Actually it surprises nobody here. We’ve been dealing with them every couple of years since the mid 1970s when they noticed us, and much hot air is impotently blown every time.
The USA back in 1953 when it still dominated the UN General Assembly (and maybe the Soviets were busy boycotting something) pulled a fast one on the G.A. and got something passed declaring that adoption of the Commonwealth Constitution had made us “Self-Governing” and therefore they no longer had to file reports on how we were doing as a [del]subject colony[/del] unincorporated territory. However in 1960-61 the UN created this committee and adopted an official definition of when a place IS “decolonized”, which turns out to require more than mere “home rule”: when it either (a) is fully independent , or (b) is voluntarily fully and equally integrated with the metropolitan power, or (c) exercising full legal sovereignty, delegates some of it without prejudice in a voluntary association that they may rescind. oops… none of the three had yet happened here. However, because 1953, we’re not on the official list of “colonies” so all they can do is talk about it, they can’t tell the US to do jack about it.
Having been away for a couple of days, I’m bagging Botswana (#143).
Formerly the British colony of Bechuanaland.
A stable, humanely-run democracy; with, unfortunately, a very high incidence of AIDS among the population.
The setting for Alexander McCall Smith’s mysteries with heroine Precious Ramotswe – which I loathe, but which have very many devoted fans. #144: Macedonia
The Slovene language is related to the Serbo-Croat of fellow ex-Yugoslavs, but with appreciable differences – about as different / similar as Spanish / Portuguese, I believe.
Big tourist attraction: the caves at Postojna – large, and in cave terms spectacular, cave complex. #146: Latvia
No action for a few days – I’ll do a consecutive one.
#146: Latvia
Capital Riga.
Riga is nowadays a favourite destination for “stag parties / bachelor parties” from the UK – cheap and abundant booze, reckoned to have much to do with this.
Talking of booze: Latvia’s speciality in that line, is reputedly strange-tasting and highly potent stuff called Riga Birch Balsam. #147: The Gambia
It’s the part of the world in which Albert Schweitzer [sp?] established his hospital and carried out his many decades of humanitarian work. #151: Bahrain
Made up of former Spanish African possessions of Fernando Pó and Anobón (insular) and Río Muni (continental), quite far away from the other two Guineas.
Ruled since independence by successive kleptodictators, so unimaginative the current one is doing the by now cliché move of building a new capital city out in the sticks with lately acquired oil wealth.
Birthplace of the late Copito de Nieve, the Barcelona Zoo’s white gorilla.
An island in the eastern Mediterranean that is, geologically, a chunk of seabed; the island’s mountains are ophiolitic, a sequence most common on ocean floors.
Site of the oldest known copper mines. The Latin word for copper comes from the island’s name.
Greece and Turkey each formerly claimed Cyprus, and the island is now divided by the Green Line, separating Turkish and Greek Cypriots.