Which countries have you visited?

[Maguari]

Korea (Republic of) - I was present on DPRK territory for about 5 minutes at the demilitarized zone so technically I have also been to North Korea.

I bet that was fascinating! I remember Michael Palin doing something very similar in the 'Full Circle' TV series - always seemed a strangely attractive proposition.

 

[Zooplantman]

Zooplantman, I tip my hat to you for having visited Antartica. Did you visit South Georgia as well?

We did. The only stop where we got caught in the snow... but the elephant seals were worth it! (Although a bit terrifying to stand so close to them)

 

[Javan Rhino]

I wasn't so much talking politically. So are England, Wales and Scotland not countries? If so, what are they? Provinces? States?

Canary Islands is far enough away from Spain for me to count it separately, and in fact this forum itself lists them separatly as part of Africa

 

[PAT]

Before last year my list consisted of two countries so it's nice to be able to include a few more now. My list (in chronological order) is:-
-Australia
-Fiji
-England
-France
-Belgium
-The Netherlands
-Germany
-Singapore


p.s. I've still not been to every state in Australia either.

 

[Zooplantman]

Also for @Zooplantman: Madeira belongs to Portugal.

I wasn't so much talking politically. So are England, Wales and Scotland not countries? If so, what are they? Provinces? States?

Canary Islands is far enough away from Spain for me to count it separately, and in fact this forum itself lists them separatly as part of Africa

Wow. This simple poll is getting bogged down with rules.

I listed Madeira separate from Portugal as well since they are SO far apart and SO different. But I don't wish to offend the distinguished panel of judges

 

[zoomaniac]

@Shirokuma: Yes, but they belong to the British Crown and they will be defended by the British Army. Also (as far as I know), the labels on their cars do have the letters GBA, GBG oder GBJ. And I really wonder for what the GB stands for if not for Great Britain? And in which Team do you find the sportsmen of the channel islands at the olympics?..

 

[Maguari]

I wasn't so much talking politically. So are England, Wales and Scotland not countries? If so, what are they? Provinces? States?

Definitions are tricky - England and Scotland are the original constituent nations of Great Britain, and with Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is a sovereign independant state (i.e. a full 'country'). Wales is even more complicated as when the Union was drawn up it had (and indeed, to a degree continues to have) no real official status beyond being a principality annexed by England and legally-speaking part of England - it didn't even have a capital city until the 1950s (and arguably Cardiff still isn't official in the way London, Edinburgh and Belfast are).

The four are perhaps best described as 'nations', which does not necessarily suggest sovereignty; they're in some ways broadly equivalent of US States but I'd never use that word to describe them.

Canary Islands is far enough away from Spain for me to count it separately, and in fact this forum itself lists them separatly as part of Africa

I very nearly added Tenerife as a footnote - it is a full and proper part of Spain but is geographically rather distinct!

 

[zoomaniac]

@Javan Rhino: So is Bavaria a country (Freestate Bavaria?). What about Catalan? The Basque country? Northern Ireland?
And that the canary islands here are listened as a part of Africa (which is geografically correct), doesn't make it correct politically. Nations/Countries are a political thing.
Although Israel is in the EAZA, it does not belong to Europe - either geografically nor politically (an is even not accepted from a few arabian countries as a sovereign state/nation/country)

@Zooplantman: No attack from my side and I don't felt offended either. Just wonder where we should draw the line...

 

[Maguari]

@Shirokuma: Yes, but they belong to the British Crown and they will be defended by the British Army. Also (as far as I know), the labels on their cars do have the letters GBA, GBG oder GBJ. And I really wonder for what the GB stands for if not for Great Britain? And in which Team do you find the sportsmen of the channel islands at the olympics?..

Doesn't alter the fact that the Channel Islands are not part of the UK though! (as Shirokuma posted, they are Crown Dependencies - a very different situation to the Spanish Canaries or French Guyana, which are fully-integrated parts of the country).

It's all legal nonsense at the end of the day, but what's the Internet for if not endlessly debating minutiae?

 

[Maguari]

@Javan Rhino: So is Bavaria a country (Freestate Bavaria?). What about Catalan? The Basque country? Northern Ireland?

All those are semi-autonomous regions within their respective countries to varying degrees (as indeed are the Canaries).

That's not what the Channel Islands are.


[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_dependency]British Crown Dependencies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[Zooplantman]

@Zooplantman: No attack from my side and I don't felt offended either. Just wonder where we should draw the line...

Right. Didn't sense any attack,

IMO, anyone can draw the line wherever they want.
I didn't see this as a competition so much as a way to learn more about each other and where we've traveled.

 

[Pootle]

in fact this forum itself lists them separatly as part of Africa

Oh well that explains why I couldn't find anything on 'Loro Parque' Orcas the other day on here, Africa forums here I come.


Canary Islands of Africa, what next...... Tasmania of Antarctica...

 

[sooty mangabey]

I should be working, but who can resist a list?....

EUROPE
UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerlnd, Russia, Italy, Greece, Armenia

AFRICA
Malawi, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya

USA
China / Hong Kong

Some of the African countries are a bit of a cheat - Togo and Benin in particular are pretty small.

Favourite places? Tanzania, where I used to live, is a wonderful place in pretty much every way; Zaire and Algeria I was fortunate enough to visit in the late 80s, before terrible conflict hit, and each was magnificent; I abhor the anti Americanism which many in the European liberal left feel is acceptable, and I think the country and its people are as wonderful as a country and a diverse group of people can be. But, possibly rather boringly, I think if I had to choose a favourite, Germany would probably just - but only just - nudge out France in the final.

 

[Zooplantman]

USA
China / Hong Kong

Interesting

 

[Javan Rhino]

Agreed with the sentiment that this thread really doesn't need strict rules with what defines a country. If people want to say UK or Great Britain then fair enough, if they want to state which countries of the UK they've visited, then why not .

As for the Canaries being a part of Africa geographically, that is mainly because it's so close to West Africa

 

[Pygathrix]

Although Israel is in the EAZA, it does not belong to Europe - either geografically nor politically (an is even not accepted from a few arabian countries as a sovereign state/nation/country)

And Israel does keep appearing in the Eurovision Song Contest as well...

I listed Madeira separate from Portugal as well since they are SO far apart and SO different. But I don't wish to offend the distinguished panel of judges

So is Hawaii not part of the USA then as it is so far away?

 

[Shirokuma]

And Israel does keep appearing in the Eurovision Song Contest as well...)

Although Eurovision isn't to do with being in Europe, it's about being an active member of the EBU which also includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

One definition of a country is an internationally recognised sovereign state. There are some whose sovereignty or independence is disputed but these are actually very few in number.

I would use the word territory to refer to non-sovereign entities such as British Overseas Territories, United States territories such as Puerto Rico and the self-governing parts of the Danish realm: Greenland and the Faroes.

These, I would argue, could be counted separately in a 'visited countries list'. They are administratively separate from the 'parent' country, often have their own currency, legislation, participation in international events etc (although the International Olympic Committee refuses to admit any more non-sovereign territories, mainly to avoid trouble over recognition of places like the Falklands and Gibralter).

In contrast, places like the Canary Islands and Hawaii are integral parts of Spain and the United States and shouldn't be counted separately.

 

[Zooplantman]

So is Hawaii not part of the USA then as it is so far away?

That depends on whether this is a geopolitical quiz or a chance to list cool places you've been. Everything is contextural

 

[nanoboy]

I have seen Wales and Scotland in the World Cup, so I am happy to count them as countries.

The Queen's head is on Australia's currency, but I hope you don't think that we are not a country?

Anyone else has any cool lists? I think that you do get extra kudos for having visited countries that do not exist any more. So sooty mangabey gets a tip of my hat for visiting Zaire.

 

[Zooplantman]

I think that you do get extra kudos for having visited countries that do not exist any more. So sooty mangabey gets a tip of my hat for visiting Zaire.

So Atlantis would be a big win then!