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The Glorioso Islands are two coral islands north of Madagascar, and are considered to be territories of France. At the same time, Comoros and Seychelles lay claim on the island. It is now considered to be marine protected area, preserving endangered flora and fauna that are on the islands.
204 Country and Territories Controlled, 59 Uncontrolled, 59 days to go
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Another island that belongs to France, Juan de Nova Island has a small garrison with a number of troops stationed there. The island is also a nature preserve, often times having scientists on the island with research work happening every so often.
205 Country and Territories Controlled, 58 Uncontrolled, 58 days to go
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Tromelin Island is another island in the Indian Ocean with claims being laid by Mauritius and France, though it is administered by France and is named after Jacques Marie Boudin de Tromelin de La Nuguy who rescued enslaved islanders who were on the island for 15 years.
206 Country and Territories Controlled, 57 Uncontrolled, 57 days to go
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The Netherland Antilles are a group of islands that collectively form the Netherland Antilles. Being made up of Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, they are considered to be a part of the Netherlands, with travel between these islands and the European Union being unhindered due to them being considered a part of the Netherlands.
207 Country and Territories Controlled, 56 Uncontrolled, 56 days to go
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Guernsey was once a part of mainland Europe some 8,000 years ago, though rising sea levels have since separated them from the mainland. That said, the island wasn’t neglected in the time since, with it being home to one of the world’s largest tidal ranges where locals and tourists often visit.
208 Country and Territories Controlled, 55 Uncontrolled, 55 days to go
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Jersey, officially known as Bailiwick of Jersey, is a channel island that lays closer to France than it does to the United Kingdom. Despite that, it is considered to be a British Crown Dependency, meaning that it is defended and represented internationally by the government of the United Kingdom. It was once a favourite holiday destination of Karl Marx, and was occupied by the Germans during the Second World War, with remnants of the war still present to this day.
209 Country and Territories Controlled, 54 Uncontrolled, 54 days to go
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Belgium, a country famous for Formula 1 fans, playing host to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which while probably the second fastest track so far this year and the longest track in the whole season, was the shortest race with the longest lap times for reasons I’m sure we all know of. As quick as it was, the track was deadly, with the most recent casualty being Anthoine Hubert, a Renault Motorsport development driver who was gaining momentum throughout the season until that point.
210 Country and Territories Controlled, 53 Uncontrolled, 53 days to go
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I need not say more than Denmark being the home to Lego. Having spent possibly months assembling Lego models with my friends, this is something I’m really looking forward to getting back into, though time is something that I rarely have in this day and age.
211 Country and Territories Controlled, 52 Uncontrolled, 52 days to go
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Ukraine is the largest country in Europe, with it being the home to the infamous Chernobyl Nuclear Reactors. It’s a mysterious place that remains closed off to this day as a result of radioactive contamination, though clean up efforts, as well as efforts to open the place to tourists, has been ongoing.
212 Country and Territories Controlled, 51 Uncontrolled, 51 days to go
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The Czech Republic is thought to be one of the safest countries in the world to live in. Often being placed in the top 10 globally even. It also has well over half a million foreigners living within its borders, which may not sound like a lot, but when you factor that they are a country of just under 11 million, that’s a lot of foreigners.
213 Country and Territories Controlled, 50 Uncontrolled, 50 days to go
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Poland is well known for a lot of reasons, while often times it could be bad, I tend to remember them for good reasons. Particularly so, Polish Vodka tends to give me a good time, and it’s that reason alone, which is why I love Poland. It was also home to the tallest structure in the world until 1991, when the Warsaw radio mast stood at a height of about 640 meters.
214 Country and Territories Controlled, 49 Uncontrolled, 49 days to go
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Slovenia is home to well over 8,000 caves, 30,000 kilometers of rivers and streams, as well as half the country being protected land, Slovenia has a nation is one that is adventurous and loves the outdoors. And if that’s not something you wish to take part in, you could always sit back and have some wine, given that they have a vineyard for every 7 people in the country.
215 Country and Territories Controlled, 48 Uncontrolled, 48 days to go
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Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country with a rich but complex history. Being a relatively young country, only legally and officially formed in 1995, the country has endured violence and civil unrest, most famously with the Bosnian War. Though with the war ongoing at the time, the Sarajevo Film Festival was debuted, with it being the most popular film festival in the Balkans today.
216 Country and Territories Controlled, 47 Uncontrolled, 47 days to go
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Slovakia is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, it was a part of Czechoslovakia until it’s independence was recognised in 1993. It borders Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the south, Czech Republic to the northwest and Austria to the west, and has an extreme mountainous landscape, ideal for those who wish to go hiking and exploring.
217 Country and Territories Controlled, 46 Uncontrolled, 46 days to go
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This year, Jeddah played host to the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was the penultimate race of the thrilling 2021 F1 Season. As intriguing as this race was, this was a race filled with controversy, with the two title protagonists, coming together in what can only be described as a highly unusual set of circumstances. While the race was an enjoyable race to watch from the entertainment’s perspective, I hope to never see a repeat of what happened that weekend.
218 Country and Territories Controlled, 45 Uncontrolled, 45 days to go
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Georgia is still considered to many as a rather unknown and mysterious holiday destination, and with the country being between Asia and Europe, it stands to reason that the geography of the country is what they’re incredibly proud of. Georgia is also thought to have been home to some of the oldest communities in the world, with human skulls found to have been over 1.8 million years old, indicating that human presence in the region started possibly millions of years ago.
219 Country and Territories Controlled, 44 Uncontrolled, 44 days to go
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Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity, which occurred as soon as the 4th century as the state religion. This is also evident to this very day as monasteries and cathedrals that are well over a thousand years old are still standing to this very day. The country is also known to have one of the world’s oldest capital, with its capital, Yerevan, being constructed about 30 years before Rome was constructed.
220 Country and Territories Controlled, 43 Uncontrolled, 43 days to go
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For most of its history, Serbia was a part of Yugoslavia, with its capital, Belgrade, being the confluence between the Danube and Sava rivers. The country often features medieval architecture and structures that are well preserved to this day. In addition to its rich history, Serbia is also well known on the international stage for being a highly sporting country, with world-class footballers in Nemanja Vidić and Dušan Tadić, as well as tennis world number one, Novak Djokovic.
221 Country and Territories Controlled, 42 Uncontrolled, 42 days to go
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Montenegro has some of Europe’s most rugged terrain, with its name coming from Italian, meaning “black mountains”. Along its 300 kilometre long coastline, there are also well over 110 beaches, and is also a paradise for those who wish to go bird watching.
222 Country and Territories Controlled, 41 Uncontrolled, 41 days to go
You’re on the final stretch! Can’t believe you’ve made it so far!
