17 Countries Competing In the Olympics You May Not Know Exist

The 2020 Olympic Games finally begin in less than one month. Originally scheduled for last summer but delayed one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the games’ opening ceremonies will be held Friday, July 23, in Tokyo.

Watching the Olympic Games always prompts questions among viewers — in addition to wondering how a competitor accomplished a truly spectacular athletic feat — casual viewers will wonder when various sports, such as climbing, became an Olympic event. Sport climbing will make its Olympic debut this year.

On the other hand, even seasoned fans of the Olympic Games are occasionally perplexed by the location of participating countries. Watching the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony, when athletes and officials from each participating country enter Olympic Stadium under their country’s flag, often prompts the question, “Where is that?”

With that question in mind, here’s a quick look at some countries competing in the Olympic Games that you may not be familiar with.

Andorra

First Olympic Games: 1976 Winter Olympics

Andorra, also known as the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a small country in southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain and France.

The sixth-smallest nation in Europe, Andorra has an estimated population of 85,000. The country thrives on tourism, drawing more than 10 million visitors annually.

Azerbaijan

First Olympic Games: 1996 Summer Olympics

The Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on August 30, 1991, just before the Soviet Union dissolved. Its neighboring countries are Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran. Its other border is the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan may be small, but it’s an Olympic wrestling powerhouse. Indeed, 22 wrestlers from Azerbaijan have won an Olympic medal.

Fun Fact: Azerbaijan, which the CIA explains is slightly smaller than Maine and has a population of 10 million, is the home of the world’s first oil well. It was finished and struck crude oil on July 14, 1848.

Benin

First Olympic Games: 1972 Summer Olympics

Located in west Africa, the Republic of Benin is long and narrow, with 75 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Guinea — so it’s well-known for its beaches. The country, which has an estimated population of 13 million people, is bordered by Togo, Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Benin is also home to the Pendjari National Park, where you can find 1,700 elephants, more than 360 species of bird, and 90 percent of the remaining West African lion population.

Brunei

First Olympic Games: 1996 Summer Olympics

A small country on the island of Borneo, Brunei’s northern boundary is a 100-mile coastline on the South China Sea. It shares an international boundary with Malaysia on all other sides, World Atlas explains. Its population is 433,285.

Interestingly, Brunei has been able to conserve approximately 70 percent of its rainforests, Brunei Tourism explains. These forests are home to some of the world’s most threatened species of plants and animals, including Sunda clouded leopards, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, flying lizards, and saltwater crocodiles.

Burkina Faso

First Olympic Games: 1972 Summer Olympics (While Known As Upper Volta)

Burkina Faso, which has a population of 21 million, achieved independence from France in 1960, and later changed its name to Burkina Faso in 1984. Located in western Africa, its neighboring countries are Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Togo.

As a country, Burkina Faso faces numerous significant problems. In addition to terrorism, the country has pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources, the CIA reports. The agency also notes that Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest countries.

Cape Verde

First Olympic Games: 1996 Summer Olympics

An island country off the west coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Verde is comprised of nine inhabited islands, one uninhabited island, and various islets. Since they were formed by volcanic activity, the islands are all mountainous. Cape Verde has a population of just under 550,000.

Why would you want to visit the country? Well, as CapeVerdeIslands.org explains, it has beautiful weather year-round and white sandy beaches, which makes it “a paradise on earth” that is “a perfect destination for a dream vacation.”

Djibouti

First Olympic Games: 1984 Summer Olympics

Djibouti, north of Somalia and east and west of Ethiopia in eastern Africa, is home to mountains and desert. Plus, the small country also has beaches on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. That means travelers can trek and hike, as well as go fishing and scuba diving.

That said, if you’re planning a trip to Djibouti, keep in mind that the U.S. State Department warns: “Avoid all travel by public transportation and hire private transport from a reliable source,” as public transportation is “unregulated, unreliable, and generally unsafe.”

Eritrea

First Olympic Games: 2000 Summer Olympics

After “a violent 30-year struggle,” and a United Nations-supervised referendum, Eritrea declared its independence from Ethiopia in 1991, according to the CIA. Eritrea, located in eastern Africa, is bordered by Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Sudan. Its other border is a long coastline on the Red Sea. Eritrea, which the CIA says is one of Africa’s poorest nations, has a population of six million.

Fun Fact: A one-million-year-old skull with traits associated with both the earliest modern human beings and Homo erectus hominid was found in the Afar region in Eritrea, Archaeology Magazine reports.

Gabon

First Olympic Games: 1972 Summer Olympics

Originally a French colony, Gabon became independent in 1960 but is still linked to France and its culture. Gabon, population 2.1 million, is north and west of the Republic of the Congo in Africa. Interestingly, rainforests cover nearly 85 percent of the country, World Atlas explains.

Gabon has 13 national parks, most of which include habitat for chimpanzees, mandrills, and several species of monkey. What’s more, western lowland gorillas are indigenous to Gabon, so the area is naturally home to a large population of gorillas.

The Gambia

First Olympic Games: 1984 Summer Olympics

The Gambia, the smallest country on mainland Africa, lies along the Gambia River. The country, which has a population of 2 million, also has a short coast on the Atlantic Ocean.

Widely known as “The Smiling Coast,” The Gambia is believed to be one of the friendliest and safest places in the world to visit. It is extremely popular with tourists from Europe because The Gambia has an expansive beach, short flight time from Europe, and friendly people, Tripadvisor explains.

Lesotho

First Olympic Games: 1972 Summer Olympics

Officially known as the Kingdom of Lesotho, this country is an enclave surrounded by South Africa. What’s more, Lesotho, which has a population of 2.1 million, is the largest of the world’s three independent states surrounded by the territory of another country, World Atlas explains. The other two independent states surrounded by another country are Vatican City and San Marino.

Football — or as it’s called in the U.S., soccer — is a popular sport in Lesotho. Contact sports such as boxing and judo are also very popular.

Moldova

First Olympic Games: 1996 Summer Olympics

The Republic of Moldova is a small eastern European country in the Carpathian Mountains. Its population is 3.3 million, and Moldova is only bordered by two countries: Ukraine to the north, east, and south, and Romania to the west.

Moldova is a wine-lover’s dream. Milestii Mici is a 150-mile-long underground network of caves transformed into a wine cellar in Chisinau, Moldova’s capital. The cellar is home to the “Golden Collection” of more than 2 million bottles of wine — some of the most expensive aged red wine in the world, Atlas Obscura explains.

San Marino

First Olympic Games: 1960 Summer Olympics

Officially known as the Republic of San Marino, this country is one of the smallest in Europe — after Vatican City and Monaco, World Atlas notes. In fact, its land area only covers approximately 24 square miles. San Marino another enclave, completely surrounded by Italy. The economy of San Marino and its capital — also called San Marino — depend largely on tourism.

Fun Fact: Since it was founded in A.D. 301, it is the world’s oldest sovereign state and its oldest republic.

São Tomé And Príncipe

First Olympic Games: 1996 Summer Olympics

Located in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, São Tomé and Príncipe is one of Africa’s smallest countries. The country is named for its two major islands: São Tomé and Príncipe,  World Atlas explains. There are, however, a number of smaller islands as well.

São Tomé and Príncipe are “blessed with long sandy beaches,” Afro Tourism explains. “The Islands also boast emerald forest vegetation full of wildlife.”

Tajikistan

First Olympic Games: 1996 Summer Olympics

The Republic of Tajikistan is the smallest country in Central Asia. Approximately 93 percent of the country is mountainous, and more than half of it is at elevations higher than 9,842 feet, World Atlas notes. Tajikistan, which became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, is bordered by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China, and Afghanistan.

Timor-Leste

First Olympic Games: 2004 Summer Olympics

Sharing the island of Timor with West Timor of Indonesia, Timor-Leste — also called East Timor — is a sovereign nation. Although the country boasts a flat plain, it rises quickly to foothills of rugged mountains. The country, formally known as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, can be reached by a short flight from Bali, Singapore, or Australia.

If you’re thinking of an island getaway, the country offers a chance to “relax on our stunning beaches, be wowed by our tropical reefs, and witness amazing marine life,” Tourism Timor-Leste explains.

Vanuatu

First Olympic Games: 1988 Summer Olympics

Officially the Republic of Vanuatu, Vanuatu is known for pristine beaches with crystal clear water. The country, which is slightly larger than Connecticut, has a population of just over 303,000, the CIA writes.

Vanuatu technically is an archipelago, comprised of a double chain of 13 principal islands and 70 smaller islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and west of Fiji. Most of the islands have mountains and dense rainforests and are protected by offshore coral reefs.

Know Before You Go

International spectators will not be allowed to enter Japan for the Olympics due to continuing concerns about COVID-19. However, if the TV coverage makes you want to start planning a trip to Tokyo, be sure to check out all of our Tokyo and Japan coverage.