# How many countries are younger than you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2014, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525 "2014-02-17T06:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Armored\_Diplomacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Armored\_Diplomacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armored_Diplomacy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/1 "2014-02-17T06:22:00Z")
Here’s a fun little game I thought of. Try to think of all the independent countries that are younger than you. That is, your birth predates their date of independence. For me, it would be: - Palau - East Timor - Serbia - Montenegro - Kosovo - South Sudan - Abkhazia - South Ossetia ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/2 "2014-02-17T06:39:34Z")
> [@Armored\_Diplomacy](#): > > Here’s a fun little game I thought of. Try to think of all the independent countries that are younger than you. That is, your birth predates their date of independence. > > For me, it would be: > > - Palau > - East Timor > - Serbia > - Montenegro > - Kosovo > - South Sudan > - Abkhazia > - South Ossetia Abkhazia and South Ossetia aren’t recognized countries. They are disputed territories which have no national currencies and limited contacts outside of their regions. I’m 47 and since I was born the following have become nation: [ol] [li]Belize[/li][li]The Czech Republic[/li][li]Slovakia[/li][li]Belarus[/li][li]Djibouti[/li][li]Guyana[/li][li]Macedonia[/li][/ol] Among others. Reference: > **[South Ossetia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Ossetia)** > > South Ossetia,\[a\] officially the Republic of South Ossetia or the State of Alania, is a partially recognised landlocked country in the South Caucasus. It has an officially stated population of just over 56,500 people (2022), who live in an area of 3,900 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), with 33,000 living in the capital city, Tskhinvali. > As of 2024, only five members of the United Nations (UN) recognise South Ossetia as a sovereign state – Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. The Ge... > **[Abkhazia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia)** > > Abkhazia,\[a\]\[b\] officially the Republic of Abkhazia,\[c\] is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city is Sukhumi. > The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhazia conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia has been recognised as an independent state by Ru... ---
**Author:** ![Armored\_Diplomacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Armored\_Diplomacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armored_Diplomacy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/3 "2014-02-17T06:44:38Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Abkhazia and South Ossetia aren’t recognized countries. > They are disputed territories which have no national currencies and limited contacts outside of their regions. > > I’m 47 and since I was born the following have become nation: > > [ol] > [li]Belize[/li][li]The Czech Republic[/li][li]Slovakia[/li][li]Belarus[/li][li]Djibouti[/li][li]Guyana[/li][li]Macedonia[/li][/ol] > > Among others. > > Reference: > > [South Ossetia - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Ossetia) > [Abkhazia - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia) If you’re 47, you’ve left a quite few out, there were a lot of small countries that became independent of Britain in the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/4 "2014-02-17T07:01:44Z")
This will help: [List of sovereign states by date of formation - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_date_of_formation) ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/5 "2014-02-17T07:09:04Z")
> [@Armored\_Diplomacy](#): > > Here’s a fun little game I thought of. Try to think of all the independent countries that are younger than you. That is, your birth predates their date of independence. > > For me, it would be: > > - Palau > - East Timor > - Serbia > - Montenegro > - Kosovo > - South Sudan > - Abkhazia > - South Ossetia I just wanted to point out that when East Timor had it’s independence referendum violence broke out, and I was part of a peacekeeping force sent to the new country. In a way, I had a very tiny part in the birth of a country. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/6 "2014-02-17T07:16:41Z")
Lithuania Estonia Latvia Ukraine Belarus All the 'stans except Afghanistan and Pakistan. Burkina Fasso (or was it just re-named?) Myanmar Palestine ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/7 "2014-02-17T09:58:57Z")
I was born in 1948: so, lots and lots. I’m too lazy to try and tot them up. ---
**Author:** ![FightMyIgnorance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71e660/32.png) [@FightMyIgnorance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FightMyIgnorance)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/8 "2014-02-17T10:33:25Z")
Timor Montenegro annnnd South Sudan. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/9 "2014-02-17T13:31:47Z")
> [@Armored\_Diplomacy](#): > > Here’s a fun little game I thought of. Try to think of all the independent countries that are younger than you. That is, your birth predates their date of independence. > > For me, it would be: > > - Palau > - East Timor > - Serbia > - Montenegro > - Kosovo > - South Sudan > - Abkhazia > - South Ossetia Since this is a listing of things based on time and there’s a similar thread in Cafe Society about songs that list things, I’m singing this to We Didn’t Start the Fire. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/10 "2014-02-17T14:05:31Z")
> [@Armored\_Diplomacy](#): > > If you’re 47, you’ve left a quite few out, there were a lot of small countries that became independent of Britain in the 70s. But those countries were still countries, even if Britain was in charge. They weren’t part of the UK. It was a handful by the 70s anyway, not a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/11 "2014-02-17T15:44:04Z")
I was born after Sierra Leone’s independence and before Tanzania’s. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/12 "2014-02-17T15:47:16Z")
All the former Soviet republics. All the former Yugoslav republics. Both of the former Czechoslovakian republics. Most of the former European colonies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/13 "2014-02-17T15:54:33Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Lithuania > Estonia > Latvia > Ukraine > Belarus > All the 'stans except Afghanistan and Pakistan. > Burkina Fasso (or was it just re-named?) > Myanmar > Palestine Burkina Faso was a French colony named _Haute Volta_, known to the English speaking world as Upper Volta. It was renamed by one of its presidents after becoming an independent nation. I’ve always liked the name of its capital, Ouagadougou (oo-ah-ga-doo’-goo, more or less). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/14 "2014-02-17T16:25:33Z")
1. Every country in Africa except Liberia, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Egypt. 2. All the former Soviet republics. 3. Belize, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Bahamas, and other Caribbean countries except Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. 4. Malta, Cyprus, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, 5. All the island nations of the Pacific. 6. Timor-Leste, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia 7. United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain I’m probably missing a few. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/15 "2014-02-17T16:47:48Z")
Hell, I can’t even list all the countries in _Europe_ that have become independent, much less the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/16 "2014-02-17T16:49:22Z")
> [@Armored\_Diplomacy](#): > > If you’re 47, you’ve left a quite few out, there were a lot of small countries that became independent of Britain in the 70s. That’s why I finished with “among others.” Or did you miss that? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/17 "2014-02-17T17:54:23Z")
> [@susan](#): > > This will help: [List of sovereign states by date of formation - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_date_of_formation) Using that list I make it 87 countries that have had their first acquisition of sovereignty since I was born. I must say, I am surprised it is so many. Furthermore, that’s not counting many places such as the Baltic states and some of the components of former Yugoslavia that were originally sovereign long ago, then conquered or absorbed as part of some lager sovereign entity, and then, more recently, within my lifetime, became independent and sovereign again. There must be quite a few of those too (especially as I see things on that Wiki list such as Iraq having regained sovereignty from the USA in 2004). I am not going to list either group. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/18 "2014-02-18T05:17:15Z")
Doesn’t anyone remember poor little Bangladesh? Until 1971, it was the other half of Pakistan. Pakistan was one weird country - sitting in 2 pieces with a sworn enemy between them (India). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/19 "2014-02-18T17:19:58Z")
Practically the entire planet. I was born in 1945. ---
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525/20 "2014-02-18T18:00:42Z")
> [@susan](#): > > This will help: [List of sovereign states by date of formation - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_date_of_formation) According to that link, by date of “last subordination”, I am older than 45% (88) of the world’s 195 countries. I had no idea there were that many! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-younger-than-you/681525.md?page=2)