Countries That Start With T: Complete List of 11 Nations

There are 11 countries that start with the letter T: Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Tuvalu.

Introduction

The T countries range from Turkey — a transcontinental nation bridging Europe and Asia — to Tuvalu, one of the smallest and most vulnerable island nations on Earth. Together, they represent remarkable geographic and cultural diversity.

This guide covers all 11 T countries with essential facts about geography, population, and notable features.

Tajikistan

• Capital: Dushanbe
• Continent: Asia
• Population: ~10 million
• Area: 143,100 km²

Tajikistan is a landlocked Central Asian country that is over 90% mountainous, including parts of the Pamir Mountains. It is the poorest country in Central Asia but rich in water resources.

Fun fact: Tajikistan's Fedchenko Glacier is the longest glacier outside the polar regions at 77 km long.

Tanzania

• Capital: Dodoma
• Continent: Africa
• Population: ~67 million
• Area: 947,303 km²

Tanzania is an East African nation home to Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), Africa's highest peak, and the Serengeti, host to the world's largest terrestrial animal migration.

Fun fact: The annual Great Migration in the Serengeti involves over 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 zebra, and 200,000 gazelle traveling in a circular route.

Thailand

• Capital: Bangkok
• Continent: Asia
• Population: ~72 million
• Area: 513,120 km²

Thailand is a Southeast Asian country known as the "Land of Smiles." It is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonized by a European power, maintaining its independence throughout the colonial era.

Fun fact: Thailand's full ceremonial name for Bangkok is 169 letters long, making it the longest place name in the world — locals simply call it "Krung Thep."

Timor-Leste

• Capital: Dili
• Continent: Asia
• Population: ~1.3 million
• Area: 14,874 km²

Timor-Leste (East Timor) is one of the world's youngest nations, gaining independence from Indonesia in 2002. It occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor in Southeast Asia.

Fun fact: Timor-Leste is the most oil-dependent economy in the world, with petroleum revenues accounting for roughly 90% of government income.

Togo

• Capital: Lomé
• Continent: Africa
• Population: ~9 million
• Area: 56,785 km²

Togo is one of the smallest countries in Africa, a narrow strip extending from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel region. Its capital Lomé is one of the only capitals in the world located directly on an international border (with Ghana).

Fun fact: Togo was a German colony called "Togoland" until World War I, when it was divided between France and Britain.

Tonga

• Capital: Nuku'alofa
• Continent: Oceania
• Population: ~107,000
• Area: 747 km²

Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. It is the only remaining monarchy in the Pacific and one of the few countries in Oceania never colonized by Europeans.

Fun fact: Tonga is one of the first places in the world to see each new day, located just west of the International Date Line.

Trinidad and Tobago

• Capital: Port of Spain
• Continent: North America (Caribbean)
• Population: ~1.5 million
• Area: 5,131 km²

Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island Caribbean nation off the coast of Venezuela. Trinidad hosts one of the world's largest and most famous carnivals, and the country is the birthplace of the steel pan drum — the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century.

Fun fact: Trinidad's Pitch Lake is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world, covering 40 hectares and estimated to contain 10 million tonnes of asphalt.

Tunisia

• Capital: Tunis
• Continent: Africa
• Population: ~12.5 million
• Area: 163,610 km²

Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa, with a Mediterranean coastline and the eastern reaches of the Atlas Mountains. The ruins of ancient Carthage, Rome's greatest rival, lie just outside the capital Tunis.

Fun fact: Tunisia's Saharan town of Matmata, with its underground troglodyte dwellings, was used as the filming location for Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine in Star Wars.

Turkey

• Capital: Ankara
• Continent: Europe/Asia
• Population: ~86 million
• Area: 783,356 km²

Turkey is a transcontinental country straddling Europe and Asia, with Istanbul — the only city in the world spanning two continents — as its largest city. It has been home to some of history's greatest civilizations, from the Hittites to the Byzantines and Ottomans.

Fun fact: Turkey's Cappadocia region has entire underground cities carved into volcanic rock, including Derinkuyu, which could shelter 20,000 people and their livestock.

Turkmenistan

• Capital: Ashgabat
• Continent: Asia
• Population: ~6.3 million
• Area: 488,100 km²

Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country dominated by the Karakum Desert, which covers about 70% of the country. It has the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves and one of the most authoritarian governments.

Fun fact: The "Door to Hell" in Turkmenistan is a natural gas crater that has been burning continuously since 1971, when Soviet engineers set it alight thinking it would burn out in a few weeks.

Tuvalu

• Capital: Funafuti
• Continent: Oceania
• Population: ~11,200
• Area: 26 km²

Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country in the world by area and one of the least visited. Its highest point is just 4.6 meters above sea level, making it one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change and rising seas.

Fun fact: Tuvalu earns significant income from its internet domain ".tv," which it leases to television and media companies worldwide for millions of dollars annually.

Key Facts

• There are 11 countries that start with the letter T.
• Turkey is the largest T country by population (~86 million).
• Tanzania is the largest T country by area (947,303 km²).
• Tuvalu is the smallest T country by both area (26 km²) and population (~11,200).
• Tanzania contains both Africa's highest (Kilimanjaro) and lowest (Lake Tanganyika floor) points.

Fun Facts

• Turkey's Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents.
• Turkmenistan's "Door to Hell" has been burning for over 50 years.
• Tuvalu's .tv domain is a major source of national income.
• Thailand has never been colonized by a European power.

Final Thoughts

The 11 T countries range from a transcontinental nation of 86 million to a tiny Pacific atoll of 11,000 people. From ancient Carthaginian ruins to modern megacities, from volcanic archipelagos to vast deserts, the T countries offer a fascinating cross-section of global geography.