Just how many country's are there ???

I've just been looking at the following statement under the logbook section
Most Countries Worked
[TABLE="class: mr1, width: 220"]
[TR="class: rank2 118538"]
[TD="class: borl ltm"]#1[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #eee, align: center"][/TD]
[TD="class: lde"]CT1APE[/TD]
[TD="class: ltm"]338[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
How can someone have worked 338 country's if Google says there are somewhere between 193 and 225 country's some not recognised through overthrows presumably, but as a good figure my working and COUNTRY FLAG RECOGNITION CHART suggests
There are 196 countries in the world today.

Read more: How Many Countries? http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0932875.html#ixzz3Vooizj4I

so how do you get an award listing 338 !!!
I have just started using qrz as a logbook and have clocked up over 30 in 4 weeks from 70 contacts.. not too bad for 100w and a bunch of vertical antennas.
My target would be to work every flag, so that's 196 or add a few more if you include new countrys, independants like Taiwan etc surely if it is a recognised country it will have a national flag...
now if you include islands like isle of man and isle of white etc but they are NOT Country's, the isle of white has a flag since 2009 but it's a COUNTY not a COUNTRY so just what is going on...
So if I design my own flag and tie it to my floating island on my lake...and Yes i do have a floating island on my lake it's the grey square visible on google earth and every new picture shows it in a new place..so will that count as a new country if I claim it as mine....which it is, and within my land, which it is.???

​

 

A country and a DX Entity are not the same thing. That's why there is a disparity. The USA is a sovereign country. However for DX purposes it consists of several different DX entities. Mainland, Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico...all different entities. But all part of the USA.

 

In amateur radio vernacular, ARRL DXCC entities are often referred to as "countries". The list of entities is here:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/2013_Current_Deleted.txt

QRZ awards are governed by these rules: http://files.qrz.com/static/qrz/operating-award-rules-v1.pdf

As to rules the ARRL uses to establish entities, see: http://www.arrl.org/dxcc-rules

 

So it's the title that is wrong. it's not what it says at all " MOST COUNTRYS WORKED " but should be "MOST DX ENTITIES"

Glad that is sorted but i will still claim all countrys worked if i get my 196 list all stamped up. I should be so lucky... but im not doing it as a AARL contest.. Im just trying to work all the worlds official flagged countries.
Take Note QRZ.COM it's not what it says on the tin...your black and white paint is actually grey.

 

Yes I think your flag collection is valid, maybe we should organize an award for that. It is interesting to watch the changes in countries and DX entities as these things come and go.

 

Also, consider that over the last 100 years, Many countries have been absorbed by thier neighbors, some have had civil wars and split into 2 or more countries. Some simply cease to exist.

As an example of a DX entity changing due to political change.

The former Yugoslavia is now 7 DX Entites
Bosnia Herzegovina
Croatia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Montenegro
Serbia
Slovenia


When a country such as Yugoslavia breaks up or is absorbed or disbanded, the DX entity changes in accordance BUT the info doesn't change in the logbook for past entries. Anyone who worked Yugoslavia now has a country which cannot be worked again!

Over the years, there have been many DX entities which no longer exist on paper but will always have a place in amateur radio logs.
There will always be new ones to work as well.

This is another reason why a lot of logs will always show more counties worked then there is actual existing countires

 

The title isn't wrong as far as amateur radio is concerned, this isn't the UN.

 

Well it would be a little more realistic in title but then if every different flag is counted then the number would well exceed 300.
I just worked Republic of Kosovo that's only 7 years old as a country and tonight i worked Desirade Island thats one of the smallest islands of the Guadeloupe. That's a super contact for me at 57 / 59 with my 24 mhz 5/8 antenna that also works on 40 meters as a 1/4 wave..and 100 watts. But that has a French flag, and im in France so I can get that flag every day..working Desirade is not quite so easy although i get that region daily. There are not very often ham stations there..at just under 8 square miles so it's a rare one for me and my 38th different country this month..and not done a single contest..each contact was a chat not just a run of numbers.
Ham radio can be fun..

 

Except that by the time you get 196 there will be 186 or 204.