What do these countries share in common?

[Platypus]

First one is pretty easy; second one a bit harder; third one very hard; fourth one insane.

A
USA UK New Zealand Australia Ireland Canada South Africa Singapore

B

Argentina Australia Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Guatemala Indonesia Malaysia New Zealand Paraguay Philippines South Africa Thailand Uruguay

C

Finland Sweden Hungary Denmark Norway Bulgariua St. Kitts & Nevis Switzerland

D
Zambia Barbados Cuba Trinidad & Tobago San Marino Antigua and Barbuda Mexico Dominica Belize

useful websites: www.nationmaster.com www.cia.gov (world factbook) www.google.com

[Platypus]

A
USA UK New Zealand Australia Ireland Canada South Africa Singapore

Nations with the greatest number of English speaking persons as mother tongue?

yes and no...you're pretty close; but there was a reason I included only these countries...

Lewis-I excluded colonies, only fully independent nations were included...

[Platypus]

Oh, btw. I have another one to add:

Australia Bahrain Norway Czech Republic Slovakia Spain Switzerland Trinidad & Tobago Turkey Uruguay

In the 'maybe' pile for world cup qualification?

(trying to think of other links between Australia and Uruguay )

[Platypus]

really? That was a stab in the dark

Bahrain almost made me ignore the hunch; I didn't know Asia was able to have 5 qualifiers.

Spain and Turkey wouldnt be too happy about not qualifying-will they?

[Platypus]

the answer was reasonably simple-countries with over 50% of the population speaking english either as a first language or fluently. Singapore just squeezes in, with 52%