There are 195 recognized independent countries in the world. These are countries that are members of the United Nations and have full diplomatic recognition from most other countries. In addition to these 195 countries, there are also a number of dependent territories and special administrative regions that are not fully independent but have a certain degree of self-governance. These territories are often governed by another country or have a unique legal status. There are approximately 61 such territories in the world, including places like Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Greenland. It’s worth noting that the exact number of countries and territories can be somewhat subjective and may vary depending on the criteria used to define them.
We’ve been to 114 different countries & territories in our travels to-date. Scroll down and click on any country below to learn more about it.
The Continent of Africa has 54 countries and multiple territories.
(We’ve been to the 12 countries & territories listed below.)
Botswana
Egypt
Kenya
Madagascar
Malawi
Morocco
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania & Zanzibar
Uganda
Zimbabwe
The Continent of Asia has 49 countries and multiple territories.
(We’ve been to the 23 countries & territories listed below.)
Borneo
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nepal
Oman
Palestine Territories
Qatar
Russia
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Tibet
Turkey
United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi, Dubai
The Continent of Oceania/Australia has 14 countries and multiple territories.
(We’ve been to the 5 countries & territories listed below.)
Australia
Fiji
Kiribati
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
The Continent of Europe has 51 countries and multiple territories.
(We’ve been to the 41 countries & territories listed below.)
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark & Greenland
Estonia
Finland & Lapland
France & Corsica, French Polynesia, Saint Martin
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy & Sicily
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Montenegro
Netherlands & Curacao, St. Maarten
Norway
Poland
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain & Canary Islands
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom -(England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Caymen Islands, Falkland Islands)
Vatican City
The Continent of North America has 23 countries and multiple territories.
(We’ve been to the 21 countries & territories listed below.)
Antigua/Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Granada
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Vincent
Tobago
Trinidad
United States of America & Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
The Continent of South America has 12 countries and multiple territories.
(We’ve been to the 11 countries & territories listed below.)
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile & Easter Island
Colombia
Ecuador & Galapagos Islands
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela
The Continent of Antarctica – There are technically no countries on the continent of Antarctica. However, seven sovereign states have territorial claims in Antarctica, resulting in multiple territories.
We have taken a cruise to & around the Antarctica peninsula.