10 Countries You DIDN'T Even Know Existed

It’s a wide, wide world out there and there are so many places to see!
There are places like France, Italy, and exotic tropical locations like Hawaii and Bali that
all of us dream to visit
However, did you know that there are secret places that are yet to be discovered or, at
least, visited by people because they seem to not exist on the global map?
So put on your travellin shoes, get your passports ready, and hop on that plane because we are
taking you to the top 10 Countries You May Not Know Existed!
Number Ten: Kiribati Sitting at the tenth spot is an island nation
that consists of 33 atolls (a ring-shaped reef or chain of islands formed of coral)
and reef islands, and one raised coral island.
Kiribati is one of the lowest-lying countries around the world and is said to be the first
country to be reached by the sunrise in the Pacific.
It has a rich marine wildlife owing to its beautiful reefs and pristine beaches.
However, due to climate change, Kiribati is in danger of disappearing into the water as
the sea levels continue to rise.
Number Nine: Nauru It was known as Pleasant Island once upon
a time because of how wealthy its citizens were.
Kiribati’s island neighbour is now called Nauru.
Despite its tiny size, the island has so much to offer aside from its picturesque shorelines.
What made this country rich were old phosphate deposits and Command Ridge, an area of the
island that served as a watch point of Japanese soldiers in World War II.
Today, of course, the country boasts its beautiful, almost virgin beaches that beckon to adventurous
travellers looking for something new and unexplored.
But being an island sitting in the Pacific, the best times to travel to its shores is
after February and before November to avoid heavy rainfalls that the island is also known
for.
Number Eight: Tuvalu Halfway between Australia and Hawaii, this
Polynesian island was once a British protectorate from 1892 and 1916 and was once known as Ellice
Island.
Like Nauru and Kiribati, Tuvalu is an island country with its highest point at only 16
feet above the water making its entire landmass barely above sea level.
Unfortunately, due to the global warming crisis, it may be one of the most beautiful islands
that could sink into the sea as water levels continue to rise.
Number Seven: The Isle of Man It sounds like another island country in the
middle of the Pacific, doesn’t it?
But it isn’t.
The Isle of Man sits comfortably between Northern Ireland and England right at the Irish Sea.
While, technically, this country is dependent on the United Kingdom when it comes to foreign
affairs and the military, it still operates as a completely independent country.
With a population just a little above 80,000 inhabitants, this country has been, well,
inhabited, for over 9000 years.
Visitors from across Europe and many parts of the world marvel at its spectacular landscapes
that encourage them to hop on a motorbike and tour this one of a kind country.
Number Six: Andorra Let’s stay a while longer in Europe and
head on down south to a place called Andorra.
Sandwiched between Spain and France, this little country in the Pyrenees is known for
its mountain skiing and trekking.
Europeans are pretty much aware of its existence and recognizing it as one of the best places
to go on vacation, the rest of the world, however, tends to forget that it is an actual
country.
Andorra is roughly the size of Rhode Island.
Although what it lacks in size it makes up for incredibly low taxes and convenient location
(situated at the border of Spain and France), it attracts at least 8 million – you heard
that right, 8 million – tourists per year.
Now how about that for a tiny country?
Number Five: Barotseland Taking the fifth spot is a country that continues
to fight for its recognition from its neighbors.
Barotseland is a country located among the borders of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola,
and Zambia.
With its precarious location, you can already tell how neighboring countries won’t easily
concede to its legitimacy.
According to historical records, Barotseland was an independent nation until it was absorbed
into Zambia in 1964.
During that time, Barotseland insisted on their independence because they believed that
they were integrated into Zambia under false pretense.
While a treaty was in fact in full effect the same year to recognize Barotseland as
an independent country, it seemed to have been received poorly by Zambia.
This later on led to high tension between the two nations until 2012 when Barotseland
retaliated by their independence from the nation of Zambia.
Number Four: Abkhazia If we are going to talk about the characteristics
of what, technically, makes up a country then Abkhazia has managed to meet every single
one: national borders, an ethnic population, a national bank, a functioning government
and armed forces, and even its own passport.
However, it is still looked upon by the rest of the world as a small province in the country
of Georgia.
Historically, Abkhazia has been an independent nation for over 1000 years and between the
9th century and 1008 AD, it was a sovereign kingdom before being absorbed into Georgia
and, later on, Russia.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country declared that it will return to its
medieval borders and function once again as an independent nation and state.
It was a declaration that set off a bloody war between them and Georgia who wanted to
keep Abkhazia incorporated within Georgian territory.
Due to the battle, many Georgians and Abkhazians returned to their respective nations to avoid
further conflict – and in 1999, Abkhazia once again declared itself to be an independent
state; a declaration that they uphold to this very day.
Number Three: Nagorno-Karabakh Republic It would seem that the collapse of the Soviet
Union unearthed plenty of countries that we never realized even existed.
Such is the case with the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Though it is recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is still an independent state,
albeit de facto, that has its own constitution, government, and armed forces.
The reason why it is not internationally recognized as a full-fledged state is mainly geographical
and not entirely political.
It is completely land-locked and located entirely within Azerbaijan.
The closest country in its proximity that shares its borders is Armenia – a country
that is connects itself through a small corridor of land in the Azeri region.
A large amount of violence and ethnic cleansing have resulted with Nagorno-Karabakh fighting
for international recognition and independence from Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Number Two: Balochistan Our number two spot is a country that is enveloped
in turmoil and violence for over half a century.
Comprising 44% of Pakistan, the country of Balochistan is a vast land that claims to
be an independent country.
It was the British that gave Balochistan its autonomy but it was overturned by the Pakistani
government, claiming that Balochistan is not a nation.
Even after celebrating their independence day on August 11th, 1947, Balochistan has
been relentlessly attacked by the Pakistani government.
Using its armed forces, Pakistan has quelled many of Balochistan’s independence uprisings
in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
Number One: The Republic of Lakotah Nestled snugly in the middle of the United
States is a country that is roughly the size of Syria.
The 1600 kilometer stretch of land is home to The Republic of Lakotah.
Originally home to the Lakota Sioux, a Native American tribe that flourished before the
arrival of European settlers, the rights to the land was given to them in 1868 when a
treaty between the tribe and the American government was signed known as the Treaty
of Laramie.
The treaty lays clear the country’s borders that cover neighboring areas of North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana.
Today, Lakotah is now occupied by non-Native American settlements as well as having established
Indian Reservations.
And there you have it!
Ten Countries that we did not know existed.
Which one would be your top pick for your next vacation?
Let us know in the comments section below and tell us if you know any more countries
that we may have overlooked!
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10 Countries You DIDN'T Even Know Existed

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