----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > A patron at the reference desk needs to know: > [1] how many sovereign countries were on the globe in 1992 > [2] how many sovereign countries were on the globe in 1993 > [3] if any have split up / been absorbed since Jan.1, 1994 > > Thanks in advance. Our statistical sources' figures are too old. > > _________ _____________________________ _________ > ( ) /^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^\ ( ) > (_(~~~~~)_) / Antje Mays \ (_(~~~~~)_) > | | ( ) | | > | |( Collection Management Lbn )| | > | | Daniel Library | | > | | 171 Moultrie St. | | > | | Charleston, SC | | > | | 29409-0206 | | > | | U S A | | > | | | | > | | phone: (001)(803) 953-5160 | | > | | fax : (001)(803) 953-5190 | | > |~~~~~~~~~| |~~~~~~~~~| > | | internet: [log in to unmask] | | > |_________|_____________________________|_________| > We have been struggling over this one too. Some background firts. The National Atlas in 1993 republished its 1972 world map with all the requisite changes, including new country names nad the UNESCO policy approved local city names for the world. We have now arranged through the local Ottawa Citizen newspaper (Southam chain) to publish in a series of continent by continent country outline maps with text and commentaries provided by us describing the various changes in detail since 1972 and in outline since 1945. It was quite a project and given that we had to try to accurately represent official Canadian govt. policy in areas where there may not have been any (or it was obcsure to say the least) we had to consider this list with care. Suffice to say that we ended up with a list of 'non-countries'- places that while having some degrees of internal or historical self governance or indepe- ndence do not meet all the accepted criteria as 'independent' as well as independent. However as anyone who has tried this knows there is no one criteria that can be simply applied as ultimately it depends on a country by country approval. Tell The Citadel the following re. countries: It is difficult to assess the status of several countries (e.g. we normally do not consider Taiwan a country, but tell that to the locals !), and the date some such as Bosnia became independent is a judgement call. However, a reasonably reliable guess based on the files compiled for the National Atlas World Map of 1993 is as follows: Sovereign countries at Jan. 1,1992: 187 Changes in 1992: Bosnia, and "Macedonia" both became generally recognized as independent. Sovereign countries at Jan. 1,1993: 189 Changes in 1993: Czechoslovakia broke up to form the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic; Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia. This is a net gain of 2 countries. Sovereign countries at Jan. 1,1994: 191 No new sovereign countries since then, and no losses, either. The above was provided by Paul Harker our resarch geographer most closely involved in this project. Incidentally anyone wishing copies of these maps can abtain copies on request available for distribution id about a m,onth. They will be free but Canadian requesters are asked to copy their request to the local Editor of their Southam chain newspaper (of which there are 17 in Canada) asking to have the series picked up locally. American requesters might consider asking their local newspaper to carry it also by arrangement with Southam Ottawa, (Mike Gillespie, Ottawa Citizen, 613-596-3702) egards iain taylor chief geographer National Atlas of Canada Information Service (613-992-4028)