Obscure countries
Discussion
Geography was never a strong point of mine, but I found myself looking at Eastern Europe on Google Maps the other. Bulgaria, Moldova, and all the other places that you only ever hear about on Eurovision night were indeed there, but I could have sworn the recent travel programs on the former Eastern Bloc countries (Michael Palin's and ... well, the other bloke) featured some more obscure newly formed ones. I expected to find a Peoples' Republic of East Prussia or something hidden away that I'd never heard of. So where are they?
Can anyone think of any little known countries or obscure breakaway republics? And, no I'm not counting Wales.
Can anyone think of any little known countries or obscure breakaway republics? And, no I'm not counting Wales.
Are you just posting to display your ignorance?
Bulgaria has been a separate country for well over 100 years (although it was on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain after 1945).
Since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union, dozens of "new" countries have emerged. In reality, of course, these "new" countries are actually old states that were incorporated (sometime against the will of their peoples) into larger entities.
Yugoslavia only came into being in 1919 and broke up in 1991/92. Most of the states that were railroaded into Yugoslavia had been discrete countries prior to that - although they had often been ruled by either the Ottoman (Turkish) or Austro-Hungarian Empires.
The various 'Stans in the former Soviet Union (Kazakhstan, Turkemistan, Azerbaijan etc)had been assimilated into Greater Russia prior to the rise of Communism and the Soviet Era. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania had been completely independent countries until occupied by the Soviets during and after World War 2.
Bulgaria has been a separate country for well over 100 years (although it was on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain after 1945).
Since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union, dozens of "new" countries have emerged. In reality, of course, these "new" countries are actually old states that were incorporated (sometime against the will of their peoples) into larger entities.
Yugoslavia only came into being in 1919 and broke up in 1991/92. Most of the states that were railroaded into Yugoslavia had been discrete countries prior to that - although they had often been ruled by either the Ottoman (Turkish) or Austro-Hungarian Empires.
The various 'Stans in the former Soviet Union (Kazakhstan, Turkemistan, Azerbaijan etc)had been assimilated into Greater Russia prior to the rise of Communism and the Soviet Era. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania had been completely independent countries until occupied by the Soviets during and after World War 2.
Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 17th November 12:02
Eric Mc said:
Are you just posting to display your ignorance?
No, I'm doing it to bask in the reflected glow of your intellectual superiority.And I wasn't referring to Bulgaria as one of the particularly obscure ones, I thought what used to be the Eastern Bloc was peppered with states that sprang up in the last couple of decades.
Edited by JoePublic on Tuesday 17th November 12:10
Bill Carr said:
Vanuatu - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanuatu
Always wanted to go there. Will hopefully go in a couple of years.
Ages ago on that gameshow You Bet, there was a challenge to name, in order, the top 50 most populated countries in the world (and give their population).
In at number 30 or something, with a population of 50 million, was Myanmar.
Before I found out that it was more commonly known as Burma I had visions of 50 million people quietly sitting, plotting to take over the world because no one knew how, where, or what they were...
In at number 30 or something, with a population of 50 million, was Myanmar.
Before I found out that it was more commonly known as Burma I had visions of 50 million people quietly sitting, plotting to take over the world because no one knew how, where, or what they were...
Lefty Two Drams said:
Loads of Archipelagos in the worlds oceans you've probably never heard of...
Look at a map of Africa too
And can you name the 7 Emirates that make up the UAE without looking it up on the web? I can't (and I've been to 3 of them.)
DubaiLook at a map of Africa too
And can you name the 7 Emirates that make up the UAE without looking it up on the web? I can't (and I've been to 3 of them.)
Ras Al Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Ajman
Sharjah
Fujairah
Umm Al Quain
(Sorry for the poor spellings.)
I lived in the UAE on and off for 15 years...
JoePublic said:
Eric Mc said:
Are you just posting to display your ignorance?
No, I'm doing it to bask in the reflected glow of your intellectual superiority.And I wasn't referring to Bulgaria as one of the particularly obscure ones, I thought what used to be the Eastern Bloc was peppered with states that sprang up in the last couple of decades.
Edited by JoePublic on Tuesday 17th November 12:10
If you had studied the history and causes of World War 1 at school, you would have been very familiar with the various small countries that were later rammed together to make the new Yugoslavia - particularly Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.
I admit that the former Soviet "stans" are a bit less familiar to us in the West as most of them had been absorbed into Greater Russia over 300 years ago. But certainly, very few of the people who lived there ever really thought of themselves as Russians.
Finally, the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were only "out of circulation" as independent countries for a fairly short time (1945 to 1991) so, to my mind anyway, had an air of separateness about them - even when completely integrated into the Soviet Union.
Halb said:
threesixty said:
Trans-Dniester
Quite a scary place from what i read!
http://russiatoday.com/Politics/2009-10-05/moldova-transdniester-independence-accession.htmlQuite a scary place from what i read!
That was one of the places Palin went to I think.
It just shows what a complex country Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union actually was. When the Germans invaded Ukraine in 1941, many Ukranians looked on the invaders as liberators (although the Germans soon put them right on that particular misapprehension).
Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 17th November 12:31
Eric Mc said:
Halb said:
threesixty said:
Trans-Dniester
Quite a scary place from what i read!
http://russiatoday.com/Politics/2009-10-05/moldova-transdniester-independence-accession.htmlQuite a scary place from what i read!
That was one of the places Palin went to I think.
It just shows what a complex country Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union actually was. When the Germans invaded Ukraine in 1941, many Ukranians looked on the invaders as liberators (although the Germans soon put them right on that particular misapprehension).
Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 17th November 12:31
I'd imagine its a largely lawless place.
While we're on the subject I was looking to read about a italian town i'd heard of thats not even shown on maps because its essentially a lawless mafia run town? anyone heard of that one?
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff