Country lists, let’s talk about them.

Now, I get around – and I do enjoy a quest. I’m going to visit all the world’s countries, but not within a given time limit. That would limit my options to return and explore more of – or just hang about in yet again – my (many, many) favourite places. Besides, FUN is the name of the game.

But what constitutes a country?

Country list - UN member states + 5

As for country lists, United Nations’ member states is the one to consider. However, it’s not entirely unproblematic. Switzerland joined the UN in 2002, yet no one would claim Switzerland wasn’t a country before 2002.

There are other country lists, too, of course, with everything from 195 to 330 countries. The Travelers Century Club (TCC) is responsible for one of the longest country lists, with 330 countries, or as they call it: countries and territories that are politically, ethnologically or geographically different. Their list includes Ceuta and Melilla, the Spanish enclaves in Morocco, but not Llivia, the Spanish enclave in France. The Balearics is a separate entity, but not Catalunya or Euskadi (Basque country). Abkhazia is included, but not Chechnya. Prince Edward Island, but not Quebec.

Their reasoning isn’t always easy to grasp. That said, the TCC-list has inspired me to visit a few places I might not have bothered with otherwise, like the strangely fascinating Pridnestrovie (also known as Transdniestr or Transnistria) and Republika Srpska. Or Prince Edward Island and the Faroe Islands, two of the kids’ favourite places. And I cannot forget gorgeous Lampedusa. Of the 330, I’ve been to 236.

In the end, I’ll stick with the 195 UN member countries, including the permanent observer states Vatican/Holy See and Palestine – which should be a proper member, but full membership is being blocked by one of the mighty countries of the Security Council. Only a question of time, surely! That also applies to Taiwan and Kosovo. I am also adding the contested Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara). All are recognised by many, many countries.

A few more might belong here, but for now, Sophie’s World has 198 countries. I’ve visited 182 of them, and written about 170 here on the blog. So far.

Phew! That’s a lot of numbers.

Country list Sophie’s World

193 + 2 UN member countries + 3 → 198

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Albania
  3. Algeria
  4. Andorra
  5. Angola
  6. Antigua and Barbuda *a
  7. Aotearoa New Zealand *ac
  8. Argentina
  9. Armenia
  10. Australia *ac
  11. Austria *a
  12. Azerbaijan
  13. Bahamas
  14. Bahrain
  15. Bangladesh
  16. Barbados
  17. Belarus
  18. Belgium *a
  19. Belize *ac
  20. Benin
  21. Bhutan
  22. Bolivia
  23. Bosnia & Herzegovina *ac
  24. Botswana
  25. Brazil
  26. Brunei Darussalam
  27. Bulgaria *ac
  28. Burkina Faso
  29. Burundi
  30. Cabo Verde
  31. Cambodia
  32. Cameroon
  33. Canada *ac
  34. Central African Republic
  35. Chad
  36. Chile
  37. China *ac
  38. Colombia *ac
  39. Comoros
  40. Congo – Brazzaville
  41. Congo (DRC) – Kinshasa
  42. Costa Rica *ac
  43. Côte d’Ivoire
  44. Croatia *ac
  45. Cuba *a
  46. Cyprus *a
  47. Czechia *a
  48. Denmark *ac
  49. Djibouti
  50. Dominica *a
  51. Dominican Republic
  52. Egypt *ac
  53. El Salvador
  54. Equador
  55. Equatorial Guinea
  56. Eritrea
  57. Estonia *ac
  58. Eswatini
  59. Ethiopia
  60. Finland *ac
  61. Fiji Islands *ac
  62. France *ac
  63. Gabon
  64. Gambia
  65. Georgia
  66. Germany *ac
  67. Ghana
  68. Greece *a
  69. Grenada
  70. Guatemala *ac
  71. Guinea
  72. Guinea-Bissau
  73. Guyana
  74. Haiti
  75. Honduras *ac
  76. Hungary *a
  77. Iceland *ac
  78. India *a
  79. Indonesia *a
  80. Iran
  81. Iraq
  82. Ireland *ac
  83. Israel *a
  84. Italy *ac
  85. Japan *a
  86. Jamaica *a
  87. Jordan
  88. Kazakhstan
  89. Kenya
  90. Kiribati
  91. Korea, North
  92. Korea, South *c
  93. Kosovo
  94. Kuwait
  95. Kyrgyzstan
  96. Laos
  97. Latvia *ac
  98. Lebanon
  99. Lesotho
  100. Liberia
  101. Libya
  102. Liechtenstein
  103. Lithuania
  104. Luxembourg *a
  105. Madagascar
  106. Malawi
  107. Malaysia *ac
  108. Maldives
  109. Mali
  110. Malta*a
  111. Marshall Islands
  112. Mauritania
  113. Mauritius *a
  114. Mexico *ac
  115. Micronesia
  116. Moldova *a
  117. Monaco *c
  118. Mongolia
  119. Montenegro *ac
  120. Morocco
  121. Mozambique
  122. Myanmar
  123. Namibia
  124. Naoero
  125. Nepal
  126. Netherlands *ac
  127. Nicaragua
  128. Niger
  129. Nigeria
  130. North Macedonia
  131. Norway *ac
  132. Oman *ac
  133. Pakistan
  134. Palau
  135. Palestine*a
  136. Panama *ac
  137. Papua New Guinea
  138. Paraguay
  139. Peru
  140. Philippines
  141. Poland *ac
  142. Portugal *ac
  143. Qatar *c
  144. Romania *a
  145. Russia *ac
  146. Rwanda
  147. Saint Kitts and Nevis *a
  148. Saint Lucia
  149. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  150. Samoa *ac
  151. San Marino
  152. Sao Tome & Principe
  153. Saudi Arabia *c
  154. Senegal
  155. Serbia
  156. Seychelles *a
  157. Sierra Leone
  158. Singapore *ac
  159. Slovakia *a
  160. Slovenia *ac
  161. Solomon Islands
  162. Somalia
  163. South Africa
  164. South Sudan
  165. Spain *ac
  166. Sri Lanka
  167. Sudan
  168. Suriname
  169. Sweden *ac
  170. Switzerland *ac
  171. Syria
  172. Taiwan*c
  173. Tajikistan
  174. Tanzania
  175. Thailand *a
  176. Timor-Leste
  177. Togo
  178. Tonga *ac
  179. Trinidad and Tobago
  180. Tunisia *a
  181. Türkiye *ac
  182. Turkmenistan
  183. Tuvalu
  184. Uganda
  185. Ukraine
  186. United Arab Emirates *ac
  187. United Kingdom *ac
  188. United States *ac
  189. Uruguay
  190. Uzbekistan
  191. Vanuatu
  192. Vatican *ac
  193. Venezuela
  194. Vietnam
  195. Western Sahara
  196. Yemen
  197. Zambia
  198. Zimbabwe

 

*The asterisks indicate where my children has been, with or without me