So there are 193 United Nations (UN) members found on our UN Countries page, plus extras on our UN Plus page to form a “complete” list 265 countries, territories or regions recognised by NomadMania, but is that it?

• If you fly in to Spain, walk around Madrid and fly back home, have you experienced Spain? Like really experienced Spain?

• If you take a ferry to France, drive 10 miles inland, buy a baguette and get the ferry back the next day, have you experienced France? What about the hustle and bustle of Paris, or the quietness of Corcieux, or the beautiful sights from the top of Mont Salève overlooking Lake Geneva?

The world is far more than a list of countries, and NomadMania have further split their list of 265 countries and territories into 1301 regions - distinct areas based on physical size, population, cultural importance, economic significance and tourist appeal.

Splitting the US up by state (with a few split one or two more times) makes sense. You want to see both Tennessee and Missouri separately as both offer vastly different experiences, cultures, and food. In the same vein, you should split England into, for example, North West England (beautiful rolling hills, bountiful lakes and mouth-watering mint cake) and North East England (disappointing fish and chips, and cold, rainy weather). This is where the 1301 regions were born.