There are one hundred ninety-five countries in the world. It's impossible to live in more than one place at any given time, so wherever you currently reside is considerably your hometown, and everywhere else in the world is a foreign location, in relation to where you are at the moment.
The tricky part about defining a foreign country is that the countries you identify as being foreign countries is not the truth for everyone. Similarly, a foreign country to an American would be the Czech Republic, whereas someone in the Czech Republic would disagree with such a claim.
Foreign countries are all of the countries that you do not live in, so if you reside in Somalia, then every country other than Somalia will be considered a foreign country in your eyes. So, there will always be someone who does not define a country that you view as foreign as foreign in their eyes.
Think about everywhere you have traveled to and all the different cultures you have experienced in doing so. This is another way of determining foreign countries versus ones you are familiar with, because if you base your definition of foreign off of whether or not you have been somewhere before, then your viewpoint on foreign countries will differ even more. The countries we are going to dive into a conversation about might not be foreign countries through your perspective, and that is a reality that can be hard to escape when talking about places in a subjective manner.
If none of the following countries are foreign for you, take a glance at a map of the world and challenge yourself to identify places that you would categorize as foreign countries. Take the activity one step further by planning a trip to a foreign country on your list and experience the culture of that place for yourself someday.
Since foreign countries are subjective based on your location, we thought we would explore two beautiful parts of the world that are less known about on a global scale. Here are some facts worth knowing about the European country of Andorra and the French territory of New Caledonia.
Andorra
The country of Andorra is located on the continent of Europe. Andorra is officially known by two other titles -- the Principality of Andorra, and the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra. The two longer names for this European country do not roll off the tongue with as much ease, however, so the nation is simply called Andorra in casual conversation. As the sixth smallest place on the European continent, Andorra is only one hundred eighty-one square miles in total area. The country's capital is a city called Andorra la Vella.
A very fun and interesting fact about Andorra la Vella is that this city happens to be the European capital with the highest elevation level. Andorra la Vella boasts an elevation of about 3,356 feet above sea level. Most people in Andorra speak the country's official language of Catalan, but other languages you would hear around the country are French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Andorra is one of many countries, actually, that does not have English listed as one of its most recognized languages.
The population of Andorra is about 77,054 people, according to the most recent census taken in 2019. With a population of less than seventy-eight thousand people, Andorra accounts for below 0.001% of the global population today. As the two hundred and third largest country in the world based on population alone, Andorra ranks lower than some parts of the world that are dependencies or territories, meaning Andorra is by far one of the smallest countries on Earth.
The population density of this European country is four hundred and twenty-five people for every square mile of land. With such a small total area, it is no surprise that most of Andorra's population resides in urban settings, particularly because the heightened number of people in such a small country leads to a greater number of cities in the first place.
New Caledonia
As an island nation in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia happens to be a French country. The nation is an archipelago of five main islands, including Grande Terre Island, the Chesterfield Islands, the Isle of Pines, a smaller archipelago named Belep, and the Island of Grande Terre, where most people live. There are a handful of smaller, lesser populated islands scattered around the five prominent islands in New Caledonia.
The capital city of New Caledonia is Noumea, and since New Caledonia is recognized as French territory under the rule of France, it is not shocking that the most commonly spoken language in New Caledonia is French. Other languages spoken by residents in New Caledonia include Drehu, French Nengone, Ajie, and Paici, along with upwards of thirty-five more languages, all belonging to native people and indigenous tribes that continue to populate the island country.
The population of New Caledonia is around 282,831 people, with a total area spanning 7,058 square miles across all five major islands. If you take the population of this French-controlled island country and divide it by the nation's total area, you will find a value that represents the ratio of people to the square mileage of New Caledonia. Known as the population density, there are just over forty people for every square mile of land in the country of New Caledonia.
The population of New Caledonia is so small in comparison to all other nations on Earth, and as a result of its low ranking on the list of countries by population, New Caledonia does not even comprise 0.001% of the world's total population. Based on the number of people who live in New Caledonia, the country is said to be number one hundred eighty-five in terms of countries listed by population alone. Despite the low volume of residents in New Caledonia, the country's population is slowly but surely climbing.