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Masterlist #WorldFromMyArmchair

 

This is one of my favorite challenges @ Paul’s Halfman, Halfbook.

  1. I love to travel….but don’t want to leave home.
  2. In books I can go anywhere I want!
  3. Paul has introduced me to some great
  4. …UK  travel. science and non-fiction awards:
  5. Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 
  6. The Wainwright
  7. Royal Society Science Book Prize
  8. Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction

 

UPDATE: December 2022:  in 6 years…only visited

  1. 14 countries (books read)
  2. 2 oceans (books read)
  3. NOT a very good result….will do better in 2023!

 

2023: Planning 

  1. 2022:  Do Not Disturb M. Wrong (Rwanda) (NF)
  2. 2022: A Line in the World: A year by North Sea coast – D. Nors Denmark – REVIEW
  3. 1930: Le juif errant est arrivé  – A. Londres  Poland
  4. 2020: Signs of Life – S. Fabes England
  5. 1884: Au soleil – G. de Maupassant France
  6. 1963: L’Usage du monde – Nicholas Bouvier –  book ends in Pakistan,  Khyber Pass
  7. 2022: In the Shadow of the Mountain – Silvia Vasquez-Lavado  Peru
  8. 1957: Hong Kong et Macao – Joseph Kessel –  (China,Hong Kong, Macau) – REVIEW
  9. 2020: Diary of a Young Naturalist – Dara McAnulty England
  10. 2020: The Bells of Old Tokyo: travels in Japanese time – Anna Sherman  Japan
  11. 2016: Sovjetistan – Erika Fatland  Turkmenistan
  12. 2019: La panthère des neiges – Sylvian Tesson  (China,Tibet)- REVIEW

 

 

L'usage du monde (Grand format) (Poche / Littérature et voyages): Amazon.co.uk: Bouvier, Nicolas, Vernet, Thierry: 9782707188144: Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022: 

  1. A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson  USA 

2020:

  1. Surrender – Joanna Pocock  USA
  2. Wild Sea: a history of the southern ocean – Joy McCann  Southern Ocean
  3. Hazelwood – Tom Doigt –  Australia
  4. City On Fire: The Fight For Hong Kong – A. Dapiran  China

2019:

  1. Indonesia ect. – E. Pisani  Indonesia
  2. A Time of Gifts – Patrick Leigh Fermor  Bulgaria
  3. A Poet’s Dublin – Eavan Boland  Ireland
  4. Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia   Pacific Ocean

2018:

  1. Wild Kingdom – S. Moss – READ England
  2. Towards Mellbreak – M. Bragg  – READ England
  3. The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Borders – G. Carr – Ireland
  4. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze – P.  Hessler –  China
  5. Border – K. Kassabova – READ  Bulgaria
  6. Feeling the Heat – J. Chandler – Antarctica (continent)
  7. Saga Land – R. Fidler and K. Gislason – Iceland
  8. Wounds – F. Keane – Ireland 
  9. Deep South – P. Theroux – USA
  10. Islander: Journey Around Our Archipelago P. Barkham  England
  11. From the Edge: Australia’s Lost Histories – M. McKenna Australia
  12. The Revolutionary Ride – L. Pryce – Iran
  13. Christ Stopped at Ebloi – Carlo Levi – Italy

2017:

  1. The Marches – R. Stewart England
  2. Foxes Unearthed – L. Jones England
  3. Village Christmas – L. Lee England
  4. The Bush – D. Watson Australia
  5. The Voices of Marrakesh – E. Canetti   Morocco
  6. The Shepherd’s Life – J. Rebanks England
  7. The Story of Ireland – N. Hegarty Ireland
  8. Interstate – J. Sayarer  USA
  9. The Story of Israel – D. Gordis  Israel
  10. Walking the Nile – L. Wood start in Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda
  11. The Running Hare J. Lewis-Stempel England
  12. Into the Heart of Tasmania – R. Taylor Australia
  13. Congo – D. van Reysbrouck  Congo
  14. Position Doubtful – Kim Mahood  Australia

 

Country Commencement Population Area
Afghanistan 1946 39.84 M 653,000 km²
Albania 1955 2.81 M 29,000 km²
Algeria 1962 44.62 M 2,382,000 km²
Andorra 1993 0.08 M 470 km²
Angola 1976 33.93 M 1,247,000 km²
Antigua and Barbuda 1981 0.10 M 440 km²
Argentina 1945 45.81 M 2,780,000 km²
Armenia 1992 2.97 M 30,000 km²
Australia 1945 25.74 M 7,741,000 km²
Austria 1955 8.96 M 84,000 km²
Azerbaijan 1992 10.15 M 87,000 km²
Bahamas 1973 0.40 M 14,000 km²
Bahrain 1971 1.75 M 778 km²
Bangladesh 1974 166.30 M 148,000 km²
Barbados 1966 0.29 M 430 km²
Belarus 1945 9.34 M 208,000 km²
Belgium 1945 11.59 M 31,000 km²
Belize 1981 0.40 M 23,000 km²
Benin 1960 12.45 M 115,000 km²
Bhutan 1971 0.78 M 38,000 km²
Bolivia 1945 11.83 M 1,099,000 km²
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992 3.26 M 51,000 km²
Botswana 1966 2.40 M 582,000 km²
Brazil 1945 213.99 M 8,516,000 km²
Brunei 1984 0.44 M 5,770 km²
Bulgaria 1955 6.90 M 111,000 km²
Burkina Faso 1960 21.50 M 274,000 km²
Burundi 1962 12.26 M 28,000 km²
Cambodia 1955 16.95 M 181,000 km²
Cameroon 1960 27.22 M 475,000 km²
Canada 1945 38.25 M 9,985,000 km²
Cape Verde 1975 0.56 M 4,030 km²
Central Africa 1960 4.92 M 623,000 km²
Chad 1960 16.91 M 1,284,000 km²
Chile 1945 19.21 M 757,000 km²
China 1971 1,412.36 M 9,563,000 km²
Colombia 1945 51.27 M 1,142,000 km²
Comoros 1975 0.89 M 1,861 km²
Congo 1960 5.66 M 342,000 km²
Congo (Dem. Republic) 1960 92.38 M 2,345,000 km²
Costa Rica 1945 5.14 M 51,000 km²
Croatia 1992 3.90 M 57,000 km²
Cuba 1945 11.32 M 110,000 km²
Cyprus 1960 1.22 M 9,250 km²
Czechia 1993 10.70 M 79,000 km²
Denmark 1945 5.86 M 43,000 km²
Djibouti 1977 1.00 M 23,000 km²
Dominica 1978 0.07 M 750 km²
Dominican Republic 1945 10.95 M 49,000 km²
Ecuador 1945 17.89 M 256,000 km²
Egypt 1945 104.26 M 1,001,000 km²
El Salvador 1945 6.52 M 21,000 km²
Equatorial Guinea 1968 1.45 M 28,000 km²
Eritrea 1993 3.50 M 118,000 km²
Estonia 1991 1.33 M 45,000 km²
Eswatini 1968 1.17 M 17,000 km²
Ethiopia 1945 117.88 M 1,104,000 km²
Fiji 1970 0.90 M 18,000 km²
Finland 1955 5.54 M 338,000 km²
France 1945 67.50 M 549,000 km²
Gabon 1960 2.28 M 268,000 km²
Gambia 1965 2.49 M 11,000 km²
Georgia 1992 3.71 M 70,000 km²
Germany 1973 83.13 M 358,000 km²
Ghana 1957 31.73 M 239,000 km²
Greece 1945 10.66 M 132,000 km²
Grenada 1974 0.11 M 340 km²
Guatemala 1945 17.11 M 109,000 km²
Guinea 1958 13.50 M 246,000 km²
Guinea-Bissau 1974 2.02 M 36,000 km²
Guyana 1966 0.79 M 215,000 km²
Haiti 1945 11.54 M 28,000 km²
Honduras 1945 10.06 M 112,000 km²
Hungary 1955 9.71 M 93,000 km²
Iceland 1946 0.37 M 103,000 km²
India 1945 1,393.41 M 3,287,000 km²
Indonesia 1950 276.36 M 1,914,000 km²
Iran 1945 85.03 M 1,745,000 km²
Iraq 1945 41.18 M 435,000 km²
Ireland 1955 5.03 M 70,000 km²
Israel 1949 9.36 M 22,000 km²
Italy 1955 59.07 M 301,000 km²
Ivory Coast 1960 27.05 M 322,000 km²
Jamaica 1962 2.97 M 11,000 km²
Japan 1956 125.68 M 378,000 km²
Jordan 1955 10.27 M 89,000 km²
Kazakhstan 1992 19.00 M 2,725,000 km²
Kenya 1963 54.99 M 580,000 km²
Kiribati 1999 0.12 M 810 km²
Kuwait 1963 4.33 M 18,000 km²
Kyrgyzstan 1992 6.69 M 200,000 km²
Laos 1955 7.38 M 237,000 km²
Latvia 1991 1.88 M 64,000 km²
Lebanon 1945 6.77 M 10,000 km²
Lesotho 1966 2.16 M 30,000 km²
Liberia 1945 5.18 M 111,000 km²
Libya 1955 6.96 M 1,760,000 km²
Liechtenstein 1990 0.04 M 161 km²
Lithuania 1991 2.80 M 65,000 km²
Luxembourg 1945 0.64 M 2,590 km²
Madagascar 1960 28.43 M 587,000 km²
Malawi 1964 19.65 M 118,000 km²
Malaysia 1957 32.78 M 330,000 km²
Maldives 1965 0.54 M 300 km²
Mali 1960 20.86 M 1,240,000 km²
Malta 1964 0.52 M 320 km²
Marshall Islands 1991 0.06 M 181 km²
Mauritania 1961 4.78 M 1,031,000 km²
Mauritius 1968 1.27 M 2,040 km²
Mexico 1945 130.26 M 1,964,000 km²
Micronesia 1991 0.12 M 700 km²
Moldova 1992 2.57 M 34,000 km²
Monaco 1993 0.04 M 2 km²
Mongolia 1961 3.33 M 1,564,000 km²
Montenegro 2006 0.62 M 14,000 km²
Morocco 1956 37.34 M 447,000 km²
Mozambique 1975 32.16 M 786,000 km²
Myanmar 1948 54.81 M 677,000 km²
Namibia 1990 2.59 M 824,000 km²
Nauru 1999 0.01 M 21 km²
Nepal 1955 29.67 M 147,000 km²
Netherlands 1945 17.53 M 42,000 km²
New Zealand 1945 5.12 M 268,000 km²
Nicaragua 1945 6.70 M 130,000 km²
Niger 1960 25.13 M 1,267,000 km²
Nigeria 1960 211.40 M 924,000 km²
North Korea 1991 25.89 M 121,000 km²
North Macedonia 1993 2.07 M 26,000 km²
Norway 1945 5.41 M 385,000 km²
Oman 1971 5.22 M 310,000 km²
Pakistan 1947 225.20 M 796,000 km²
Palau 1994 0.02 M 460 km²
Panama 1945 4.38 M 75,000 km²
Papua New Guinea 1975 9.12 M 463,000 km²
Paraguay 1945 7.22 M 407,000 km²
Peru 1945 33.36 M 1,285,000 km²
Philippines 1945 111.05 M 300,000 km²
Poland 1945 37.78 M 313,000 km²
Portugal 1955 10.30 M 92,000 km²
Qatar 1971 2.93 M 12,000 km²
Romania 1955 19.12 M 238,000 km²
Russia 1991 143.45 M 17,098,000 km²
Rwanda 1962 13.28 M 26,000 km²
Saint Kitts and Nevis 1983 0.05 M 260 km²
Saint Lucia 1979 0.18 M 620 km²
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1980 0.11 M 390 km²
Samoa 1976 0.20 M 2,840 km²
San Marino 1992 0.03 M 61 km²
Sao Tome and Principe 1975 0.22 M 960 km²
Saudi Arabia 1945 35.34 M 2,150,000 km²
Senegal 1960 17.20 M 197,000 km²
Serbia 2000 6.84 M 88,000 km²
Seychelles 1976 0.10 M 460 km²
Sierra Leone 1961 8.14 M 72,000 km²
Singapore 1965 5.45 M 719 km²
Slovakia 1993 5.45 M 49,000 km²
Slovenia 1992 2.11 M 21,000 km²
Solomon Islands 1978 0.70 M 29,000 km²
Somalia 1960 16.36 M 638,000 km²
South Africa 1945 60.04 M 1,219,000 km²
South Korea 1991 51.74 M 100,000 km²
South Sudan 2011 11.38 M 644,000 km²
Spain 1955 47.33 M 506,000 km²
Sri Lanka 1955 22.16 M 66,000 km²
Sudan 1956 44.91 M 1,879,000 km²
Suriname 1975 0.59 M 164,000 km²
Sweden 1946 10.42 M 447,000 km²
Switzerland 2002 8.70 M 41,000 km²
Syria 1945 18.28 M 185,000 km²
Tajikistan 1992 9.75 M 141,000 km²
Tanzania 1964 61.50 M 947,000 km²
Thailand 1946 69.95 M 513,000 km²
Timor-Leste 2002 1.34 M 15,000 km²
Togo 1960 8.48 M 57,000 km²
Tonga 1999 0.11 M 750 km²
Trinidad and Tobago 1962 1.40 M 5,130 km²
Tunisia 1956 11.94 M 164,000 km²
Turkey 1945 85.04 M 785,000 km²
Turkmenistan 1992 6.12 M 488,000 km²
Tuvalu 2000 0.01 M 26 km²
Uganda 1962 47.12 M 242,000 km²
Ukraine 1945 43.81 M 604,000 km²
United Arab Emirates 1971 9.99 M 84,000 km²
United Kingdom 1945 67.33 M 244,000 km²
United States 1945 331.89 M 9,832,000 km²
Uruguay 1945 3.49 M 176,000 km²
Uzbekistan 1992 34.92 M 447,000 km²
Vanuatu 1981 0.31 M 12,000 km²
Venezuela 1945 28.70 M 912,000 km²
Vietnam 1977 98.17 M 331,000 km²
Yemen 1947 30.49 M 528,000 km²
Zambia 1964 18.92 M 753,000 km²
Zimbabwe 1980 15.09 M 391,000 km²

 

Non-members of the United Nations

With 193 member states and their additionally dependent external territories, it would almost be easier to list only the countries that are not members. These are the following countries or territories:

  • Northern Cyprus is actually a Turkish republic according to all UN member states. Turkey does not recognize Northern Cyprus.
  • Taiwan is claimed by China and was a regular member of the UN until 1971. Due to foreign policy constraints with China several states were forced to no longer recognize Taiwan and to consider it part of China in the future.
  • The status of Western Sahara under international law has not yet been clarified. There are still disputes between Morocco and the Sahrawis that do not currently allow recognition as an independent country.
  • The status of Kosovo under international law is also still controversial. Although more than half of the UN members now recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state, it is still under the administrative jurisdiction of the United Nations.
  • Vatican City and Palestine have the role of permanent observer. They are treated as members, but have no voting rights in the General Assembly.
  • The Cook Islands, Niue and Northern Mariana Islands are smaller Pacific island states with a total population of less than 70,000. They are freely associated with New Zealand and the USA respectively, but are monitored by the UN.
  • Curaçao is an island in the Caribbean and has actually become a sovereign state since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010. It is considered an “independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands” by the United Nations.

The five oceans are:

 

 

 

 

  • The Southern Ocean is a proposed ocean surrounding Antarctica, dominated by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, generally the ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude. The Southern Ocean is partially covered in sea ice, the extent of which varies according to the season. The Southern Ocean is the second smallest of the five named oceans. – READ –> Wild Sea: a history of the southern ocean