What exactly is the definition of a “country?”
The independent country is not only a self-governed nation with own authorities, this status needs the international diplomatic recognition of sovereignty. Therefore, we can say, that the total number of independent states in the world are 197, including 193 fully recognized members of the United Nations. Two countries, Vatican City and Palestine, have the status of permanent observers in the UN. Another two states we include are Kosovo (recognized by 108 UN members) and Taiwan (recognized by 22 countries).
There are many different opinions on what constitutes a “country,” and therefore different lists. Click HERE to see the list of 329 territories as defined by The Travelers’ Century Club.
The countries I’ve been to are in BOLD. Click them to open their respective article.
- Afghanistan (142)
- Albania (156)
- Algeria (70)
- Andorra (131)
- Angola (180)
- Antigua and Barbuda (39)
- Argentina (11) x3
- Armenia (98)
- Australia (59)
- Austria (35) x2
- Azerbaijan (97)
- Bahamas (49)
- Bahrain (125)
- Bangladesh (123)
- Barbados (40)
- Belarus (145)
- Belgium (14) x2
- Belize (5)
- Benin (119)
- Bhutan (137)
- Bolivia (29)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (128)
- Botswana (179)
- Brasil (3) x20 (unkown)
- Brunei Darussalam (89)
- Bulgaria (166)
- Burkina Faso (63)
- Burundi (78)
- Cabo Verde (61)
- Cambodia (84)
- Cameroon (116)
- Canada (6) x2
- Central African Republic (134)
- Chad (115)
- Chile (28)
- China (51) x2
- Colombia (57) x3
- Comoros (175)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (133)
- Republic of the Congo (132)
- Costa Rica (23) x2
- Cote d’Ivoire (67)
- Croatia (127)
- Cuba (4)
- Cyprus (164)
- Czech Republic (33)
- Denmark (47)
- Djibouti (108)
- Dominica (38)
- Dominican Republic (9)
- Ecuador (55)
- Egypt (111)
- El Salvador (25)
- Equatorial Guinea (117)
- Eritrea (114)
- Estonia (153)
- Eswatini (106)
- Ethiopia (75) x2
- Fiji (92) x2
- Finland (152)
- France (15) x3
- Gabon (118)
- Gambia (158)
- Georgia (96)
- Germany (30) x4
- Ghana (66) x2
- Greece (126)
- Grenada (41)
- Guatemala (24)
- Guinea (160)
- Guinea-Bissau (159)
- Guyana (20)
- Haiti (43)
- Honduras (26)
- Hungary (143)
- Iceland (46) x2
- India (74)
- Indonesia (91)
- Iran (99)
- Iraq (100)
- Ireland (44)
- Israel (87) x2
- Italy (7) x3
- Jamaica (50)
- Japan (54)
- Jordan (101)
- Kazakhstan (177)
- Kenya (80) x3
- Kiribati (187)
- Kuwait (124)
- Kyrgyzstan (168)
- Laos (135)
- Latvia (151)
- Lebanon (163) x2
- Lesotho (105)
- Liberia (157)
- Libya (72)
- Liechtenstein (149)
- Lithuania (150)
- Luxembourg (31)
- Madagascar (183)
- Malawi (173)
- Malaysia (83)
- Maldives (121)
- Mali (64)
- Malta (165)
- Marshall Islands (192)
- Mauritania (69)
- Mauritius (172)
- Mexico (2) x100+ (unkown)
- Micronesia (191)
- Moldova (146)
- Monaco (18)
- Mongolia 178
- Montenegro (155)
- Morocco (68) x3
- Mozambique (107)
- Myanmar (136)
- Namibia (103)
- Nauru (60)
- Nepal (138)
- Netherlands (32) x3
- New Zealand (184)
- Nicaragua (22)
- Niger (120)
- Nigeria (102)
- North Korea (52)
- North Macedonia (147)
- Norway (45)
- Oman (139)
- Pakistan (141)
- Palau (190)
- Panama (8) x10+ (unkown)
- Papua New Guinea (189)
- Paraguay (27)
- Peru (17) x2
- Philippines (88) x3
- Poland (86)
- Portugal (12)
- Qatar (73) x2
- Romania (130)
- Russia (167)
- Rwanda (77)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (37)
- Saint Lucia (42)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (110)
- Samoa (186)
- San Marino (154)
- São Tome and Principe (162)
- Saudi Arabia (112)
- Senegal (62) x2
- Serbia (129)
- Seychelles (171)
- Sierra Leone (161)
- Singapore (58)
- Slovakia (34)
- Slovenia (148)
- Solomon Islands (188)
- Somalia (109) x2
- South Africa (104) x3
- South Korea (54) x2
- South Sudan (76)
- Spain (13) x3
- Sri Lanka (122)
- Sudan (113)
- Suriname (19)
- Sweden (48)
- Switzerland (36) x2
- Syria 183
- Tajikistan (170)
- Tanzania (174)
- Thailand (82)
- Timor-Leste (90)
- Togo (65)
- Tonga (93)
- Trinidad and Tobago (21) x2
- Tunisia (71) x2
- Turkey (Europe) (95) x5+ (unknown)
- Turkey (Asia) (95) x5+ (unkown)
- Turkmenistan (193)
- Tuvalu (94)
- Uganda (79) x2
- Ukraine (144)
- United Arab Emirates (81) x2
- United Kingdom (16) x2
- United States of America (1) I live there!
- Uruguay (10)
- Uzbekistan (169)
- Vanuatu (185)
- Venezuela (56)
- Vietnam (85)
- Yemen (140)
- Zambia (181)
- Zimbabwe (182)
Territories, disputed countries, breakaways, UN observers and TCC territories seen:
- Alaska
- Akrotiri and Dhekelia
- Aruba
- Azores Islands
- British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri & Dhekelia (in Cyprus)
- Bonaire
- Bougainville
- Cayman Islands
- Curação
- Fernando De Noronha
- French Guyana
- French Polynesia
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Guadeloupe
- Hawaiian Islands
- Hong Kong
- Kosovo
- Macau
- Martinque
- Northern Ireland
- Palestine
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Martin
- Sardinia
- Scotland
- Sicily
- Sint Maarten
- Somaliland
- Spanish Morocco
- The Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Taiwan
- Turkey in Asia
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
- Turks and Caicos
- Vatican City
- Western Sahara
Micronations:
you’ve never been in CONGO, D.R
you should go ad see crazy things happening out there.
Congo is on my list…tell me more!
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