Facts about World Countries: Let's Visit
A Preamble of Our Tour
Some of the countries of planet Earth hold unique positions in our world of facts. Some that hold special distinctions include the oldest, newest, smallest, largest, most populated, least populated, etc.. These are the ones we will look at today. Also, to add a little fun into the mix, there is a one question quiz before each section of the article so you can test yourself on what you know about this sphere which hangs in the heavens of our universe. Now, with no further ado, let's jump right in.
World's Oldest Country
The world's oldest, existing country is the Republic of San Marino. This small country was founded on Sept. 3, 301CE; however, it didn't have a written constitution until 1600. The population of the country is about 33,400 and has a total area of only 23.6 sq. miles. It's also a landlocked country, surrounded by Italy. Christianity is the dominant religion in the country, and Italian is the dominant language.
World's Newest Country
South Sudan, located on the African Continent was born on July 9, 2013, making it the newest country in the world. Between January 9-15, 2011, a referendum was held to determine whether South Sudan should declare independence from Sudan. A whopping 98.83% of the population voted for its independence, and on July 9, 2011, it became an official country. It is also landlocked by east-central Africa and has a president as head of the government.
A civil war has been going on in this country since June 2016. The fighting is between the Dinka dominated Sudan People's Liberation Army and local opposition forces. There have been over 50,000 people killed, and over 4 million displaced because of this ongoing conflict. Before this conflict, there were many others.
World's Smallest Country
World's Smallest Country - Vatican City It may be difficult to imagine, but Vatican City is a world country that measures just 0.2 square miles. How does this country measure up to New York City? No wait, lets see how it measures up to New York City’s Central Park. 120 countries the size of Vatican City could fit into Central Park, and its population is smaller than many high school classes, but does not hold the distinction of the country with the smallest population (just hold your horses for that one). It is also a landlocked country inside Italy. It is the official seat of the pope of the Catholic Church.
World's Largest Country
The world's largest country in water and land mass is Russia. This country occupies an area of over 6.6 million sq. miles, and occupies about 11% of the total world's landmass. It has fallen under the classification as an Empire since 1721, with sub-classifications as the Russian Republic in 1917, Russian SFSR / Soviet Union 1917–1991 and finally as a Russian Federation since 1992. It has nine time zones.
Canada is the next largest country with around 2.8 million sq. miles, followed in order of landmasses by the United States, People's Republic of China, Brazil, Australia, and India.
World's Most Populated Country
China holds the distinction of being the world's most populous country, with over 1,384,689 billion people. It has one-fifth of the world's population. The population density in China is 134 people per sq. km. This is about four times greater than that of the U.S. The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the country's sole political party in power.
Not only does China have the largest population in the world, it also has one of the "7 Wonders of The World;" the "Great Wall. According to an archaeological survey, the walls, which were constructed during the Ming dynasty are 5,500 miles in length. This is made up of 3,889 miles of actual wall, 223 miles of trenches and 1,387 miles of natural defensive barriers, such as hills and rivers. However, if you just take into consideration the actual physical wall itself at 3,889 miles, and compare it to the width of the United States at 2,680 miles, you still have 1,209 miles left over.
The following countries have large populations and follow in the order listed behind China,
- 2. India
- 3. United States
- 4. Indonesia
- 5. Brazil
- 6. Pakistan
- 7. Nigeria
- 8. Bangladesh
- 9. Russia
- 10. Japan
World's Least Populated Country
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, as you've already read, but it also holds the distinction of being the least populated. The population of this country is between 800 and 1,000 inhabitants. Almost 75 percent of the population consists of the clergy, and the population is almost 100 percent of the Christian faith. The Pitcairn Islands are actually smaller in population but are listed as a British Territory; not a country.
What Distinctions Does The United States Have
Besides being the number one superpower in the world, the United States has the following accolades as being number one.
- defense spending
- leading producer of nuclear power
- leader in space exploration, aerospace, and aviation
- protected conservation areas totaling about 14% of the land area in the U.S.
- world's largest road network
- ahead of the world in the futuristic technology of robotics
- world's biggest exporter of weapons
- first user of outer space for commercial purposes
You Are Now Wiser About Our World I Hope
Our planet is changing faster than we can keep up with it, but I will continue to add changes that happen in the future to keep it all relevant. Also, watch the short video in this article for more information about different countries.
References
Global Conflict Tracker https://www.cfr.org/interactives/global-conflict-tracker?marker=26#!/...south-sudan
Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia
India https://www.britannica.com/place/India
San Marino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marino
Canada https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada
China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
Vatican City www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en.html
