I get too much credit for visiting China since Hong Kong isn't listed separately (I visited before it went over to China)

And despite what the bozos in London think, Wales and Scotland are separate countries and should have their own checkbox.

You visited Svalbard?

My equivalent map is here. I have been slightly more rigorous than Perry. My rule is that I must have actually gone through immigration procedures for the country in question. This is now a little problematic in Europe, as there are now no immigration controls within much of Europe. If I fly into Frankfurt, go through German immigration controls there, and then change planes and go straight to Italy where there are no additional immigration controls (as I once did), do I count Germany? In my case it doesn't matter, as I have been to Germany on other occasions, but this could conceivably be an issue. (I could also add India and another African country or two if I used the same rule as Perry).

As for China, I have visited China proper before the handover, Hong Kong both before and after, and Macao before the Macao handover (but after the Hong Kong handover), so I can count it all without any qualms, I think.

You've been to Mexico and some little weird places down on the left hand side of Africa, but you've never been to Canada? Get with it man :-)

Re that mileage thing...as long as you were not rode hard and put up wet, the mileage should not cause too many problems.

Honestly, all this map tells me is that an idiot who visits five countries (as long as they are geographically massive) can look far more impressive than someone who visits twenty or thirty small countries. Where's the glory in that? A weekend trip to Toronto, with a quick drive across the border to Buffalo gives you two thirds of North America in bold red colors, but does it give you any insight into the inhabitants of said countries?

GW Bush might have quite an impressive looking map by these standards but still have never left Texas in his own mind.

Wait until I land on Russian soil next week.....

I visited Vancouver about 10 years ago and took a day trip to the north of Washington State, in the US. This gave me two thirds of North America! :-)

Do I qualify for some sort of prize?

" but does it give you any insight into the inhabitants of said countries?"

To get such insight you must speak their language, read their newspapers, learn their history, eat their food, drink their liquor...
Passing immigration and seeing some buildings and museums is nice but not very instructive.

How about using some hues on the map to reflect the time spent in each country ?

Looks like an up-to-date version of, 'I've got more stamps in my pasport than you', yah boo!. or maybe 'country spotting', a variant of 'train spotting'.

Seems to be about the correct intellectual level. :-)

Hey, Tony Benn can beat that. Just let him show you a map of the galaxy with all the planets he's visited...although these have yet to include Earth.

When you get ready to redden that Georgia (USA) spot on the map, let his American reader know and I'll guide you to a suitable watering hole in Atlanta.

I have passport stamps for countries that not only no longer exist (East Germany), but one that never existed (Free Angola, courtesy of UNITA).

Well, at least you touched down in Nevada, probably Vegas. Here in Reno, we have Virginia City, the Old West silverstrike town, to one side, and Lake Tahoe to the other. A fine piece of terrain, though not exceptional in the global scheme of things.

I've dreamed of England ever since reading the book, Land's End to John O'Groats, about a walking tour of the island. You people have no idea how much good will you have over here, and how quickly you're pissing it away.

This whole world is brimming with beauty.

Look, I have no reason to be an Anglophile. Your ancestors brutalized mine in Ireland, and I doubt Poland, the land of my mother's family, was even on their radar until Hitler decided to move. So, why do I bother?

Well, we seem to share some values in common. Call it foolish sentiment.

It never really occured to me that people would see this as a competitive enterprise. To be honest several of those countries are places I wish I had not visited

So what exactly was the point, Perry?

What a thread ... Romper Room on the internet. Some people here take themselves way too seriously (if you are working up some steam thinking that I might be referring to you - then I am referring to you.)

Perry, thanks for the post (no sarcasm - the map generator is an interesting toy).

S. Weasel: The point is... well, there really was no particular point, other that "Oh, I say chaps! Look at this rather cool whatsit I found on the Internet!"

I visited Japan once courtesy of Flying Tigers airline.

I wasn't allowed off the plane but I could look out the exit door and breathe the air.

I have never left the old Austro-Hungarian empire...

Why are so many people angry at Perry? I could care less (no offense) where's he been.

Perry must be doing something right, because he's pissing off all the right people. (Keep up the good work Perry!)

I'm interested that you went from Texas to Wyoming and to New Mexico/Arizona without going through Utah.

And were you driving US 287 north from Texas? If so, you clipped the panhandle of Oklahoma.

Theodopoulos Pherecydes: this is due to the marvels of air transport

Simple answer to the "Did I really visit" is colour those you did one colour and those you were merely passing through another.

One question though, is there an application out there that makes soemthing like this easy or do you just have to get a map of the world/US and use the fill tool in your paint program?

Rich

You don't have Idaho on your list - fly in to Seattle, Washington and drive over to Moscow for the Boomershoot(Link) and pick up two states and have a little fun, too!

I have also been to a country that doesn't exist, well two actually. Taiwan and Northern Cyprus.