Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

In light of a recent “controversial” story on Australia’s very existence as a nation, I thought I’d poke around the internet and find some other fun examples to share with our readers!

a herd of sheep on a road

Guys, New Zealand has to be real. They even have sheep!

New Zealand

The peanut butter to Australia’s jelly, this is another country that gets forgotten about a bit more than you’d think.  It happens to across the Tasman sea, and much farther away from Australia than a lot of people think.  People forget about New Zealand so much, there’s a whole Subreddit dedicated to it!  Don’t worry guys, New Zealand is actually there.

Vatican City

According to Guinness, The Vatican is the smallest sovereign country in the world, measuring under a half kilometer square.  To visit, you’ll be flying into one of Rome’s airports, and heading just a bit west of the city’s center.  Along with Australia, New Zealand, and Estonia below, I can’t imagine most folks would argue against the Vatican’s status as a sovereign entity, and I bet a lot of you have even been there!

a large circular plaza with columns and a circular monument in the middle

Yup, that’s almost the whole country. I know people say it a lot, but you really could see everything in a day.

Liberland

Want to be a citizen of Liberland?  Just apply here!  Due to an unresolved border dispute between Croatia and Serbia, Liberland was founded on a small tract of land along the western bank of the Danube River.  Notably, Croatia and Serbia have both denied that the border disputes result in any “unclaimed land”, and therefore Liberland has no claim.

For some further reading, check out an interesting American exclave here.  Interested in the inner workings of international borders?  If you fancy falling down the rabbit hole a bit, take a look at these videos!

Estonia

Following hot on the heels of Liberland, Estonia offers e-residency to those that wish to apply.  The unique option has benefited many entrepreneurs and digital nomads looking to do business within the EU.  Currently, E-stonia is the only country to embrace this new, somewhat borderless approach.  Don’t worry guys…Estonia is definitely still a country.

a group of buildings with trees and a tower

You might be able to come a resident online, but you’ll have to actually travel to Estonia to experience the culture and see the sights. This one’s on my bucket list!

Bir Tawil

Not claimed by any country?  Check.  Conflicting border policies?  Check.  Multiple attempts by endeavoring individuals to found their own country?  Yup, they’ve been there too.

Bir Tawil sits on the border between Sudan and Egypt, and due to conflicting borders set forth in 1899 and 1902, neither country wants the land – though both claim sovereignty over the Hala’ib Triangle just east of Bir Tawil.

Fancy yourself a king?  Go ahead and put a flag up, apparently, it doesn’t take much…

The Republic of Molossia

Founded by a lone Nevadan close to the California-Nevada border, Molossia is not formally recognized by any nation.  As far as we can tell, some guy just wanted to make his own country.  I guess it…kind of worked?  If you’d like to support the micronation, feel free to buy warbonds here.  After all, it’ll be a long and bitter war against East Germany.  Which, by the way, isn’t real anymore either.

How’s your country-savvy?  Can you name all of them?  What are some of the lesser known places you’ve been?  We’d love to hear more in the comments!


Points With a Crew has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Points With a Crew and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers and that compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners and I do not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers and other offers and benefits listed on this page. Other links on this page may also pay me a commission - as always, thanks for your support if you use them

User Generated Content Disclosure: Points With a Crew encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.

BoardingArea