Country Pairs

[Rudi]

Name the pair of countries that fit the given pattern?
For Example:
1. _ _ _ TH K_REA will be North Korea and South Korea

===================================================
RED = Correctly Answered ----- BLACK = Still to be answered
===================================================

1. SLOV _ _ IA
2. I _ ELAND
3. K _ _ _ _ _ STAN
4. AL _ _ _ IA
5. _ _ ANDA
6. IRA _
7. M _ _ _ CO
8. _ OR _ A _
9. BEL _ _ _ _
10. BAH _ _ _ _
11. _ E _ MA _ _
12. MAL _ _ _ _ _
13. _ A _ B _ D _ _
14. CHI _ _
15. _ _ _ YA
16. S _ _ _ N
17. GU _ _ _ _
18. _ R _ _ CE
19. _ _ _ G _ _ Y
20. E _ _ _ _ _ A
21. A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A
22. MA _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
23. C _ _ _
24. _ A _ _
25. G _ _ _ _
26. _ _ S _ _ _
27. S _ _ _ _ _ _
28. _ _ C _ _ _ _ _ _
29. _ Z _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
30. _ _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _
31. _ _ _ H _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[HansV]

1.

Spoiler

Slovenia and Slovakia

2

Spoiler

Iceland and Ireland

[BobH]

4.

Spoiler

Albania and Algeria

6.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Iran and Iraq

[Rudi]

Hans and Bob; all correct so far.

[NotQuite]

Spoiler

3. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
7. Monaco and Mexico
10. Bahrain and Bahamas
12. Maldives and Malaysia
14. china and Chile
16. Sudan and Spain
17. Guinea and Guyana
20. Eritrea and Estonia
21. Australia and Argentina
22. Madagascar, Martinique and Mauritania
23. Cuba and Chad
25. Gabon and Ghana
27. Somalia and Senegal

[BobH]

What I've got so far without peeking:

Spoiler

1. Slov _ _ ia Slovakia and Slovenia
2. I _ eland Iceland and Ireland
3. K _ _ _ _ _ K and
4. Al _ _ _ ia Albania and Algeria
5. _ _ anda Rwanda and Uganda
6. Ira _ Iran and Iraq
7. M_ _ _ co Mexico and Monaco
8. _or _ a _ Jordan and Norway
9. Bel _ _ _ _ Belarus and Belgium
10. Bah _ _ _ _ Bahamas and Bahrain
11. _ e_ ma _ _ Denmark and Germany
12. Mal _ _ _ _ _ Maldives and Mal
13. _ a _ b _ d _ _ Barbados and
14. Chi _ _ Chile and China
15. _ _ _ ya Kenya and Libya
16. S _ _ _ n Spain and Sudan
17. Gu _ _ _ _ Guinea and Guyana
18. _ r _ _ _ _ Brazil and Greece
19. _ _ _ g _ _ y Hungary and Uruguay
20. E _ _ _ _ _ a Eritrea and Estonia
21. A _ _ _ _ _ _ _a Argentina and Australia
22. Ma _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Madagascar and Ma
23. C _ _ _ Chad and Cuba
24. _ a __ Bali and Mali
25. G _ _ _ _ Gabon and Ghana
26. _ _ s_ _ _
27. S _ _ _ _ _ _ S
28. _ _ c _ _ _ _ _ _
29. _z _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
30. _ _ _ _ _ b _ _ _ _
31. _ _ _ h _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[Rudi]

NotQuite...all right
Good going!

[Rudi]

Great going Bob...
# 13 you have half right, so I cannot mark it RED yet
# 24 you also have half correct as Bali is not a country. In fact it's a province of Indonesia. So also not marked RED yet.

[NotQuite]

Spoiler

5. Uganda and Rwanda
8. Jordan and Norway
9. Belgium and Belarus
11. Denmark and Germany
13. Cambodia and Barbados
15. Kenya and Libya
18. Greece and France
19. Paraguay and Uruguay
24. Laos and Mali
31. Netherlands and Afghanistan

[Rudi]

Going strong!

[BobH]

Without peeking or using search:

Spoiler

1. Slov _ _ ia Slovakia Slovenia
2. I _ el _ _ _ Iceland Ireland
3. K _ _ _ _ _ Kosovo Kuwait
4. Al _ _ _ ia Albania Algeria
5. _ _ anda Rwanda Uganda
6. Ira _ Iran Iraq
7. M_ _ _ co Mexico Monaco
8. _or _ a _ Jordan Norway
9. Bel _ _ _ _ Belarus Belgium
10. Bah _ _ _ _ Bahamas Bahrain
11. _ e_ ma _ _ Denmark Germany
12. Mal _ _ _ _ _ Malaysia Maldives
13. _ a _ b _ d _ _ Barbados Cambodia
14. Chi _ _ Chile China
15. _ _ _ ya Kenya Libya
16. S _ _ _ n Spain Sudan
17. Gu _ _ _ _ Guinea Guyana
18. _ r _ _ _ _ Brazil Greece
19. _ _ _ g _ _ y Hungary Uruguay
20. E _ _ _ _ _ a Eritrea Estonia
21. A _ _ _ _ _ _ _a Argentina Australia
22. Ma _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Madagascar Martinique
23. C _ _ _ Chad Cuba
24. _ a _ _ Bali Laos Mali
25. G _ _ _ _ Gabon Ghana
26. _ _ s_ _ _ Bosnia Russia
27. S _ _ _ _ _ _ Senegal Somalia
28. _ _ c _ _ _ _ _ _ Macedonia Nicaragua
29. _z _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Azerbaijan Uzbekistan
30. _ _ _ _ _ b _ _ _ _
31. _ _ _ h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Netherlands

But . . . I give up now.

I'm gonna peak and see how many I got wrong.

[HansV]

30.

Spoiler

Luxembourg and Mozambique

[BobH]

30.

Spoiler

Luxembourg and Mozambique

You are very, very GOOD, Hans!

I got all but 2 of the others - eventually - but I could think of nothing to fit the bill for 30.

[Rudi]

CONGRATS ALL...the puzzle is complete.

One update for 26.
My original answers were:

Spoiler

Kosovo, Russia
But I'll accept Bosnia too.

[BobH]

I discounted Kosovo in 26 because I had used it previously paired with Kuwait. Although your 'rules' didn't say so, I inferred that each answer should be unique.

What about 18? France would have worked as did Brazil and Greece.

[Rudi]

I discounted Kosovo in 26 because I had used it previously paired with Kuwait. Although your 'rules' didn't say so, I inferred that each answer should be unique.

What about 18? France would have worked as did Brazil and Greece.

The original answers to the puzzle were: France and Greece (but Brazil fits too, sop that it just as correct.)

[HansV]

A final one:

32. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(And no, 42 will not be accepted as answer)

[Rudi]

A final one:

32. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(And no, 42 will not be accepted as answer)

Spoiler

AMERICA

[BobH]

That cannot be correct, Rudi.

There is no such country with that name alone and there are 3 distinct regions of "America:" North, Central and South.

[Rudi]

That cannot be correct, Rudi.

There is no such country with that name alone and there are 3 distinct regions of "America:" North, Central and South.

But...but...it's 7 letters