Special Sub-Topic: Chem Spell: Nations Edition Click Here To Play: Chem Spell: Nations Edition

Potassium, Iridium, Iodine, Barium, Titanium

Kiribati. (K Ir I Ba Ti) is a country that can be found near many other Pacific island nations including Fiji and Samoa. Formerly known as the Gilbert Islands, they were granted full independence in 1979 under this new name.

Argon, Germanium, Nitrogen, Titanium, Sodium

Argentina. (Ar Ge N Ti Na) can be found in South America bordered by Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil. Its largest city is Buenos Aires (which means 'good air'). Argentina is popular for its professional soccer players and tourist attractions.

Bromine, Uranium, Neon, Iodine

Brunei. (Br U Ne I) is known as a "Sultanate" and is fully surrounded by the country of Malaysia. Brunei is a very small nation that gained independence in 1984 and only has an estimated population of 370000 (2005 est.).

Copper, Barium

Cuba. (Cu Ba) is a large island nation bordering the North Atlantic Sea and the Caribbean Sea. Cuba has been subject to sanctions by the United States for many years, however, at the Guantanamo Bay location, the U.S. military houses one of their naval bases.

Molybdenum, Sodium, Cobalt

Monaco. (Mo Na Co) is a tiny country that is bordered by France (4.4 km). During the late 19th Century, Monaco was linked with France by the building of a modern railway allowing tourists easier access into the country. The main source of economics in Monaco are tourism and gambling. With the building of the railway during the late 19th century was also the building of a casino and modern gambling facilities. The state of Monaco has no income tax, allowing this nation to thrive as a tax haven for new residents and foreign company and business owners.

Fluorine, Radium, Nitrogen, Cerium

France. (F Ra N Ce) has had an extensive history spanning from Joan of Arc to Napoleon Bonaparte to Charles de Gaulle. A gorgeous nation whose capital city is Paris, which houses one of the most popular monuments in the world, The Louvre.

Sodium, Uranium, Ruthenium

Nauru. (Na U Ru) is a small island nation that is located in the South Pacific region. Known for its large phosphorus deposits during the early 20th century, the world's smallest independent nation is now struggling for survival as these deposits have virtually become depleted.

Lanthanum, Oxygen, Sulfur

Laos. (La O S) is located in Southeast Asia and is surrounded by various countries including Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, China, and Vietnam. Laos was ruled by a monarchy for over six centuries until the communist Pathet Lao government took control in 1975.

Uranium, Potassium, Radium, Iodine, Neon

Ukraine. (U K Ra I Ne) is a nation that became independent after the fall of communism in the Soviet Union in 1991. Historically, the Ukraine is most known for the devastating nuclear explosion at Chernobyl in 1986 that immediately killed over 30 people and has affected thousands more with radiation poisoning effects since the explosion.

Polonium, Lanthanum, Neodymium

Poland. (Po La Nd) is bordered by Germany on the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, the Ukraine and Belarus on the east, and Lituania and Russia to the north. This nation is sadly known for the slaughter and torture of thousands of Jews at Auschwitz after the invasion of Poland by Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

Bohrium, Uranium, Tantalum, Nitrogen

Bhutan. (Bh U Ta N) is a tiny nation in the Himalayan region and borders India and China. Bhutan is known as a Kingdom and consists of 18 districts throughout the nation. Due to various political and economic issues, over 100000 Bhutanese refugees have fled to Nepal since their official independence in 1949.

Neon, Phosphorus, Aluminum

Nepal. (Ne P Al) is a beautiful country that is surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range and is the home to Mount Everest. This beauty however, is only one part to this Asian nation. Unfortunately, Nepal has an economy with over 40% of the population below the poverty line, and has had many political conflicts due to a Maoist insurgence which has subsequently decreased tourism in the region (which has been a key success in economic development in Nepal).

Iodine, Radium, Nitrogen

Iran. (I Ra N) is a predominantly Muslim nation whose location separates the Middle East from Asia. Historically, Iran and the United States had excellent ties to each other until the U.S. embassy in Tehran was seized in 1981. Iran is also known for their participation in an indecisive war with Iraq from 1980-88.