With close to 200 countries in the world, you don’t have to be a geographer to know about each and every single one of them. Do you know that every country has a story, and some of the ones you’ve never heard of have incredibly rich histories? Most of them are full of radical leaders who tirelessly fought for their independence. Here are five countries you probably didn’t know existed:
1. Nauru
A former colony of the German Empire, Nauru is a small potato-shaped island in the South Pacific. Just over 10,000 people live on the 8.1 square mile island. By area, it’s the third smallest state in the world next to Monaco and Vatican City. Though it was once called Pleasant Island, the country’s current state of affairs probably wouldn’t do the name justice. In the early 1970s it boasted the highest per-capita income of any sovereign state in the world, due largely to its phosphate mining industry. But once the phosphate reserves were exhausted, the money dried up and the environment was left almost completely destroyed. The country is now a shadow of its former self and has become a known center for tax evasion and illegal money laundering.
2. Abkhazia
In terms of the characteristics that define a country, Abkhazia has its own borders, a distinct ethnic population, a functioning government, a military, a national bank, and its own passports. Nonetheless, to over 90% of the world, it’s still looked upon as a province of Georgia—the country it fought for independence from in a bloody war during the early ’90s. Historically, Abkhazia has been more or less an independent nation for over 1,000 years. Between the ninth century and 1008 A.D., it operated as a sovereign kingdom before being incorporated as part of Georgia and then later Russia. When the USSR collapsed, the citizens of Abkhazia declared a return to their medieval borders, a movement that sparked a ferocious war with Georgia that resulted in large-scale ethnic cleansing on both sides. To avoid the fighting, most Georgians have since fled Abkhazia, while most Abkhazians have fled Georgia. Abkhazia declared itself an independent state in 1999, and they continue to uphold that claim today.
3. Kyrgyzstan
Situated at the nexus of several great civilizations, Kyrgyzstan is a country with a rich cultural history spanning over 2,000 years. One of the reasons its ancient culture has been preserved for so long is because the country is geographically isolated by highly mountainous terrain. During the Cold War, Kyrgyzstan periodically came under Soviet control but attained sovereignty as a nation-state after the breakup of the USSR in 1991. The Kyrgyz genetic makeup is a combination of Mongol, Turkic, Chinese and Russian influence. In an effort to uphold the old values of the Mongol Empire, horses remain a huge part of Kyrgyz culture. Instead of playing soccer or baseball, communities often compete in a variety of horseback riding games such as kyz kuumai—where a man on horseback tries to steal a kiss from a woman on horseback.
4. Djibouti
Located in the Horn of Africa and marked by large stretches of unspoilt desert highlands, Djibouti is a southeast country that declared its independence from France in 1977. The nation is bordered on all sides by distinctly turbulent countries. With dictatorship, Eritrea to the north, distressed Somalia to the south, impoverished Ethiopia to the southwest, and war-torn Yemen in the northeast, it’s remarkable that the country has managed to maintain any sort of stability at all. Djibouti also features Lake Assal—the third lowest point on Earth where the surrounding areas are so scorching and salty, and freshwater so scarce that people often accept bottled water as a form of currency.
5. Palau
Spread across 250 islands, Palau shares maritime boundaries with Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The country was originally settled roughly 3,000 years ago by migrants from the Philippines, but in the past it has suffered foreign occupation from the likes of Germany, Britain and the U.S. Although Palau did eventually gain independence, they still rely heavily on the U.S. dollar as a currency. Compared to the other Pacific island countries, Palau is relatively large and features a beautifully diverse ecosystem. There is certainly a lot to explore throughout the small archipelago, however, since flights to the country usually only depart from a small handful of airports, many foreigners don’t see it as a worthwhile trip due to all the diversions.