Which Is The Youngest Country?

As of Sunday February 25th 2007 at 09:41am GMT, the youngest country in the world is East Timor. East Timor became its own nation in 2004, the country before that was Palau (1994) and the Czech Republic (1993).

Officially called the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste or Timor Leste (East Timor), it consists of the Easterly portion of the Island of Timor, the Westerly segment belonging to Indonesia. The name means EAST EAST (yes, twice) Timor means East in Malay and Leste means East in Portuaguese.

The island is located four hundred miles off the coast of Australia. In 2005, the population was measured at nine hundred and forty seven thousand inhabitants.

East Timor was under Portuagese control until 1975 (it was occupied by the Japanese during the second world war) but when they left in 75, nine days later, the Indonesian army invaded. From 1975 to the late Nineties, the East Timor rebels fought the Indonesians, finally ending in mass bloodshed. East Timor became independent in 2002, when it joined the United Nations.

Probably Montenegro, which achieved independence from its union with Serbia on 3 June 2006. It was officially recognised by many countries over the next few weeks, including important governments like Russia, the USA and even Serbia. Montenegro became the 192nd member of the United Nations on 28 June 2006.

Montenegro was previously an independent and sovereign state -- for centuries. From the late Middle ages until political Union with Serbia in 1918.

The province of Kosovo is widely tipped to become the next independent country, although various provinces of Iraq may precede this.

The State of Palestine may also yet come into legal existence. It would mostly consiste of territory currently governed by the Palestian Authority (on what is currently Israeli land).

The previously youngest country was East Timor, which achieved independence from Indonesia in May 2002.

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South Sudan just recently broke away from Sudan.