I have always wonder how maps were created and the author of this book gave me this information and then some! It was interesting to read about his opinion about what is to be considered a country or a nation. The author utilized interviews, history and other sources in this book. I will definitely never look at a map the same way after reading this! Really interesting!

What an interesting book. I have to admit that I found it hard to keep reading for long as there was just so much to absorb. Maps would have been helpful but then I don't know if they will be included in a printed addition. If so I would definitely buy a copy rather than the kindle version. My Dad will really enjoy this book.

I’ve recently discovered a new sort of travelogues, ones featuring destinations that either didn’t quite make it to the traditional map of the world or feature barely as specks in the wide span of Mercator projection. My latest find is Invisible Countries. A book that concentrates on places that are not (as of yet anyway) recognized by the world at large such as Abkhazia, Kurdistan and Somaliland and places that are, but may be on their way out due to (yes, it’s freaking real) global warming like Kiribati and ostensibly other tiny island nations. The author has actually traveled to all these locations, some merely remote, some also quite dangerous, to present a comprehensive report on not just the logistics but also the mentality behind these self proclaimed nations and their respective challenges. The world is currently in a stasis when it comes to country creation, but between the end of WWII and about a decade or two ago, something like 90 new places were added due to decolonization and balkanization of Eastern Europe from civilized Velvet Divorce of Czechoslovakia to brutal separation of Yugoslavia. This isn’t merely about maps becoming inaccurate, this is about reshaping of the world as it was known. The author is a foreign policy analyst and the book accordingly is very much a political work first and foremost. It contemplates the historical aspects of country creation processes, particularly the artificiality of it all either via colonization or through post war pacts between empowered allies. Obviously these artificial boundaries have served their purpose at the time and then dramatically did not and the countries within them torn by internecine wars and tribal rivalry have thus far (for the most past) failed to shed the developing status and emerge as powerhouses in their own right. Some of the main arguments in the books have to do with the effect of worldwide recognition on the countries…in other words sticking your flag on a plot of land doesn’t make it your own, the world has to agree it is and all the political considerations that come into it. And then there’s also a lot of debate about what makes a country, a nationhood differs from a stateshood, a shared language or ancestry may not be enough, there are religious differences, self determination alone is far from sufficient, even ability to self govern may not be enough. Seems like without something to offer to the world at large (natural resources, political powers, territorial advantages) much of the places are more or less doomed to never quite develop enough to play in the arena with the rest. Although they play in small arenas with their own kind…the framework of this book is a football (soccer to Americans) tournament specifically between the nonrecognized states. Fascinating reading, somewhat more textbookish then popsciency, but once you get into it, it’s great, very smart and goes a long way to not merely educate, but also challenge your worldviews and thinking processes, which is about all you can ask from a nonfiction read. Barely any maps and no photos, so have your mental world map or an actual one for that matter (I enjoy both) ready. Thanks Netgalley.

I like maps and the history of how maps have evolved. In this highly readable book, Joshua Keating explains how the boundaries of countries that fill in all of the space in maps were formed and gives some fascinating examples challenging the definitions of what is a country or nation. The topic could be quite dry, the cover gives all the indication of a text book, but Keating uses interviews, history, his own views and some facts to challenge the reader to consider something most people take for granted, their nationality.
He discusses Abkhazia a Russian backed enclave in Georgia, Akwesasne an Indian nation that straddles the USA and Canada, Somaliland has broken away from a broken Somalia, Iraqi Kurdistan and Kiribati to argue what might happen when the land of a country disappears. In between these case studies he also covers individuals challenging the definition of a nation such as stateless people and the internet.
There is some history, some unique individuals and a constant theme of challenging the status quo of the boundaries of what we currently call nations. A surprising book.
Thanks to Net Galley and Yale University Press.