Some people have PM'd me to post an actual list...

"multiple" means more than 10--

Africa
Egypt x6
Kenya
Morocco
Namibia -- Ecovolunteer Cheetahs
Tanzania
Tunisia x3

Asia
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Macao
Malaysia
Maldives
Singapore
Sri Lanka x3
Thailand x2

Central America/Caribbean
Honduras -- Honeymoon!
Puerto Rico
Trinidad and Tobago
U. S. Virgin Islands

Europe
Albania
Austria -- multiple
Belgium -- multiple
Croatia x2
Czech Republic x4
France -- multiple
FYR of Macedonia
Germany -- Live here
Greece x2
Hungary
Ireland x4
Italy -- multiple
Liechtenstein x4
Monaco x2
Netherlands -- multiple
Norway
Portugal
Russia -- Ecovolunteer Snow leopards
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia x2
Spain x5
Sweden
Switzerland -- multiple
Ukraine NEW
United Kingdom -- multiple
Vatican City


MiddleEast
Iraq
Israel x5
Jordan
Palestine
Turkey x3
United Arab Emirates x2

N/S America
Canada x5
Argentina
Brazil -- Ecovolunteer Otters
Paraguay

hmm?


Says:
“The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.”


Says:
"The United Kingdom (UK) is arguably Europe's most influential country. In simple terms, it's the union of the individual countries of England, Scotland and Wales,collectively called Great Britain (Europe's largest island) and the northeastern corner of Ireland - the constitutionally distinct region of Northern Ireland. "

So the UK is a country, and so are Wales and Scotland. So if someone says they travelled to both Scotland and Wales, and listed them as seperate countries, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

Okay maybe I should make something clear--when I say country, I mean "sovereign nation." With its own government, army, etc. So Hong Kong is not a "country," and neither is Wales, Scotland, England, etc. Things you need to clear immigration in order to enter (though obviously the EU has made that a bit different). You can count Scotland as a "country" if you want, but then you have to open yourself up to a whole ton of other things. Which is fine I guess. The "century club," a group of people who have been to 100 countries, count like 300 things, for example. But I'm a geography teacher in addition to a traveler, so I care about sovereign states.

I count Macau and Hong Kong, because at the time, they were both considered sovereign nations. That was before they went back to China. If we want to be picky, then you can strike both of them and add China.

There was never any need for cattiness.

But they were never sovereign...Hong Kong was part of China and Macau was part of Portugal.

But they were independent. If anything Hong Kong was part of the UK at the time.

Pardon me that's what I meant. But they were part of European nations, and thus not independent. Any more than Guam is independent.

I get what you're saying Kunzie Bear, but you're far too strict with this sovereign nations thing. Just let the guys count the countries they've been to. After all, you can't really expect someone to say they've visited the US when they've just been to Guam, can you?

Similarly, there are a lot of islands in the Caribbean that belong to the UK, France, The Netherlands or some other European Nation. However, as countries they could not be more different. You can't even begin to compare Bermuda with the UK.

But where does that logic end Ed? Is Alaska not America? Is French Guiana not France? Is Vladivostok not Russia? You just set yourself up for all kinds of inconsistency when you decide what is and isn't "truly" a country.

Amen.

Which is why I will now count Scotland.

Fucking cheaters all of you. I think I should count the 32 U.S. states I've been to as "countries." After all, they have governments, capitals, flags, etc.

That makes 55.

57 if you want to count Scotland and Wales. 59 if you want to add Texas and California. 61 if you want to add Catalan and the Basque region. 62 if you want to count Bavaria.

Okay maybe I should make something clear--when I say country, I mean "sovereign nation." With its own government, army, etc. So Hong Kong is not a "country," and neither is Wales, Scotland, England, etc. Things you need to clear immigration in order to enter (though obviously the EU has made that a bit different). You can count Scotland as a "country" if you want, but then you have to open yourself up to a whole ton of other things. Which is fine I guess. The "century club," a group of people who have been to 100 countries, count like 300 things, for example. But I'm a geography teacher in addition to a traveler, so I care about sovereign states.

But UK citizens can travel to the Republic of Ireland without clear immigration of any kind. And whilst you are 100% correct on Wales (a principality rather than a country) the situation with Scotland is a little different, and getting more so year-on-year.

I live about 60 miles from the Welsh border and would perhaps struggle to define Wales as another country for the reason mentioned above, but there is a cultural, language and political consciousness divide. I think it's fairly legit to claim England, Wales and Scotland as different countries for the sake of mere conversation.

My problem is that where does that stop? By that logic, why isn't Hawaii a country?