island — sovereign territory",
      "Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 but only the Greek part is in the EU",
      "The island has some of the oldest wine production in the world — 5,000 years",
      "Marcos Baghdatis reached the 2006 Australian Open final"
    ],
    "info": "Cyprus — world's only divided capital (Nicosia), Turkish invasion split (1974), Aphrodite's birthplace, halloumi origin, and UK still has bases."
  },
  {
    "id": 114,
    "name": "Bahamas",
    "emoji": "🇧🇸",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "caribbean",
    "subRegion": "caribbean",
    "capital": "nassau",
    "majorCities": ["freeport", "west end", "cooper's town"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "monarchy",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["blue", "yellow", "black"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["beaches", "pirates", "tax haven", "swimming pigs", "atlantis resort"],
    "landmarks": ["atlantis paradise island", "swimming pigs", "blue holes", "nassau straw market"],
    "nationalDish": "conch salad",
    "famousPeople": ["sidney poitier"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": [],
    "exports": ["refined petroleum", "ships", "pharmaceuticals"],
    "hasNobel": false,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "The Bahamas has swimming pigs on Pig Beach — they swim out to boats. Sidney Poitier is Bahamian.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Pig Beach has swimming pigs that swim out to greet tourist boats",
      "Sidney Poitier — first Black actor to win an Oscar — is Bahamian",
      "The Bahamas consists of 700 islands but only 30 are inhabited",
      "Was a pirate haven in the 1600s — Blackbeard operated from Nassau",
      "The Bahamas is a major tax haven with no income tax",
      "Dean's Blue Hole is the world's second-deepest blue hole at 202m",
      "The Atlantis Paradise Island resort is one of the Caribbean's largest",
      "Columbus's first landfall in the New World was likely in the Bahamas (1492)"
    ],
    "info": "Bahamas — swimming pigs, Sidney Poitier's home, 700 islands, Blackbeard's pirate base, tax haven, and Columbus's first New World landing."
  },
  {
    "id": 115,
    "name": "Trinidad and Tobago",
    "emoji": "🇹🇹",
    "continent": "northamerica",
    "region": "caribbean",
    "subRegion": "caribbean",
    "capital": "port of spain",
    "majorCities": ["san fernando", "chaguanas", "arima"],
    "population": "small",
    "landlocked": false,
    "hasCoast": true,
    "isIsland": true,
    "hasMountains": false,
    "hasRivers": false,
    "driveSide": "left",
    "government": "republic",
    "mainReligion": "christianity",
    "currency": "dollar",
    "flagColors": ["red", "white", "black"],
    "climate": "tropical",
    "avgTemperature": "hot",
    "famousFor": ["carnival", "steelpan", "oil wealth", "nicki minaj", "calypso music"],
    "landmarks": ["maracas beach", "pitch lake", "caroni swamp", "fort george"],
    "nationalDish": "doubles",
    "famousPeople": ["nicki minaj", "brian lara", "dwight yorke"],
    "language": "english",
    "neighbors": ["venezuela"],
    "exports": ["petroleum", "natural gas", "chemicals", "steel"],
    "hasNobel": true,
    "hostsMajorSportEvent": false,
    "hasWonder": false,
    "formerColony": true,
    "colonizedBy": "britain",
    "hasUNESCO": false,
    "funFact": "Nicki Minaj was born in Trinidad. The steelpan — the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century — was created here.",
    "interestingFacts": [
      "Nicki Minaj was born in Trinidad before moving to the US",
      "The steelpan is the only acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century",
      "Brian Lara holds the record for highest individual Test cricket score (400)",
      "Pitch Lake is the world's largest natural asphalt deposit",
      "Trinidad and Tobago is the wealthiest Caribbean nation per capita due to oil and gas",
      "Carnival here is one of the biggest in the world — after Rio",
      "V.S. Naipaul from Trinidad won the Nobel Prize in Literature",
      "Dwight Yorke and Brian Lara made Trinidad famous in football and cricket"
    ],
    "info": "Trinidad — Nicki Minaj's birthplace, steelpan invention, Brian Lara's 400 cricket record, Pitch Lake asphalt, and Caribbean's richest per capita."
  }
]