View Full Version : Countries you didn't know existed....
jugularvein
29-07-2005, 13:10
I've just discovered Kiribati http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati official language gilbertese
and wondered how many other countries there must be that i've never even heard of.
any more obscure ones from the geographers out there?
anyones you've recently discovered that you had no clue about?
Pickman's model
29-07-2005, 13:12
have you heard of
vanuatu
san marino
turkmenistan?
jugularvein
29-07-2005, 13:15
heard of vanuatu no idea where it is though. know the other two
Major Tom
29-07-2005, 13:36
There's a place called Wales apparently.
wrysmile
29-07-2005, 14:13
heard of vanuatu no idea where it is though. know the other two
South pacific island - or set of islands, actually I think.... beautiful diving.
Brainaddict
29-07-2005, 14:15
i want to go to a place that speaks gilbertese :D
Donna Ferentes
29-07-2005, 14:18
i want to go to a place that speaks gilbertese :DPresumably because beforehand, they were the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Subject of a famous book, A Pattern of Islands.
Federated States of Micronesia?
I can't think of any countries I've never heard of :D
Although was a bit taken aback when my boss had never heard of Azerbaijan.
Last one that was new to me was probably Transnistria, (unrecognised 'independent' country in Moldova).
I was also reading about some small town in Northern Italy that has it's own currency and government, can't remember the name though.
Donna Ferentes
29-07-2005, 14:24
Federated States of Micronesia?I know a chap who lived there.
I was also reading about some small town in Northern Italy that has it's own currency and government, can't remember the name though.San Marino? The Vatican?
Pickman's model
29-07-2005, 14:27
what about somaliland or eritrea?
what about somaliland or eritrea?
What about them?
CyberRose
29-07-2005, 14:29
There's a place called Wales apparently.
Beat me to it! That thread in the footy forums getting my nationalist levels rising!
Are getting into (semi) autonomous territories with limited recognition? Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh and Nakhchivan are nice sounding spots.
What about them?
You'll enjoy them....
;)
jugularvein
29-07-2005, 14:38
only heard about eritrea because of bomb suspect supposedly from there.
know the others...
how about this one, also know as the kyrgyz republic. :eek:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan
pronounce that one!
sorry, didn't know transnistria or micronesia. thanks :)
You'll enjoy them....
;)
But *should* I?
Wheres Surinam? I know its a country but don't have the foggiest where it is!
Donna Ferentes
29-07-2005, 14:40
South America.
http://www.travellerspoint.com/maps/193.gif
They need to do somethign about the name of that lake. Something a bit more snappy and picturesque sounding.
Pickman's model
29-07-2005, 14:47
only heard about eritrea because of bomb suspect supposedly from there.
know the others...
how about this one, also know as the kyrgyz republic. :eek:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan
pronounce that one!
sorry, didn't know transnistria or micronesia. thanks :)
kurgistan.
Pickman's model
29-07-2005, 14:48
What about them?
:rolleyes:
have you heard of them? :mad:
Bonfirelight
29-07-2005, 14:48
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/maps/uy-map.gif
Haha look at this one. Its called "u are gay"
:rolleyes:
have you heard of them? :mad:
Yes.
Fantastic game :rolleyes:
What about least-touristy country you've visited? That would combine talking about all these little-heard-of places with the opportunity for a bit of travel showing off.
I think mine would be Syria
Major Tom
29-07-2005, 15:10
Yes.
Fantastic game :rolleyes:
What about least-touristy country you've visited? That would combine talking about all these little-heard-of places with the opportunity for a bit of travel showing off.
I think mine would be Syria
mine would be belgium - or wales
ERiN BuRGeR
29-07-2005, 15:35
I always thought Exeter was a fictional place till I went there .... :o
Me '' Where we going ''
Me Mate '' Exeter ''
Me '' Fuck off trying to wind me up , exeter dosent exsist ''
But yeah apperently it does :eek:
I always thought Exeter was a fictional place till I went there .... :o
Me '' Where we going ''
Me Mate '' Exeter ''
Me '' Fuck off trying to wind me up , exeter dosent exsist ''
But yeah apperently it does :eek:
You sound like Tubbs in League of Gentlemen. "Is there really a Swansea, Edward?" ;)
Isambard
29-07-2005, 15:42
I was also reading about some small town in Northern Italy that has it's own currency and government, can't remember the name though.
San Marino and The Vatican have been mentioned.
There's the Lega Nord's attempt to break up Italy and create a northern state they haved called Padovia (sp) I think for which they have issued money and a "government".
A small village in a remote northern Italian valley has been attempting to move into Switzlerland I read about a few months ago.
trashpony
29-07-2005, 15:50
I am just checking a list of countries which has been supplied to me by a well-known global news organisation. It features Yugoslavia. Would I be correct in thinking that Yugoslavia no longer exists?
I am just checking a list of countries which has been supplied to me by a well-known global news organisation. It features Yugoslavia. Would I be correct in thinking that Yugoslavia no longer exists?
Correct. Serbia and Montenegro these days.
trashpony
29-07-2005, 15:54
Correct. Serbia and Montenegro these days.
Thank you. I'm not quite sure how to tell them that they have people working in a country that doesn't actually exist. Bunch of fuckwits. :rolleyes:
Thank you. I'm not quite sure how to tell them that they have people working in a country that doesn't actually exist.
Shh. Nice little scam those correspondents have got going there. You're just jealous :D
rutabowa
29-07-2005, 16:24
Correct. Serbia and Montenegro these days.
and Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.
dylanredefined
29-07-2005, 16:50
The mod used to call it F.R.Y as in the former republic of yugoslavia
Must have gladdened the heart of whoever it is who thinks up odd names just for the military to rename a country.
DownwardDog
29-07-2005, 17:30
Yes.
Fantastic game :rolleyes:
What about least-touristy country you've visited? That would combine talking about all these little-heard-of places with the opportunity for a bit of travel showing off.
I think mine would be Syria
Working in the aviation business I've had the opportunity to do the entire Axis of Evil:
North Korea is totally fucking insane. Probably best summarised by breakfast in the hotel: cold rice. However, there had obviously been some sabotage by a counter-revolutionary cell in the Number 28 Central Chopstick Production Facility because the waitress gave me two grimy pencils with which to eat it. Seems more comical than truly dangerous
Iran. Surprisingly good red light district made doubly exciting by the ever-present prospect of detention and torture.
Iraq. Only been to post-Saddam Basrah and it didn't seem that bad to me. Certainly better than half a dozen African countries I can think of. I'm going to do the Kuwait City - Baghdad drive next month so I'll report back assuming I survive it.
Syria. Met Mrs. DD in an Aleppo bar. The fact that quality tottie like her will marry someone like me to get a new life outside Syria tells you all you need to know about the Ba'athist wonderland.
Working in the aviation business I've had the opportunity to do the entire Axis of Evil:
North Korea is totally fucking insane. Probably best summarised by breakfast in the hotel: cold rice. However, there had obviously been some sabotage by a counter-revolutionary cell in the Number 28 Central Chopstick Production Facility because the waitress gave me two grimy pencils with which to eat it. Seems more comical than truly dangerous
Hehe, ace story. Reminds me of a place we stayed in Cuba - a sort of run down holiday camp that had seen better days. We were the only guests and there seemed to be some food shortgage going on. We went for breakfast and no food came for a while and the staff were acting all sheepish. Eventually they figured they'd have to give us somethign and we ended up trying to eat some half-ripe oranges they put in front of us.
Iran. Surprisingly good red light district made doubly exciting by the ever-present prospect of detention and torture.
Iraq. Only been to post-Saddam Basrah and it didn't seem that bad to me. Certainly better than half a dozen African countries I can think of. I'm going to do the Kuwait City - Baghdad drive next month so I'll report back assuming I survive it.
I'd be v keen to hear how that goes. Good luck with it
Syria. Met Mrs. DD in an Aleppo bar. The fact that quality tottie like her will marry someone like me to get a new life outside Syria tells you all you need to know about the Ba'athist wonderland.
Aleppo is the groping capital of the world. Mrs Spion got grabbed - not very subtly - about half a dozen times there. Mostly in the souk, where guy's hands would just shoot out for a feel as she walked along. And once in a power cut where we were walking upstairs to the hotel entrance and someone ran up and copped a feel
trashpony
29-07-2005, 17:45
Shh. Nice little scam those correspondents have got going there. You're just jealous :D
Yes, it's true. They have confessed that they aren't exactly sure where their correspondents are quite a lot of the time ...
So there's probably a few of them pretending to be in Iraq who's actually filing from a sunlounger in Dubai.
Orang Utan
29-07-2005, 17:55
Most of these places are quite well known if you have an atlas - it's the new ones from the old Soviet bloc that I have trouble keeping up with, like East Ossetia.
Sealand, Kingdom Kreuzburg, Autopia anyone?
Isambard
29-07-2005, 18:06
Kingdom Kreuzburg
Autonomous Republic surely! :cool:
Orang Utan
29-07-2005, 18:09
Autonomous Republic surely! :cool:
Yeah, I find all these micronations very intriguing - I'm tempted to annexe a Western Isle for the purposes of founding a ginger homeland
trashpony
29-07-2005, 18:20
Most of these places are quite well known if you have an atlas - it's the new ones from the old Soviet bloc that I have trouble keeping up with, like East Ossetia.
Sealand, Kingdom Kreuzburg, Autopia anyone?
I've always thought that Ossetia sounded rather glamorous. I have no idea where it is though. Probably cold and extremely poor. :(
Orang Utan
29-07-2005, 18:23
I've always thought that Ossetia sounded rather glamorous. I have no idea where it is though. Probably cold and extremely poor. :(
Well it's in a disputed region between Georgia and Russia in the Caucasus - it's probably a very beautiful place - but poor and cold in the winter for sure.
Oops, it's North and South Ossetia, not East and West :o
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Embassy/2685/caucasus4.jpg
Autopia anyone?
I just looked that up on Wikipedia, and it came up with some rubbish about a completely non-notable ride at Disneyland.
:confused:
rubbershoes
29-07-2005, 20:27
How about sealand (http://www.sealandgov.com/) ruled over by Prince Roy
Donna Ferentes
29-07-2005, 20:30
mine would be belgium - or walesI've had holidays in both.
and Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.
I think things have moved on a little since those days.
lang rabbie
01-08-2005, 10:08
I am just checking a list of countries which has been supplied to me by a well-known global news organisation. It features Yugoslavia. Would I be correct in thinking that Yugoslavia no longer exists?
Only officially ceased to be in 2003 when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) established in 1992 was replaced by the looser confederation of Serbia and Montenegro (Srbija i Crna Gora sometimes abbreviated as SCG) - there has been no boundary change.
Confusingly, most websites in the confederation, including the government (http://www.gov.yu/start.php?je=e&id=6), are continuing to use the .yu suffix allocated to the FRY rather than the allocated .cs - Don't know whether this is because of the strong probability that Serbia and Montenegro may go for independence in 2006.
Confusingly, most websites in the confederation, including the government (http://www.gov.yu/start.php?je=e&id=6), are continuing to use the .yu suffix allocated to the FRY rather than the allocated .cs - Don't know whether this is because of the strong probability that Serbia and Montenegro may go for independence in 2006.
Probably waiting for an update to the ISO 3166 country codes that IANA/ICANN uses to determine the delegation of country-code top level domains. .cs should be available as it became redundant when Czechoslovakia split, although there may be legacy system use of that ccTLD.
Don't know whether this is because of the strong probability that Serbia and Montenegro may go for independence in 2006.
You mean Montenegro, right?
pogofish
01-08-2005, 10:24
Not an individual country, but I always enjoyed the oddity of Barle-Nassau. A few chunks of Belgum, some miles inside the Dutch border. Apparently, they couldn't agree on the border here so the land-ownership roll was used instead! :D
http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/baarle_files/baarle1.gif
http://www.eurodan.co.uk/mtblogfiles/grens.jpg
I was also reading about some small town in Northern Italy that has it's own currency and government, can't remember the name though.
Might that be Dhannamar (sp?)? Think that was more of a cult "state", asserting its independance. Think they have been forced back into Italy recently though, forced to pay taxes & get planning permission for their underground temples etc!
Stanley Edwards
01-08-2005, 10:52
There's a place called Wales apparently.
:D
Tried to explain Wales to my spanish teacher here in rural spain the other week. After 10 minutes I gave up. 'You mean the west of england?' she asked. I'll take an atlas in with me when new term starts.
Also sat down to a CD ROM excercise all about nationalities and countries.
What nationality are the following celebrities, the question asked. No 'English' option for Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. Here in Spain it appears they are considered american!
I'm starting to wonder just what kind of spanish I'm being taught.
Well it's in a disputed region between Georgia and Russia in the Caucasus - it's probably a very beautiful place - but poor and cold in the winter for sure.
Oops, it's North and South Ossetia, not East and West :o
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Embassy/2685/caucasus4.jpg
Russia has a few federated republics. Chuvashia is one. I was in Russia last summer, some incidents occured (the few times that the Caucuasus was mentioned on the TV news)- Georgian troops were firing on a convoy of Russian and South Ossetian military personel meeting near the border. Russian troops blowing the fuck out of a house in Dagestan after a shootout with militants hiding there, and Georgia threatening to fire upon any any ships or boats moving off the coast of Abhkazia, as it is still a spot where Russian tourists like to go for their summer hols. Sounds like a fun place to be the Cauacasus.
Are getting into (semi) autonomous territories with limited recognition? Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh and Nakhchivan are nice sounding spots.
Nakhichivan isn't an independant state, it's just an exclave of Azerbaijan.
The mod used to call it F.R.Y as in the former republic of yugoslavia
Must have gladdened the heart of whoever it is who thinks up odd names just for the military to rename a country.
You're not confusing it with FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) or Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, are you?
"Confusingly, most websites in the confederation, including the government, are continuing to use the .yu suffix"
There are quite a few websites that use the .su domain - all of them put up after the Soviet Union ceased to exist!
North Ossetia and South Ossetia aren't disputed between Russia and Georgia, so much as South Ossetia is attempting to secede from Georgia with Russian support, iirc. North Ossetia is accepted as Russian territory.
The Caucasus is very nice (and pretty diverse) in parts...
I've just discovered Kiribati http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati official language gilbertese
and wondered how many other countries there must be that i've never even heard of.
any more obscure ones from the geographers out there?
anyones you've recently discovered that you had no clue about?
Kiribati and Vanuatu are former British colonies: The Gilbert and Ellice Islands. In my first year of secondary school, back in the day, we read A Pattern of Islands by Sir Arthur Grimble which was about his days posted there in the 1920s as a very minor diplomat. Not as dull as it sounds, it was rather charming and self-deprecating in a colonialist sort of way...
There's some weird libertarian island in the pacific called sonara or something like that.
Nakhichivan isn't an independant state, it's just an exclave of Azerbaijan.
They pretend to have maintained the autonomous status it had under the USSR, so I reckon it fits in.
jugularvein
02-08-2005, 13:04
Republic of Nauru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru
:confused:
Republic of Nauru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru
:confused:
Poor bastards.
jugularvein
02-08-2005, 13:09
yeah lonely planet says it's basically been raped :(
jugularvein
02-08-2005, 13:48
Niue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niue
Seems to be / or was a part of the Empire
jugularvein
02-08-2005, 13:54
Nice girls from Nuie. :)
looks a beautiful place
would love to be there now
http://www.misssouthpacific.ws/2001/images/pageant/03_2-niue.jpg
Kiribati and Vanuatu are former British colonies: The Gilbert and Ellice Islands. In my first year of secondary school, back in the day, we read A Pattern of Islands by Sir Arthur Grimble which was about his days posted there in the 1920s as a very minor diplomat. Not as dull as it sounds, it was rather charming and self-deprecating in a colonialist sort of way...
In actual fact, Vanuatu was neglected by the UK and many French colonists moved in. In 1906 the Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides was formed and run as a joint interest with a joint administration before independence on 30 July 1980.
I'd love to spend a long time travelling round the south Pacific. The Cook Islands are gorgeous and I'd love to see a lot more, preferably by sea :)
Niue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niue
Seems to be / or was a part of the Empire
Major tax evading place Niue. Population 2,000.
how about this one, also know as the kyrgyz republic. :eek:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan
pronounce that one!
sorry, didn't know transnistria or micronesia. thanks :)
I'm going there next week. The consulate in London is a man in the front room of his flat near Baker Street with a flag on his desk. Very friendly and efficient. :)
Just found an article about tax evasion from a few years back, the following obscure countries were in trouble:
Andorra; Antigua; Aruba; the British Virgin Islands; the Channel Islands of Guernsey, Sark and Alderney; Liechtenstein; Marshall Islands; Monaco; Montserrat; Nauru; Netherlands Antilles; Niue; Panama; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent; Tonga; Turks and Caicos; US Virgin Islands; Vanuatu; Western Samoa.
My personal favorite: Equatorial Guinea - a collection of a few islands and a small bit of land on the west coast of central africa. Ruled by a series of very nasty and completely nuts dictators.
lang rabbie
02-08-2005, 16:55
I'm going there next week.
You just can' get enough of that fermented mares' milk, can you? ;)
You just can' get enough of that fermented mares' milk, can you? ;)
This (http://www.myphotographs.net/kyrgyzstan/kyrgyzstan.html) is what is enticing me.
Pickman's model
02-08-2005, 16:57
My personal favorite: Equatorial Guinea - a collection of a few islands and a small bit of land on the west coast of central africa. Ruled by a series of very nasty and completely nuts dictators.i do hope yr not planning a coup! ;)
i do hope yr not planning a coup! ;)
:D
Pitcairn Islands: last UK dependency in South Pacific. Colonised after some kind of mutiny/piracy on a British boat. Population 47, spread over 4 islands. Biggest export - postage stamps. The islands have 8 telephone lines and 1 internet connection. Situated just past French Polynesia. Recent history is that 8 female residents 'escaped' to New Zealand claiming asylum after alleging abuse back home. As a result, 15 male residents, including the mayor/president/whatever, face charges of indecency.
What I want to know (if this is true, I'm quoting sheppardsoftware geography games here which I play with my 7 year old) is:
Who's charging them? What's the make-up of the other 24 residents?
Why hasn't someone thought of opening up a bar or a picture-house there?
Why hasn't this place been re-populated, I'm sure theres plenty of people who'd jump at the chance to shift to a pacific island with excellent climate??
Or am I being a bit thick?
Anyways, if anyone could tell me a bit more about these places I'd be curious:- Guam, New Caledonia, Tuvalu, Kazakhstan (would particularly like to hear from Celtic fans here), Bhutan, Mauritania, Central African Republic (for a place wedged next to Nigeria and cameroon it sounds a bit dull)
1) the trial was in NZ or Australia - big news a few months back
2) dunno
3) you're not allowed to just move there - it's pretty small and you need permission. i don't think it's that nice a climate, anyway. the guardian had quite a long article by some woman that had lived there for a year (and shagged some local married guy, apparantly).
Kazakhstan - 1/3 Russian, rest mostly Kazakh, desert/scrubs, oil, miserable. Worked with a guy who thinks Atyrau was a shitehole but Almaty can be quite nice, apparantly. Economy controlled by President's family. Corrupt. Growing slowly. Next in line for colour revolution? Elections might prove a turning point, though no obvious opposition figure. Why Celtic fans, partuicularly?
Guam: US naval base
New Caledonia: French out of the Pacific!
Tuvalu: sold off .tv ccTLD, disappearing beneath rising ocean levels
Kazakhstan: the incredible shrinking Aral sea
Bhutan: banned cigarette sales
Mauritania: slave trading and one of the first steam turbine liners.
Central African Republic: used to have a president who liked his subjects so much he ate them.
Edit: Mauretania has just had a coup. So there.
Central African Republic: used to have a president who liked his subjects so much he ate them.
Recently the area of Republic of Congo that borders CAR has been found to have an enormous previously unnoticed elephant population (it's basically a big forest). One of my best mates is writing a history of Congo and has been pootling around that area recently. Most of the population in the northern Congolese forest are pygmies so I'd imagine there are a fair few in southern CAR.
Recently the area of Republic of Congo that borders CAR has been found to have an enormous previously unnoticed elephant population (it's basically a big forest). One of my best mates is writing a history of Congo and has been pootling around that area recently. Most of the population in the northern Congolese forest are pygmies so I'd imagine there are a fair few in southern CAR.
Good work your mate is doing, hopefully it will have the side effect of helping to focus attention on the desperate plight of pygmies in the Ituri province.
On the subject of Italy, the place you're looking for folks is Campione.
Fascinating place and a luvverly little tax haven if you have the cash to splash...
http://www.campioneitalia.com/
google it along with tax haven....
miniGMgoit
07-08-2005, 04:39
South pacific island - or set of islands, actually I think.... beautiful diving.
Isnt it part of the Federal State Of Micronesia
Isnt it part of the Federal State Of Micronesia
It's definitely an independent state in its own right and nowhere near the Federated States of Micronesia. Vanuatu is part of the Melanesian region which also includes Fiji, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and New Guinea. Micronesia is mostly north of the Equator from memory and contains - as well as the FSM - Guam, Palau and Kiribati amongst others.
Polynesia is the south Pacific and is made up of the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, French Polynesia, American Samoa and others.
*starts pining for a big ship to sail round the Pacific on*
Vanuatu made some cash in the 1990s by allowing banks to be registered in its jurisdiction with no oversight, monitoring or transparency. These banks (really just shelf companies that existed on paper only) were primarily used by Russian and other FSU criminals, corrupt civil servants and tax dodgers to launder funds.
miniGMgoit
07-08-2005, 11:04
It's definitely an independent state in its own right and nowhere near the Federated States of Micronesia. Vanuatu is part of the Melanesian region which also includes Fiji, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and New Guinea. Micronesia is mostly north of the Equator from memory and contains - as well as the FSM - Guam, Palau and Kiribati amongst others.
Polynesia is the south Pacific and is made up of the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, French Polynesia, American Samoa and others.
*starts pining for a big ship to sail round the Pacific on*
I would highly recommend doing that. I have been fortunate enough to experience life in the Pacific. Mainly the South Pacific but its something I always had and always will long for.
My ideal life would be to fuck everything off and go live on Huihane, in French Polynesia.
(remembers and sighs) :)
Vanuatu made some cash in the 1990s by allowing banks to be registered in its jurisdiction with no oversight, monitoring or transparency. These banks (really just shelf companies that existed on paper only) were primarily used by Russian and other FSU criminals, corrupt civil servants and tax dodgers to launder funds.
Several PI nations had ben engaging in this sort of thing, attracting not only Russian crims but also some of New Zealand's most notable corporate citizens and banks, who turned out to be crooks, cheats and liars (now resident in Switzerland.)
parallelepipete
08-08-2005, 13:19
and Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.
For least touristy place, I went to Bosnia with my then gf in summer of '97. It's a bit weird being on holiday in a place where roads have tank track imprints in them and houses have lines of bullet holes. :eek:
Oh, and sitting eating eel in a restaurant in Medjugorje where the only other diners were a bunch of SFOR troops, but where there were masses of shops selling religious tat because of the nearby shrine!
Major Tom
08-08-2005, 13:24
I went to Sicily just before they started advertising the place as a tourist attraction. It was the period that the government had virtually declared war on the mafia - 1993. The prison in Palermo had a ring of tanks and armoured cars around it, and nearly every street corner in Palermo had armed soldiers standing guard behind a bullet proof barrier.
Oh, and sitting eating eel in a restaurant in Medjugorje where the only other diners were a bunch of SFOR troops, but where there were masses of shops selling religious tat because of the nearby shrine!
Funny place that, the god people say it's because of the VM shrine or whatever that it didn't get attacked. No, you fuckwits, it's because it was Croatian catholic thugs in Herzegovina who were busy doing the attacking.
parallelepipete
08-08-2005, 13:57
Funny place that, the god people say it's because of the VM shrine or whatever that it didn't get attacked. No, you fuckwits, it's because it was Croatian catholic thugs in Herzegovina who were busy doing the attacking.
And the souvenir shops etc. were probably a good source of currency for them? (even during the war, apparently there was a hardcore of pilgrims from Ireland/US etc. visiting the shrine)
<chokes on thug-funding plate of eels>
And the souvenir shops etc. were probably a good source of currency for them? (even during the war, apparently there was a hardcore of pilgrims from Ireland/US etc. visiting the shrine)
<chokes on thug-funding plate of eels>
Yeah probably, also gave them some air of respectability I guess. Some of the most revolting people I have ever met were in Herzegovina.
Rock Bottom
08-08-2005, 15:23
I'm going there next week. The consulate in London is a man in the front room of his flat near Baker Street with a flag on his desk. Very friendly and efficient. :)
The British Consul in Kyrgyzstan owns a bar at one of the major junctions in Bishkek called Fat Cats. Although I am generally unwary of hanging out in ex-pat joints, this guy is spot on (I have temporarily forgotten his name. Tell him I said hello. I was down there 10 months back - teaching English for 7 months)
Pickmans, I don't quite understand why you incorrectly corrected the OP as to the name of the country. Kurgistan???
gaijingirl
08-08-2005, 15:58
Probably the most unusual places I've travelled through are Guam and Belarus... neither particulary exotic mind.
rock bottom - surely the Honorary Consul rather than the Consul (who would be a FT diplomat)?
Rock Bottom
09-08-2005, 09:11
rock bottom - surely the Honorary Consul rather than the Consul (who would be a FT diplomat)?
Yes, I meant the Honorary Consul.
Thank you. I'm not quite sure how to tell them that they have people working in a country that doesn't actually exist. Bunch of fuckwits. :rolleyes:
the term 'former yugoslavia' is often used, partly because some borders are still provisional afaik.
I don't think you're right there - the borders (lines) are all settled apart from a few slivers (slovenia and croatia solved maritime yet?), only Kosova's status is unresolved. Yugoslavia is a historic term, it should be retired. Referring to Croatia or Bosnia as ex-Yugoslavia is a bit like referring to Dublin as being in ex-Britain!
I thought that the serbia/bosnia/montenegro were in a bit of a tis about borders but I don't really know, I just remember reading something about it in the lonely planet a while back. May be old info!
I think JWH is right, just the dispute over the waters off Piran and a peninsula there which I think it almost/hes been settled. Pretty pathetic dispute if you see the tiny areas they are talking about. Mind you, the Croatian government has a bitch about Neum every now and again (the sliver of Bosnia to the Adriatic which you can pass over freely anyway)
Barking_Mad
12-08-2005, 08:03
Nauru - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1134221.stm
The BBC's country profiles page is always worth a look :-)
Mind you, the Croatian government has a bitch about Neum every now and again (the sliver of Bosnia to the Adriatic which you can pass over freely anyway)
I was there a couple of weeks ago, as it happens - I noticed that Croatian police cars were driving up and down the street without a care in the world...
chilango
12-08-2005, 22:16
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/maps/uy-map.gif
Just been there a c week or so ago.
U R Gay
or U R a gay
kept us amused for days.
good wine though.
phildwyer
12-08-2005, 22:36
Just been there a c week or so ago.
U R Gay
or U R a gay
kept us amused for days.
good wine though.
Yeah, I was in Uruguay very briefly in March, I liked the mate (its a drink.)
At last, finally remembered the little town in Italy that is sort of independent. Now I can sleep at nights. Place called Seborga which was never actually officially incorporated into Italy.
http://principato-di-seborga.com/HISTORY%20OF%20THE%20PRINCIPALITY.htm
Good work your mate is doing, hopefully it will have the side effect of helping to focus attention on the desperate plight of pygmies in the Ituri province.
Good article & pictures by her husband's former colleague
here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_pygmies0_struggle/html/1.stm)
Also new bits of lopped off countries - there are tiny enclaves of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in southern Kyrgyzstan...
Good article & pictures by her husband's former colleague
here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_pygmies0_struggle/html/1.stm)
Interesting-thank you.
BassJunkie
21-08-2005, 15:20
Pickmans, I don't quite understand why you incorrectly corrected the OP as to the name of the country. Kurgistan???
I believe that was to indicate how it's pronounced.
But it's a short "ee" sound like the "y" in "meaty", not an "uh" sound (like Kurdistan) or "oooo" sound. (and it's definitely written Kyrgyzstan in Latin: http://www.us.mfa.kg/ ).
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