It's a small world - and getting smaller by the day. But despite cheap air fares and the relative ease of crossing national borders, I still haven't managed to visit very many of the world's countries. Just 19 at the last count, or 10% of the world's 192 UN Member States.
But what can't be achieved in the real world can be done in the wonderful virtual world of the web. Although I can't talk directly to most of the planet's diverse peoples, I can extend an arm of friendship through the medium of the internet. So far this month my blog has received visitors from 116 different UN Member States. To all of them, and to readers from an additional 31 UN Member States who visited me earlier in 2009 - thank you for stopping by here and do come back again soon.
To everyone in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Cuba, Djibouti, East Timor, Equatoral Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Nauru, Niger, North Korea, Palau, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Suriname, Togo, Tome & Principe, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Vanuatu - I know that poverty, lack of infrastructure and, in some instances, political interference can make internet access difficult if not impossible, but do visit me if you can. You'll be very welcome.
Maps courtesy of World66.
5 comments - post yours here:
that is pretty incredible when you look at it like that! Just goes to show the true power of web, blogs, twitter etc to share our stories!
I was pretty amazed by the stats myself. If you take away those countries with no internet infrastructure and those like Burma and North Korea where the web is restricted, there's not much left. If my blog is reaching just about every country in the world, it's no wonder the Iranian regime is having trouble keeping a lid on the pot.
World domination is in your hands.....
We all aspire to your international stardom! Really, though, it is amazing how blogging makes for interesting friends all over the world.
Since I published this, I've had a visitor from Burma. I guess it was the government, putting me in their books. If not, I'd appreciate an email in confidence.
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