how many countries begin with o

Only one country in the world begins with the letter O : Oman.

Quick Scoop: How many countries begin with O?

If you’re answering a quiz, playing a geography game, or arguing with a friend, the official modern answer is very simple:

• Number of currently recognized countries starting with O : 1.

• That country is Oman , officially the Sultanate of Oman.

• It is recognized by the United Nations and is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia.

So if someone asks “Name three countries that begin with O,” it’s a trick: the only standard modern answer is Oman.

Wait, really just one?

Yes. Multiple geography and education sites point out that English only has one country that starts with O: Oman.

A couple of extra nuggets people sometimes bring up:

• Former or historical states beginning with O include things like Oldenburg and the Orange Free State , but these no longer exist as independent countries today.

• Some forum and trivia discussions play around with “O-” prefixes (like jokingly saying “Ocanada”), but those are just memes, not real country names.

In modern, official country lists used for quizzes, exams, and UN-style references, Oman is the only country starting with O.

Mini FAQ

Is there a European country that starts with O?

• No. There is no European country starting with O.

• Oman is in Asia (Middle East) , not in Europe.

Are there many countries that contain the letter O?

• Yes, there are lots of countries whose names include the letter “o” somewhere (like Angola, Mexico, Morocco), but they don’t start with O.

TL;DR: If your question is “how many countries begin with O,” the clean, modern answer is:
Exactly one — Oman.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.