Comment by majke

Modern freshest gcc 11 can optimize the if's nicely https://godbolt.org/z/771foExcG

  getCountry:
        mov     eax, OFFSET FLAT:.LC0
        cmp     edi, 258
        ja      .L1
        mov     edi, edi
        mov     rax, QWORD PTR CSWTCH.1[0+rdi*8]
  .L1:
        ret