1. One of only two remaining countries on the American mainland with left-hand traffic rules, this English-speaking nation derives its name from a native word meaning “land of many waters.”

2. The ninth-largest country in the world (by area) is home to 15 million people. Sacha Baron Cohen is not one of them.

3. This Muslim nation of roughly 150 million citizens, which is among the most densely populated places on earth,  occupies a piece of land about the size of Iowa.

4. It’s the world’s longest, thinnest country – stretching more than 2,700 miles from end to end (the equivalent of Edinburgh to Baghdad), with a width that never exceeds 150 miles.

5. “We wish to remain what we are” is the official motto of this landlocked grand duchy of a half-million souls. It was a founding member of the United Nations, NATO and the European Union.

6. Collectively, these islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy. Subjects refer to their monarch – known elsewhere as Elizabeth II of England – by the lesser title of Duke of Normandy. Though the islands are not part of the United Kingdom (nor the European Union), Great Britain is constitutionally responsible for their defense and international representation. During World War II, they were the only British soil to be occupied by German troops and to hold concentration camps.

7. The only nation in the world that stands entirely above 3,300 feet in elevation, this land-locked kingdom of nearly 2 million inhabitants is a geo-political curiosity: an enclave entirely surrounded by a much larger republic. The only significant natural resource – and No. 1 export – is water. Though recognized as a state since 1822, it only gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.

8. Measuring just 62 square miles, this former constitutional monarchy is officially the smallest German-speaking country in the world. In 2003 its citizens voted to restore the powers of absolute monarch to their prince – who had threatened otherwise to go into self-imposed exile.

9. This European colony was the oldest in China, having been settled by Portuguese sailors in the 16th century. Comprised of two islands and a short peninsula measuring less than 11 square miles in all, the territory was officially transferred to the People’s Republic in 1999. It became the de facto gambling capital of the world in 2006, when its casino revenues surpassed those of Las Vegas.  

10. So closely is this island nation associated with copper that it gave its name to the classical Latin word for the mineral. The first country in the world governed by a Christian ruler, it served as the staging-area for Richard the Lionheart’s Third Crusade. It also happens to be the birthplace of USC’s current chief academic officer.

11. These two North African port cities actually belong to Spain; they’re considered part of Andalusia. 

›› CONTEST RULES  We are looking for the names of the nations or political entities referenced in these clues. Up to five $30 gift certificates from Borders Books and Music will be awarded to geographically inspired readers who solve the puzzle. If more than five perfect entries are received, five winners will be drawn by lot.

Send your answers by no later than June 15 to The Last Word, c/o USC Trojan Family Magazine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790

Submissions by fax (213-821-1100) and e-mail <magazines@usc.edu> are welcome.