Countries

If it's got any or all of its own language, currency or border controls then I probably consider it a country. And if I've spent money there, spent a night there, or at least walked on the territory, then I probably consider that I've been there. So everything from a few hours crossing the breakaway Republic of Transdnistria to four years living in Chile counts. I've been to 82 countries so far, and here is how the world looks from my perspective:

World map
  1. Albania
  2. Argentina
  3. Australia
  4. Austria
  5. Belarus
  6. Belgium
  7. Bolivia
  8. Bosnia
  9. Brazil
  10. Bulgaria
  11. Canada
  12. Chile
  13. China
  14. Costa Rica
  15. Croatia
  16. Czech Republic
  17. Denmark
  18. Ecuador
  19. Estonia
  20. Falkland Islands
  21. Faroe Islands
  22. Finland
  23. France
  24. Germany
  25. Greece
  26. Greenland
  27. Guatemala
  28. Honduras
  29. Hong Kong
  30. Hungary
  31. Iceland
  32. Indonesia
  33. Ireland
  34. Italy
  35. Japan
  36. Jordan
    • Jordan and Palestinian territories 1989
  37. Kosovo
  38. Latvia
  39. Liechtenstein
  40. Lithuania
  41. Luxembourg
  42. Macau
  43. Macedonia
  44. Malawi
  45. Malta
  46. Moldova
  47. Monaco
  48. Mongolia
  49. Montenegro
  50. Netherlands
  51. New Zealand
  52. Nicaragua
  53. Norway
  54. Palestinian territories
    • Jordan and Palestinian territories 1989
  55. Paraguay
  56. Peru
  57. Poland
  58. Portugal
  59. Romania
  60. Russia
  61. Saint Helena
  62. San Marino
  63. Serbia
  64. Slovakia
  65. Slovenia
  66. South Africa
  67. Spain
  68. Sweden
  69. Switzerland
  70. Taiwan
  71. Tanzania
  72. Tonga
  73. Transdnistria
  74. Turkey
  75. Ukraine
  76. United Arab Emirates
  77. United Kingdom
  78. United States
  79. Uruguay
  80. Vanuatu
  81. Vatican City
  82. Zambia

The map also includes my dubious claims of having been to Singapore, Thailand, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Egypt on the basis of airport stops, and Mozambique by virtue of spending a few hours in the Mozambican part of Lake Malawi, en route to and from Chizumulu and Likoma islands.

I think my top ten places that I want to go to right now would be:

  1. Kiribati
  2. Andorra
  3. Tristan da Cunha
  4. Pitcairn Island
  5. Ethiopia
  6. Gibraltar
  7. Papua New Guinea
  8. São Tomé and Príncipe
  9. Georgia
  10. Mali