Counting Countries: 2011 Update

How many countries have we visited? What exactly is a country?

The Travelers' Century Club , established for those who have visited 100 or more countries and want to, well, flaunt it, says of the 320 places it lists, "Although some are not actually countries in their own right, they have been included because they are removed from parent, either geographically, politically or ethnologically."

How many countries have we visited? Updating our October 2010 count of 76, with January's addition of Jamaica (and catching Tahiti and Madeira, both of which we'd overlooked) we have now visited a total of 79 countries on the Century Club's list.

Another couple on a cruise once struck up a conversation with us. Almost immediately, the topic became how many countries they'd visited. They'd visited well over a hundred and seemed very pleased with themselves. We hope never to become quite that boring.

The statistic seems to us at best mildly interesting and about as significant as the old counting-state-and-provincial-license-plates game on road trips. That's why we always say, tongue in cheek, who's counting?

Pacific Ocean
Australia
French Polynesia (Tahiti,Tuamotu, Austral, Gambier)
Hawaiian Islands
New Zealand
Tasmania
North America
Alaska
Canada
Mexico
U.S. (continental)
Central America
Belize (British Honduras)
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Panama
South America
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Uruguay
Caribbean
Antigua & Deps. (Barbuda, Redonda)
Bahamas
Barbados
Cayman Islands
Dominican Republic
Jamaica
Leeward Islands, French (St. Martin)
Puerto Rico
St. Barts
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Maarten (formerly Netherlands Antilles)
Turks and Caicos Islands
Virgin Islands, U.S. (St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas)
Virgin Islands, British (Tortola, etc.)
Atlantic Ocean
Azores Islands
Bermuda
Cape Verde Islands
Iceland
Europe and Mediterranean
Austria
Belgium
Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Minorca)
Czech Republic
Denmark
England
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland (Eire)
Ireland, Northern (Ulster)
Italy
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Sicily
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey in Europe (Istanbul)
Vatican City
Wales
Africa
Egypt
Morocco
Senegal (plane refueling)
South Africa
Swaziland
Middle East
None
Indian Ocean
None
Asia
China, People's Rep.
Hong Kong
Japan
Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Turkey in Asia