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Sudan – 154th Country.  To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries.  Sudan is my 154th country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read!      Sudan, officially known as the Republic of Sudan, is a country located in northeastern Africa. The region that is now Sudan has a long and complex history, dating back to ancient times. The land was home to various empires, including the Kingdom of Kush and the Meroitic Empire, which flourished between the 8th century BC and the 4th century AD.  In the 7th century AD, Islam was introduced to the region by Arab traders and quickly became the dominant religion. Over the centuries, various Islamic kingdoms and sultanates rose to power, including the Funj Sultanate and the Sultanate of Darfur.  In the late 19th century, Sudan came under joint British-Egyptian rule and was later granted independence in 1956. However, the country struggled with internal conflicts and civil war throughout much of [...]

Djibouti – 153rd Country.  To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries.  Djibouti is my 153rd country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read!      Djibouti is a small country of one million sitting on the Horn of Africa on the Red Sea.  This sea passage is one of the most critical transportation junctures in the world.  The Americans, Spaniards, French, Japanese and Chinese all have military bases.  Man has roamed these lands for 1000s of years and in more recent times ruled by the Afar, the Somalis and regional sultanates.  The Ottoman Empire moved in from the 16th to the 19th century until the French made their way to the region.  This Islamic nation gained their independence in 1977. I had three aborted attempts to Djibouti until I made it on my 4th attempt.  The first two I canceled out of protest of the crazy prices that they charge tourists.  My third attempt was foiled [...]

Cyprus – 152nd Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Cyprus is my 152nd country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read!  Cyprus is the third largest island in Europe located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. History dates back to the 10th century BC. Many empires over the centuries have made their impact on the island: the Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, and the Ottoman Empire. In the late 19th century, the Brits took over, and the Cypriots gained their independence in 1960. In 1974, there was a coup, an invasion and a division when the Greeks, Turks, and Cypriots faced off against each other. The result was the birth of Northern Cyprus which is controlled by the Turks. Today Cyprus is a presidential republic with an economy powered by shipping, petroleum and banking. I spent over a week renting a car and exploring this amazing island nation. Cyprus has several beach towns that [...]