I am often asked how many countries I’ve been to. While I don’t visit countries just to check them off a list, like most people, I do know where I’ve been. This list is taken from the Traveler’s Century Club (TCC) list of 329 places around the world. The TCC rules state that any visit counts as a visit, no matter how short. I have made a note when I have visited a location only on a layover or passed through in a car without stopping.
The TCC definition of a country is more expansive than just the members of the United Nations. It includes geographic, historic, and culturally distinct places. Yes, I know that Hawaii and Tasmania are not “countries” in any normal sense of the word, but they are distinct geographic places separated from their country’s mainland.
I use the TCC list just because I think it is more useful from a travel perspective than the list of UN member states, which excludes places like Taiwan, Hong Kong, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Antarctica, Aruba, and American Samoa. There are many disagreements I have with the TCC list, but I find it a useful third-party list of destinations for travelers.
This list marks the first time I visited a place, not my most recent visit. Many of the places on this list I’ve visited multiple times and will visit again in the future. I intend to remove all footnotes attached to destinations in the future.
BOLD (#)= UN Member States
Number | Country | Date | Region | Footnote |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (1) | 1969 | North America | |
2 | Canada (2) | 1977 | North America | |
3 | Mexico (3) | 1995 | North America | |
4 | Bahamas (4) | 1998 | Caribbean | |
5 | Alaska (USA) | 1999 | North America | |
6 | Japan (5) | 1999 | Asia | |
7 | Taiwan | 1999 | Asia | |
8 | Singapore (6) | 1999 | Asia | |
9 | France (7) | 1999 | Europe | |
10 | Belgium (8) | 1999 | Europe | |
11 | Germany (9) | 1999 | Europe | |
12 | England (UK) (10) | 1999 | Europe | |
13 | Iceland (11) | 2000 | Atlantic Ocean | |
14 | Argentina (12) | 2005 | South America | |
15 | Hawaii (USA) | 2006 | Pacific Ocean | |
16 | French Polynesia (France) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
17 | Easter Island (Chile) (13) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
18 | Cook Islands | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
19 | New Zealand (14) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
20 | Fiji (15) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
21 | Samoa (16) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
22 | American Samoa (USA) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
23 | Tonga (17) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
24 | New Caledonia (France) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
25 | Vanuatu (18) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
26 | Solomon Islands (19) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
27 | Nauru (20) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | 1 |
28 | Kiribati (21) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | 2 |
29 | Guam (USA) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
30 | Micronesia (22) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
31 | Marshall Islands (23) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
32 | Northern Marinas Islands (USA) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
33 | Palau (24) | 2007 | Pacific Ocean | |
34 | Philippines (25) | 2007 | Asia | |
35 | Okinawa (Japan) | 2007 | Asia | |
36 | South Korea (26) | 2007 | Asia | |
37 | Hong Kong (China) (27) | 2007 | Asia | |
38 | Macau (China) | 2007 | Asia | |
39 | Brunei (28) | 2007 | Asia | |
40 | Sarawak (Malaysia) (29) | 2008 | Asia | |
41 | Sabah (Malaysia) | 2008 | Asia | |
42 | Java (Indonesia) (30) | 2008 | Asia | |
43 | Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia) | 2008 | Asia | |
44 | East Timor (31) | 2008 | Asia | |
45 | Australia (32) | 2008 | Pacific Ocean | |
46 | Tasmania (Australia) | 2008 | Pacific Ocean | |
47 | Papua New Guinea (33) | 2008 | Pacific Ocean | |
48 | Bismark Archipelago (PNG) | 2008 | Pacific Ocean | |
49 | Sumatra (Indonesia) | 2008 | Asia | |
50 | Western Malaysia | 2008 | Asia | |
51 | Thailand (34) | 2008 | Asia | |
52 | Cambodia (35) | 2008 | Asia | |
53 | Vietnam (36) | 2008 | Asia | |
54 | Laos (37) | 2008 | Asia | |
55 | Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) (38) | 2009 | Middle East | |
56 | Dubai (UAE) | 2009 | Middle East | |
57 | Oman (39) | 2009 | Middle East | |
58 | Ajman (UAE) | 2009 | Middle East | 3 |
59 | Ras Al Kaimah (UAE) | 2009 | Middle East | |
60 | Sharjah (UAE) | 2009 | Middle East | 3 |
61 | Umm Al Qaiwain (UAE) | 2009 | Middle East | 3 |
62 | Qatar (40) | 2009 | Middle East | |
63 | Bahrain (41) | 2009 | Middle East | |
64 | Kuwait (42) | 2009 | Middle East | |
65 | Egypt (43) | 2009 | Africa | |
66 | Sinai (Egypt) | 2009 | Middle East | |
67 | Jordan (44) | 2009 | Middle East | |
68 | Israel (45) | 2009 | Middle East | |
69 | Palestine | 2009 | Middle East | |
70 | Greece (46) | 2009 | Europe | |
71 | Italy (47) | 2009 | Europe | |
72 | Vatican City | 2009 | Europe | |
73 | San Marino (48) | 2009 | Europe | |
74 | Monaco (49) | 2009 | Europe | |
75 | Luxembourg (50) | 2009 | Europe | |
76 | Netherlands (51) | 2009 | Europe | |
77 | Portugal (52) | 2009 | Europe | |
78 | Cayman Islands (UK) | 2009 | Caribbean | |
79 | Honduras (53) | 2009 | Central America | |
80 | Spain (54) | 2010 | Europe | |
81 | Prince Edward Island (Canada) | 2010 | North America | |
82 | South Africa (55) | 2010 | Africa | |
83 | Senegal (56) | 2010 | Africa | |
84 | Aruba (Netherlands) | 2010 | Caribbean | |
85 | Bonaire (Netherlands) | 2010 | Caribbean | |
86 | Curacao (Netherlands) | 2010 | Caribbean | |
87 | Puerto Rico (USA) | 2011 | Caribbean | |
88 | Czech Republic (57) | 2011 | Europe | |
89 | Austria (58) | 2011 | Europe | |
90 | Slovakia (59) | 2011 | Europe | |
91 | Slovenia (60) | 2011 | Europe | |
92 | Croatia (61) | 2011 | Europe | |
93 | Sicily (Italy) | 2011 | Europe | |
94 | Switzerland (62) | 2011 | Europe | |
95 | Liechtenstein (63) | 2011 | Europe | |
96 | Hungary (64) | 2011 | Europe | |
97 | Romania (65) | 2011 | Europe | |
98 | Bulgaria (66) | 2011 | Europe | |
99 | Turkey (Europe) (67) | 2011 | Europe | |
100 | Turkey (Asia) | 2011 | Asia | |
101 | Andorra (68) | 2011 | Europe | |
102 | Canary Islands (Spain) | 2011 | Atlantic Ocean | |
103 | Ecuador (69) | 2011 | South America | |
104 | Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) | 2011 | Pacific Ocean | |
105 | Wales (UK) | 2011 | Europe | |
106 | Ireland (70) | 2011 | Europe | |
107 | Northern Ireland (UK) | 2011 | Europe | |
108 | Isle of Man | 2011 | Europe | |
109 | Scotland (UK) | 2011 | Europe | |
110 | Falkland Islands (UK) | 2012 | Atlantic Ocean | |
111 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (UK) | 2012 | Antarctica | |
112 | British Antarctica (UK) | 2012 | Antarctica | |
113 | Chilean Antarctic (Chile) | 2012 | Antarctica | |
114 | Argentine Antarctic (Argentina) | 2012 | Antarctica | |
115 | Belize (71) | 2012 | Central America | |
116 | Lord Howe Island (Australia) | 2012 | Pacific | |
117 | Sweden (72) | 2012 | Europe | |
118 | Denmark (73) | 2012 | Europe | |
119 | Gibraltar (UK) | 2012 | Europe | |
120 | Ceuta (Spain) | 2012 | Africa | |
121 | Morocco (74) | 2012 | Africa | |
122 | Finland (75) | 2012 | Europe | |
123 | Costa Rica (76) | 2013 | Central America | |
124 | El Salvador (77) | 2013 | Central America | |
125 | Guatemala (78) | 2013 | Central America | |
126 | Poland (79) | 2013 | Europe | |
127 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (80) | 2013 | Europe | |
128 | Montenegro (81) | 2013 | Europe | |
129 | US Virgin Islands (USA) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
130 | British Virgin Islands (UK) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
131 | Sint Maarten (Netherlands) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
132 | Anguilla (UK) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
133 | Saint-Martin (France) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
134 | St. Barthélemy (France) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
135 | Saba/St. Eustatius (Netherlands) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
136 | St. Kitts and Nevis (82) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
137 | Antigua and Barbuda (83) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
138 | Montserrat (UK) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
139 | Guadeloupe (France) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
140 | Dominica (84) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
141 | Martinique (France) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
142 | St. Lucia (85) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
143 | Barbados (86) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
144 | St Vincent and the Grenadines (87) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
145 | Grenada (88) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
146 | Trinidad and Tobago (89) | 2013 | Caribbean | |
147 | Panama (90) | 2013 | Central America | 4 |
148 | Namibia (91) | 2013 | Africa | |
149 | Lesotho (92) | 2014 | Africa | |
150 | Swaziland (93) | 2014 | Africa | |
151 | Botswana (94) | 2014 | Africa | |
152 | Mozambique (95) | 2014 | Africa | |
153 | Zimbabwe (96) | 2014 | Africa | |
154 | Zambia (97) | 2014 | Africa | |
155 | St. Helena (UK) | 2014 | Atlantic Ocean | |
156 | Angola (98) | 2014 | Africa | |
157 | Republic of Congo (99) | 2014 | Africa | |
158 | Sao Tome and Principe (100) | 2014 | Africa | |
159 | Togo (101) | 2014 | Africa | |
160 | Benin (102) | 2014 | Africa | |
161 | Ghana (103) | 2014 | Africa | |
162 | Sierra Leone (104) | 2014 | Africa | |
163 | Gambia (105) | 2014 | Africa | |
164 | Western Sahara | 2014 | Africa | |
165 | Bermuda (UK) | 2014 | Atlantic Ocean | |
166 | Turks & Caicos (UK) | 2014 | Caribbean | |
167 | Malta (106) | 2014 | Europe | |
168 | Cyprus (107) | 2014 | Europe | |
169 | Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) | 2014 | Europe | |
170 | Northern Cyprus | 2014 | Europe | |
171 | Crete (Greece) | 2014 | Europe | |
172 | Ionian Islands (Greece) | 2014 | Europe | |
173 | Guernsey | 2014 | Europe | |
174 | Jersey | 2014 | Europe | |
175 | Åland Islands (Finland) | 2015 | Europe | |
176 | Haiti (108) | 2015 | Caribbean | |
177 | Dominican Republic (109) | 2015 | Caribbean | |
178 | Chile (Mainland) | 2015 | South America | |
179 | India (110) | 2016 | Asia | |
180 | Ethiopia (111) | 2016 | Africa | |
181 | Macedonia (112) | 2016 | Europe | |
182 | Kosovo | 2016 | Europe | |
183 | Serbia (113) | 2016 | Europe | |
184 | Srpska (Bosnia & Herzegovina) | 2016 | Europe | |
185 | Albania (114) | 2016 | Europe | |
186 | Kazakhstan (115) | 2016 | Asia | |
187 | Kyrgyzstan (116) | 2016 | Asia | |
188 | Tajikistan (117) | 2016 | Asia | |
189 | Uzbekistan (118) | 2016 | Asia | |
190 | St. Pierre and Miquelon (France) | 2016 | North America | |
191 | Tuvalu (119) | 2016 | Pacific Ocean | |
192 | Norway (120) | 2017 | Europe | |
193 | Brazil (121) | 2017 | South America | |
194 | Lithuania (122) | 2018 | Europe | |
195 | Latvia (123) | 2018 | Europe | |
196 | Belarus (124) | 2018 | Europe | |
197 | Estonia (125) | 2018 | Europe | |
198 | Russia (126) | 2018 | Europe | |
199 | Sri Lanka (127) | 2018 | Asia | |
200 | Maldives (128) | 2018 | Asia | |
201 | Saudi Arabia (129) | 2018 | Middle East | |
202 | Hainan Island (China) | 2019 | Asia | |
203 | Balearic Islands (Spain) | 2019 | Europe |
Upcoming Countries
Number | Country | Date | Region | Footnote |
---|---|---|---|---|
Azores | Atlantic Ocean | |||
Cuba | Caribbean | |||
Nicaragua | Central America | |||
Jamaica | Caribbean | |||
Colombia | South America | |||
Ukraine | Europe | |||
Moldova | Europe | |||
Transnistria | Europe |
Footnotes
- I spent about an hour at the Nauru airport in the middle of the night on a layover from the Solomon Islands to Kiribati. We got off the plane and actually touched the soil. I even purchased something in the gift shop, however, I never got beyond passport control.
- I was denied entry into Kiribati because my passport got wet in the Solomon Islands and the ink on the page that said what dates the visa was valid bled off the page. I spent about 6 hours in Tarawa before heading to Fiji.
- I took a taxi from Kashab in the Musandam Peninsula of Oman to Dubai. We drove through several of the smaller emirates but didn’t stop in any other than Ras Al Kaimah.
- I had a layover in Panama City on a flight from Trinidad to Mexico City.
This map and this list looks fun – I love list!!! I have a map of books that I have read in each state and working on the countries. I would love to do a map like yours for my personal blog. How did you do it?
I use this plugin http://preview.codecanyon.net/item/interactive-world-maps/full_screen_preview/2874264?ref=wpexplorer
I am so surprised you haven’t been to China! I suppose you’re saving the best for last :)
I’ve been to one that doesn’t exist anymore: Czechoslovakia. That was to Prague (now in Czech Republic), but the train went through what is now Slovakia as well.
And I visited East Timor before it was an independent country.
How to count those?
What is it today? If you’ve been to Dili, you’ve been to East Timor, even if it wasn’t at the time. Same with Prague and the Czech Republic.
I just finished all the states in the USA.
When you said you visited the US did that mean every state?
I also have 175 countries…some more than once…, and 7 continents .
As to Jamaica, just step out of the plane, touch the ground and get right back on. All other countries were wonderful and interesting.
I have been to every US state, and I’m close to visiting every state twice. I just have to re-visit Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
With my next visit to Saskatchewan, I’ll have been to every Canadian province 3x.
Hi Gary,
I was born in Guyana and returned 4 times since 1984. You should visit. It’s beautiful. My cousins would be very happy to meet you and show you around. The people are similar to Trinidadians. My last visit was in November of 2017 and I cannot wait to return.
Guyana is very high on my list!
You’ve visited almost every country in the world!
You should also visit my country (Bhutan). It’s not even in your upcoming list :(
Impressive map and table, I’m not sure I have seen such an organised list.
You should stop by Peru to check out the Machu Picchu if you can.
Peru is on the list. Just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
What an inspiring man! I am planning to start at least in a small scale.
Very impressive, Gary. As us oldies used to say, “keep on truckin’“
What?? All of that travel and you haven’t been to Jamaica yet? LOL . It’s usually one of the places everybody “has been,” at least when I mention living there, I always get “Oh yeah. Been there.” I hope when you DO make it, you come down to my stomping ground, the quiet south coast, Treasure Beach, Jamaica. The real Jamaica. Blessings.
Hi! Can I just ask what you used to make this list? It’s so organized and beautiful!
Best wishes!
I did it by hand using HTML
Gary,
I came across a Pinterest board you curate that deals with North America Travel. I was wondering if you’d consider my contributing to it. My stories are part of the series titled, “A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Characters.”™ All of them include an original photo and a story that is exactly 1,000 characters long. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Best, MacKenzie Freeman
I’m from Israel and I was pretty surprised to see you didn’t visit in Israel! I hope you’ll visit here soon enough…
I’ve been to Israel, most recently in March 2017. I’ve been to every World Heritage Site in the country.