How to remember the words for countries in Chinese (Mandarin)

The flag of China. 

Written Chinese uses many symbols. That was how our alphabet evolved. Think of the word Taurus, for bull, and the letter T comes from the initial. In Chinese some symbols still stand for the object drawn in a simplified form. For example, 'one' is just a horizontal line. Two is two parallel horizontal lines. A river is a couple of vertical parallel lines, one being a bit wavy.

  In Chinese the word for a country is guo.  I bought a set of flashcards in the form of a book for toddlers. 

Flag of America
 

The flag name I learned first was the sign for America, mei guo, which means beautiful country. The symbol for beautiful is sheep, with several horizontal lines like a woolly coat sticking out. A beautiful sheep or coat, beautiful. America is a beautiful country. I want to go to there, to that country Guo is a country. May I go to America? Mei Guo.

Guo is the country or land you go to. Here is another easy to remember flag name in Chinese. For Thailand.

Thailand is Tai guo.

country

The symbol for land or country is a square, like the borders. Inside the square is the sign for the king. He has a throne and a crown and welcoming arms. Three horizontal lines and an upright linking them. By his foot is a little diagonal sign, his bag of money, or a jade decoration on his shoe. (A rich king with jade.) A land or kingdom.

China  ( Chinese : 中国;  pinyin :  Zhōngguó ),

The sign is easier to remember than the sound. The sign is a slightly flattened square or horizontal oblong, meaning central, with a vertical line through it, big country north to south, in fact a continent. In Hong Kong you will see lots of signposts with the sign for China. The first sign you see repeatedly and recognize is the simple bisected square.

England, France, Germany, and China also end with the symbol for land or kingdom. 

Flag of France

England is ying Guo. Think of ENG land go. You go. Ying Guo.

The name France is abbreviated to Fa. France is fa guo.

Flag of Germany

The name  for Germany, which the Germans call Deutchland, is abbreviated to De Guo.

The name for China is Zhong Guo.

Pronunciation

Wiki gives this handy table

The four main tones of Standard Mandarin, pronounced with the syllable ma.

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Examples of Standard Mandarin tones

Characters	Pinyin	Pitch contour	Meaning
妈/媽	mā	high level	'mother'
麻	má	high rising	'hemp'
马/馬	mǎ	low falling-rising	'horse'
骂/罵	mà	high falling	'scold'
吗/嗎	ma	neutral	question particle

Standard Cantonese, in contrast, has six tones. Historically, finals that end in a stop consonant were considered to be "checked tones" and thus counted separately for a total of nine tones. However, they are considered to be duplicates in modern linguistics and are no longer counted as such:^[74]

Examples of Standard Cantonese tones

Characters	Jyutping	Yale	Pitch contour	Meaning
poem / poem	si1	this	high level, high falling	'poem'
history	si2	Yes	high rising	'history'
kill	si3	and	mid level	'to assassinate'
hour / hour	si4	sìh	low falling	'time'
city	si5	síh	low rising	'market'
Yes	si6	sih	low level	'yes'

Useful Websites

duolingo.com

https://www.duolingo.com/enroll/zh/en/Learn-Chinese

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language

Chinese flags board book

ISBN 978-7-80704-787-2

Get a receipt which states whether you have real jade, amber, opal or synthetic stone

I love elephants, national symbol of Thailand and probably some other places. Jade in stronger colours is more prized than the paler wishy-washy colours. In Asia, Singapore, and countries such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia, like London shops and markets, you often see trinkets and Jewellery with stones. I like green jade, green, orange and yellow amber, and multicoloured opals.
    At a trip to Hay-on-Wye in Wales, I went into a jewellery shop which had second hand jewellery in the window including opals in silver. I bought a bracelet at what I thought was a good price. I asked for a receipt. When I received the receipt, I was disappointed to see that although the silver was listed as 925, not silver plate, I had just been sold synthetic opals.  
   Watch out for stalls, even those which have a proper shop elsewhere, if they don't want to give you a receipt. I carry my own receipt book. For insurance purposes, you need a receipt. To guard against loss and theft. Once I had my bag stolen in Spain. It was a leather bag and had nothing of great value, I thought. But the replacement cost of everything from a swimsuit at £40, to a lipstick at £10, a diary at £5, soon added up to well over £100.
    So, to avoid regrets and worries later, for peace of mind when buying jewellery with stones of jade, amber, or opal, check you are getting the real stone and not a coloured synthetic. Synthetics can be cheaper, and look very effective. You might prefer costume jewellery when travelling. So it's often just as good. But for a special gift, or if you are buying as an investment, just ask the seller causally,      
    Which pieces are synthetic with silver plate and which are real stones and 925 silver or sterling silver. I usually ask about the real silver or the quality of gold and silver first, then about the gemstones. I try to be friendly with the seller and explain what I want. It could be, 'I don't mind synthetics. I just want something as a souvenir, a cheap gift.' Or it could be, 'I want metal and stones of value for mother's birthday, but also just a synthetic for when I'm travelling'. If you are buying a proper stone for lots of money, the shop in Asia might give you a synthetic stone piece as a gift in addition.
    The seller wants a happy customer, a returning customer, and recommendations, and more business. Ask, chat, say what you want, ask what you are getting. Why not - keep everybody informed and happy.