40 by 40

Kelly and I are off to Barcelona this weekend for Valentines Day and our 12th Wedding Anniversary. This will be my first trip to Spain, which means that I get a checkmark on the ol' visited countries list...and its number 40! The goal was to visit 40 countries before I turned 40...and it appears I will make that goal with 3 months to spare...whew!

The List:

I use the FIFA list for countries, because I count Wales, Scotland and the British overseas territories as separate countries. If Bermuda gets its own national Soccer team, then by George, I'm counting it as well.

Other rules for the country list:

1. If I have been to a country that no longer exists, I don't double count it.

Example1: I had been to East Germany and West Germany. They are both now Germany. I can only count Germany, and East Germany, not all 3.

Example 2: I had been to Czechoslovakia, but have also been to the new Czech Republic and Slovakia. So I can count the latter two, but can't count Czechoslovakia.

2. Plane stops don't count as countries. My rule is boots on the ground....not wheels on the ground.
Example 1: Iceland 1990, I switched planes and had a 6 hr layover in Iceland...it counts.
Example 2: The Azores 1988, Flying from West Germany to New Jersey, the plane landed, picked up some cargo and took off again. I don't count it.

Here is my list.
Feel free to submit your list via comments.

USA
Canada
Mexico
Bermuda
Germany
E. Germany
France
Italy
Austria
Switzerland
Ireland
England
N. Ireland
Wales
Scotland
Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg
Denmark
Iceland
Sweden
Finland
Estonia
Poland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Hungary
Croatia
Slovenia
Vatican City
Romania
Greece
Turkey
Israel
Palestine
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Iraq
China
Spain