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Known as Maslenitsa Week in Belarus, this is the last week before Lent where pancakes are served at home as well as in street festivals. Belarus is also a country that loves its sports, with thousands of venues open to the public, they are often either watching or playing some sport whenever they get the chance.
232 Country and Territories Controlled, 31 Uncontrolled, 31 days to go
1 month left!
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Faroe Island is a small island north of Scotland and to the southeast of Iceland, and is a part of Denmark. It has a somewhat sizeable population of about 50,000 people, though sheep still outnumber people with there being a population of about 70,000 sheep. Somewhat interestingly, the island only has a total of 5 traffic lights on their roads.
233 Country and Territories Controlled, 30 Uncontrolled, 30 days to go
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While it may not seem like it, Finland’s small size packs with it a massive punch in the world of extreme sports. Especially so in the world of motorsports, Finland has produced some of the most famous drivers to have driven in Formula One, with names such as Heikki Kovalainen, Keke Rosberg, Mika Hakkinen and the legendary Kimi Raikkonen being frequent race winners, as well as having four world championships between them. In the upcoming 2022 season, Valterri Bottas will be the last remaining Finn on the grid after Kimi Raikkonen’s retirement, and while Valterri Bottas was once a semi-frequent race winner, his move from Mercedes to Alfa Romeo might bring with it an end to him being at the front of the grid.
234 Country and Territories Controlled, 29 Uncontrolled, 29 days to go
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The tenth smallest country in the world but also the fourth-most densely populated sovereign country, Malta is an island in the Mediterranean Sea lying south of Italy and north of Tunisia. Its climate year-round doesn’t vary too much. It is also a favourite for the very wealthy, given that Malta has long been considered a traditional tax haven due to some of the lowest taxes on profits of any country in the European Union.
235 Country and Territories Controlled, 28 Uncontrolled, 28 days to go
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Lithuania was once one of Europe’s largest country, occupying present-day Belarus, Ukraine, as well as large parts of Russia and Poland, this then broke up into the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth.
236 Country and Territories Controlled, 27 Uncontrolled, 27 days to go
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Interestingly, in 1812, a large section of Riga was intentionally burned down in anticipation of an attack by Napoleon and his troops. The attack didn’t materialised, so hundreds of buildings were destroyed needlessly.
237 Country and Territories Controlled, 26 Uncontrolled, 26 days to go
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Estonia is the northernmost Baltic state, with Finland and Sweden only being separated by the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea too. They all share fairly good relations, with plenty of Finns visiting Estonia and vice versa. Alcohol taxes are also lower in Estonia than it is in Finland, and many Finns have bought alcohol there as it’s cheaper.
238 Country and Territories Controlled, 25 Uncontrolled, 25 days to go
You are so close to finishing!
This has been an incredible journey of exciting opportunities and commitment that will be recognised by the IFATC gods as being one of the top achievements ever achieved in the history of ATC…
I’ll shut up now…🤣
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Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is famous for its buildings with unparalleled architectural intricacies, as well as being the centre of Azerbaijan’s oil and gas boom. More well known in recent years as being Formula One’s more exciting street circuits, the track itself brings you through the grandest, modern and well-built areas, as well as a tight and challenging castle section that punishes the smallest of mistakes. It is also thought to have been the fastest street circuit in the world, until the Jeddah Corniche Street Circuit, only completed about a month ago, hosted the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
239 Country and Territories Controlled, 24 Uncontrolled, 24 days to go
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Well known for its preserved history for a very long time, Syria was considered to be a popular holiday destination for many who are eager to explore the remnants of various civilisations such as the Roman, Ottoman and Greek Macedonian Empires, to name a few.
240 Country and Territories Controlled, 23 Uncontrolled, 23 days to go
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At the core of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan is one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world, other than Liechtenstein. It’s highly strategic location means that many parts of the Silk Road was well developed, with many buildings from the Soviet era also being architectural marvels.
241 Country and Territories Controlled, 22 Uncontrolled, 22 days to go
You should go for Dubai next!
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Oddly enough, despite plenty of attractions, Turkmenistan has one of the lowest numbers of visitors globally. With visitor figures under 9,000 in 2012, this is mainly due to difficulties in obtaining visa permits. Turkmenistan’s location also means that it’s a prime location along the Silk Road, with plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the path.
242 Country and Territories Controlled, 21 Uncontrolled, 21 days to go
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Tajikistan is the smallest of the 5 Central Asian nations on this list, and while it may be small, it definitely packs a punch. Its elevation surpasses all other countries in the region, with multiple peaks at over 7,000 meters above sea level. It is also closely related to Iran, with its language, Tajik and Persian being closely related and mutually intelligible
243 Country and Territories Controlled, 20 Uncontrolled, 20 days to go
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A country with a fame for its Jewish Silversmiths, Yemen’s Silversmiths were famous globally for their ability to create intricate works of art with precious metals. Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, is also thought to be one of the oldest settlements around the world that is still inhabited to this day.
244 Country and Territories Controlled, 19 Uncontrolled, 19 days to go
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Thought to be home to the “Doomsday Vault”, Svalbard is known for its seed bank at which Svalbard Global Seed Vault to provide security in the event there is a need to reintroduce plants as a result of natural disasters or mismanagement of crops. In 2020, the total seed sample stored at the vault exceeded 1,000,000 samples for the first time.
245 Country and Territories Controlled, 18 Uncontrolled, 18 days to go
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The second richest country in the world, only behind Qatar. It is also one of the smallest countries in the world, but has one of the largest car populations, with more than 600 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. Unsurprisingly, this is because more than half of the workforce travels between the two countries on their commute to work.
246 Country and Territories Controlled, 17 Uncontrolled, 17 days to go
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The second least visited country in Europe, this small country of about 38,000, and is the only country in the world that has 100% of its territory in the Alpine region. Interestingly, while this country does not have an army of its own, it is on occasionally accidentally invaded by the Swiss army which conducts training exercises in the woods near the border with Liechtenstein.
247 Country and Territories Controlled, 16 Uncontrolled, 16 days to go
You absolute legend for controlling literally every country in the world!
