Unrecognized Nations - Travels to countries that do not Exist

Have you ever heard of South Ossetia, Transnistria or Somaliland? And what about Abkhazia or Nagorno-Karabakh? Can you guess what these strange names have in common? These are all countries that, despite being independent, are not recognised by the United Nations. In other words, they are countries with borders, populations, visas, their own currencies, and even their own systems of Government, but that are not among the 193 members of the United Nations. Apart from these, which are completely unknown to most of the world’s population, this list also includes some more familiar names, including Palestine, Kosovo, Kashmir, Tibet and Taiwan. Traveller Guilherme Canever visited 16 countries that are not recognised by the United Nations, and has presented us with reports, stories and questions about each of these places, scattered on the map. He met people, stayed with the locals, tried local food, hitchhiked, and visited tourist spots. He was also able to take in a bit of the culture, observing the habits of these “non-citizens of countries that do not exist”, and has put all this experience in a book which, even though it is provocative, is a pleasure to read. The book starts with an explanation of what makes a country be “a Country” and how new countries come into being. Next, each chapter brings a different “non-country”, with its location on the map, its main characteristics, the report on his experience in each of them, tips about what a visitors can do there, and other curiosities. The preface is signed by Guga Chacra, who has a master’s degree in International Relations from the Columbia University, and is a news commentator at Globo News..“Guilherme is a traveller and not a tourist. This difference is very important for us to understand the book. I have nothing against tourists, and I am sure that Guilherme must have embarked on traditional tourism in the past. However, a traveller really wants to make discoveries, and not see what everyone else had already seen. Yes, we must all visit Paris, Rome, and also New York, where I now live. A real traveller is not satisfied with traditional destinations: he or she wants more. In Guilherme’s case, he wants to see how things are in Abkhazia, Eastern Turkestan, and South Ossetia. And, just like the traditional travellers of the past, he likes to tell us about his experiences.”