For me, it's gotta be Namibia. It's a country in Southern Africa, and the only reason I've come to be aware of it was because I've made a very fortunate contact whilst talking on amateur radio. Two consecutive Decembers I happened upon the same gentleman on the 10 meter band, and he confirmed my QSOs (contacts) on the logbook!
this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2026
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Asklemmy
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I love that about amateur radio. It's old fashioned social media, one of the most "actually social" media out there. I might take that hobby on myself some day, if I ever have time and money.
I have one online friend that moved to Monaco.
I've met people claiming to be from Estonia, which I'm not even sure what continent that's on.
Estonia
It's just below Finland.
huh, I guess I haven't brushed up on the geography of the region since the breakup of the USSR
There's basically only 2 types of people that live in Monaco;
- millionaires/billionaires
- people who work for them
I'm curious which that friend is
To immigrate you need to be in the first category, and Roman Catholic.
Nah, they don't care about the religion if you've got enough money
And don't forget, you don't need immigrate to live there, cause it's EU and free movement.
You only need immigration to get citizenship for voting.
Websearch summary says:
Monaco is not a formal member of the Schengen Area, as it has not signed the Schengen Agreement.
Wait, I thought it was for some reason
I have a friend that moved to Estonia! I like never see him now unless its christmas.
one time when I was talking about a video I saw about Moldova, someone commented "I rarely see people know about my country". Moldova is on Ukraine's southwestern border (so opposite of the Russian side). It's mostly impoverished rural backwater, and its city is in decay from the soviet era.
Absolutely incredible candy comes out of moldova. Damn does that country have an amazing confectionery culture.
Anything in particular you recommend?
Full disclosure that I'm not confident on any of these names being right: in terms of candy specifically I'm really partial to Livada Moldovei, Dulcineea Pasarea, Maiastra and those little chocolate cone things I think aren't called "carmen" but that's the name written on them?
I haven't actually found any I don't like, though, for what that's worth.
Lesotho
Lesotho only exists in Geoguesser
I donβt know what Geoguesser is, but now Iβm curious.
It's a game where you get dropped in a random place on Google street view, and you have to pinpoint where you are on a map. Pretty fun!
My best score is 0 metres π
Probably contested region of Kashmir with someone in a mobile game, and a guy from Ukraine I knew before the war because we both made some similar uploads on YT. I got a book from a guy that I met on reddit that turned out to be the author and was from somewhere in central Africa, but I forget where exactly. As far as on Lemmy, this one girl from Turkey was fun to talk to. Most people here do not share that much personal information.
India, Ukraine and Turkey are pretty big countries, central africa could be interesting
I was in a hobby secret santa organized online - I got two presents that year, some very generous hobby additions and the discovery that San Marino isn't just a region in Italy...
Met two people from Transnistria, one from the Isle of Man and one from Micronesia. I wouldn't say they are super rare but I'm quite sure most American would consider these fictional countries.
The Isle of Man isn't a country it's a self-governing British territory kinda like what Aruba is to The Netherlands.
My neighbors are from Chuuk Lagoon
I was thinking Palau, but then i saw your post and figured most scuba divers have heard of both Palau and Chuuk. So prob not as rare as I was thinking.
I didn't read the damn title well enough. My bad, but I'm leaving this anyways
Same.
[Or rather... open to interpretation.]
Reunion Islands, to the East of Madagascar, they were also an Indian emigrant.
Reunion Islands as well. Not sure if it's the same person, but he was/is a programmer.
Not as rare as some woman I helped teach my local language in Europe and she told me
that she was born on Eastern Island.
I wanna mention any of the 81 micronations... (like Christiania, Liberland or Asgardia) but since they're so novel, they're probably not the most unheard of.
How about some potential future countries... [Heh. They'll be lesser heard of, surely. Is this cheating?]
Like any of Orkney or Shetland, (when they each take a leaf out of the Faroe Islands' book, and declare themselves independent (~ or at least autonomous), fed up with both the UK and Scotland) (or Cornwall (similarly)), Catalonia (will they go for independence already?), Western Sahara (will they ever get past the geopolitical difficulties of the area?), Bougaineville (since they already did the independence vote, will they get things sorted already?), New Caledonia (they keep tryin), Chuuk (will they solve their challanges to?), Rif Republic (oh yes please... tell me they'll start making and exporting hash big-time again), or maybe even Jan Mayen (I've not heard any talk of it going independent, I just think that'd be cool, and people do "live there", for some of the time)...
Or whatever countries exist (secretly) or will exist, on Luna (or... on Calisto? Or Enceladus?)
Have heard of people being from these places. Cannot corroborate for the moons. But there are rumours.
Does anyone live on the Dominion of Melchizedek, Talossa or Westarctica?
Total number of recognised countries in the world's oft said to be something like 195 to 200. If we included all the micronations and places verging to independence (or at least autonomy), it's nearer 300. Without looking up any (last time I tried), I struggled to get to 150. Could be an interesting video documentary series (well edited), to see how many "the man on the street" can get to, in various places. Would anywhere do worse than USA?
I coulda answered simpler, just picking some tiny pacific island nation, or one of the tiny nations embedded in South Africa. Though small size is likely a weak correlate to "most unheard of". Malta? Lichenstein? The Vatican? Ooh, or how about any of those Central Banker areas carved out of countries to make their own country with their own rules and police etc, siphoning off the wealth of the nation they're carved out of? Like "The City Of London".
It feels like you have been waiting your whole life for this question lmao
(cool read btw)
Heh. When I read that in the notifications, I excitedly clicked to see what that's responding to, thinking "Is it one of my "spaceships for everybody" rants? Is it one of my Linux rambles? Is it my well sourced anti-democide Carney bit I did recently?".
n_n
Did not expect it to be that one. Heh. Hadn't been waiting for that question at all really. n_n Just enjoyed it in the moment, and ran a mile with it.
Is Malta that unheard of? I've got a path to EU citizenship and I'm working on it. Maybe it's just Minnesota in winter influencing me but Malta is one of the first places I want to check out to maybe move to. On paper they've got some of the best legal protections for trans people on the planet (although I'm aware it's partly pinkwashing for political corruption). And their cycling infrastructure apparently isn't great...
Is Malta that unheard of?
(prob by american standards)
Though small size is likely a weak correlate to βmost unheard ofβ. Malta?
I've met a person from Kiribati. It's looking bad for them there, we're making entire countries disappear due to climate change.
My former boss is from Suriname. Had never heard of it before working for him, or since then.
I've met people from those really small Oceanian countries like Fiji and Tonga.