While some countries date back many thousands of years, there are a surprising number that were only formed within the last few decades. The map below, by Julie Peasley, shows the countries that have formed since 1990, colored according to the means by which they gained independence.
The world's newest country is South Sudan, which came to be in 2011 following a long-running civil war with Sudan.
Fifteen of the youngest countries in the world were created following the dissolution of the Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Kosovo, born in 2008, is the only country formed since 1990 that's not wholly recognized by the UN.
Click image to enlarge
