Yelkovan 🐦

What is a country?

A seemingly simple question, but difficult to answer. The most common way of defining a country is to refer to the UN member states, which is 193 + 2 observer states (the Holy See and Palestine). If you have been to all 195 members, can you say you have been to all countries around the world?

Not necessarily!

For example, Taiwan has its own territory, people, government, economy, culture and many more, but it is not a member to the UN. England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are each considered to be countries on their own, but they are not members either.

Another common definition is using the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933). The convention defines crystal clear four criteria:

• a clearly defined territory,
• a permanent population,
• a government and
• the ability to enter into relations with other countries.

If we accept this definition, then the European Union is a country (#BrexitMeansBrexit). There are also many "countries" that do not meet all of these criteria but are still considered countries. For example, Kosovo has a defined territory, population, government and it is recognized by over 100 UN members (Kosovo Thanks You). There are also some UN members that are not recognised by their fellow members. For example, North and South Korea do not recognise each other, and Israel is not recognised by many countries.

When you include the micronations, it becomes even more complicated. Micronations are self-proclaimed entities that claim to be independent nations but are not recognized by any other country. Arguably the most famous example of a micronation is the Principality of Sealand, which was "founded" on an abandoned oil rig off the coast of Scotland, and you can become a lord of Sealand, if you pay some money (The "Official" Website). Sealand and similar entities often have their own governments, currencies, and even passports, but they lack the recognition and legitimacy of a true country.

My country isn't on your map?! 😠

First of all, sorry about that!

Map making or cartography is inherently political. When I was preparing maps for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, I had to follow specific guidelines and always include a disclaimer that says "the boundaries and names shown on the maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the UN." As an avid political theory reader, this always gave me a chuckle.

The French Geographer Élisée Reclus (Liberty, Equality, Geography) believed that the concept of borders is artificial, and he thought that the existing subdivisions from provinces to districts are "tools of despotism" created by those who wish to centralise power. He argued that there is no such thing as a "natural border," as natural features must be given a social meaning through human action. In early 20th Century, Reclus characterised the western world by its fervent nationalism, tightening borders and widespread mockery of humanitarianism (source). In 2025, the world is still divided into nation-states, and borders are still used to control the movement of people, goods, and ideas. Reclus' observations about the artificiality of borders and the ways in which they are used to control people are still relevant today, and the militarisation and technologization of borders is everincreasing (like in Poland).

The borders are wrong! 🤬

I know and that annoys me as well, but I am bound by the realities of the world and the limitations of my resources. Let me explain: Apart from the usual political disputes like Jammu and Kashmir or the Halaib Triangle, there are many other examples of disputed borders, and chosing one line over the other is always a political decision that a carthographer has to make. In this case though, the decisions were already made for me. I am using publicly available shape files, because they are the most easily available and widely used data format for geographic information, and I do not have the time to prepare my own files for a small project like this one. Borders drawn on a map rarely represent the realities on the ground and even when fences are deployed or walls are built, they do not fully separate people. As Alfred Korzybski famously said, "The map is not the territory."
Data Sources: UN, UNDP, World Bank.