Yes

• if it's a singleton (i.e. there will only ever be one instance), then definitely yes (the converse isn't true however)
  • country names are singletons, therefore are proper nouns
  • "adjective noun" doesn't count, it doesn't matter if it's a singleton (e.g. northern Japan). However, if two words are actually a compound noun (eg. North America, Continental Europe), then it's a proper noun.
    TODO: follow up on this question in case anyone helps clarify this
• if it's a trademarked product name, even if there are many instances ("Big Mac", "Cherry Coke"), it's still a proper noun
• if it's a given name or surname, even if it doesn't unambiguously single someone out, it's still a proper noun (e.g. Mary)

No

• if it describes a class of things, it's not a proper noun (e.g. chess, backgammon)
  • this does not apply if it's a trademarked name (e.g. Scrabble, Monopoly)