BBC Focus November

[wheelie1949]

Rearrange these letters to form the name of a well-known country.
allpure

I can't find any real country so is it fictional or a country's own name for itself?

[wheelie1949]

For some reason the layout of the question isn't the way I keyed it in.

allpure.

[johnalex]

Hi wheelie - I've just logged on and see you've been waiting ages. Have checked all the countries from the following list starting with A,E,L,P,R,U but nothing stacks up.

http://www.nsrc.org/home_html_docs/countries.h tml

Perhaps it's an 'own language' translation or maybe just plain PERU using 'all' the letters PURE, which would be highly daft! Do let us know your answer if you manage to solve it. Regards, ja

[QuizmasterG]

Long shot

If you invert the "P" and "U" then treat one of the "L" as "I" you get ALIDNRE - Ireland

Is this flawed logic or do the Focus people have strange minds?

[wheelie1949]

I like your thinking QuizmasterG.
I had wondered why Focus put the letters in lower case. The word "rearrange" should have given it away: not just an anagram but physical rearrangement of the letters.

I think you have cracked the problem. Their answer will be in the December (or maybe January issue of the mag.

Thanks for the effort.