How Many Countries?

If you had just landed in the U.S. with a mission to understand the political geography of the planet, could you determine how many countries exist in the world?

Not by reading the news.

Based upon mention in mainstream U.S. media, after Iraq, Iran, North Korea and China, it would seem that few other countries exist.

As we debate who has the best foreign policy credentials in the run up to the presidential election, perhaps we should ask our candidates a basic question: "How many countries are there in the world?"

I wonder how many would know the answer.

I didn't. I had to look it up.

There are 195.

When you consider how much focus we invest on Iraq, it seems we have precious time left for any other country (including our own). It also strikes me as odd, that all the bad guys would hole up in one or two countries - when they have a choice of 195.

It's a big world out there. Perhaps its time we recognized that fact.