[saturday country quiz] bumper edition

We haven't had a country quiz for a long while. Try these:

1. In the north is the driest place on Earth, the Atacama Desert, the Mapuche played a major part in its history, politically unstable, Nixon sent operatives in there, people suffered under the Caravan of Death, one of the widest income disparities in the world.

2. At one stage some 17,000 sq mi (44,030 sq km), after unification it became greatly reduced, it's a sacerdotal-elective-monarchical state, used to have a Quartermaster General and Master of the Horse and has the oldest active continuous diplomatic service in the world, dating back to at least AD 325.

3. Not now a country in its own right, it began with the establishment of Deira, 547AD though being more appropriate as the year of establishment, when Bernicia was brought in it became a kingdom, in 627AD, the King became a Christian through Paulinus.

4. Was there ever a country so abused by all? One of the world's oldest civilizations, it once included Mount Ararat, conquered by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Mongols, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and Russians, there ahve been pogroms aplenty.

5. First inhabited by aborigines of Malayan descent, an island state, in 1999 its feisty neighbour conducted submarine warfare exercises and missile tests near the island, it joined the World Trade Organization in Jan. 2002.

6. Sitting on a fault line, most of the people live in the 7% of the island that is made up of fertile coastland, the Kalmar Union altered its sovereignty in 1397, it had the first female head of state and is known for the beauty of its women whose surnames end in dottir.

7. Dependent on the river running up its centre, one of the most famous nations on earth, the red land was always vital, it has the Khamaseen wind which blows from the south in spring, bringing sand and dust.

Answers

Chile, Vatican City, Northumbria [Northumberland scores you zero points], Armenia, Taiwan, Iceland, Egypt