'I've been to all 195 countries on Earth and my favourite is very close to home'

A globe-trotting man who's visited every country on Earth has revealed that his favourite nation of all is rather close to home. Nicolás Pasquali, who considers himself the "first Argentine to visit every country in the world", recently smashed his target after a remarkable eight years of travelling.

In February, he finally put a pin in the last country on his list after a year waiting, the hermit kingdom of North Korea in East Asia, which often only grants tourists access via tightly controlled tours. However, you'd imagine that picking a favourite from the near-200 on offer would prove to be a tricky task, but Nicolás was left in "no doubt". Speaking to Argentine newspaper Infobae, he said: "As an Argentinean, there's no doubt Argentina is number one. We have identity, culture, gastronomy, sports and unique natural landscapes. Despite economic problems, we keep standing out globally."

A sense of unity

Nicolás stressed that the South American nation has a "marked identity and a sense of unity" that he hasn't "seen elsewhere". He went on to draw comparisons with England, pointing to one aspect in particular.

He continued: "You go to England, and Britons aren’t proud of being British like we are proud of being Argentinean. We feel part of something bigger, which is impressive."

Language is another crucial point for the Buenos Aires native, who noted that Spanish is the "second-most spoken language", meaning it's "easier for us to move around".

It's still a jewel

Nicolás summarised his experience by sharing something he'd learned while visiting all those other nations, a pearl of wisdom that may shed light on his choice of Argentina as his favourite country.

He said: "When you live in Argentina, you think that in other countries everything is perfect. But the truth is that it's not. There are countries at war, countries where people don't even have water, and countries where you can't say what you think. And that's when you realise that Argentina, with all its problems, is still a jewel.”

Second-largest country on the continent

Argentina is a large South American nation that spans 2,780,400 sq km and 4,000km from north to south. It's the second-largest country on the continent after Brazil and the eighth-largest globally.

Divided into four regions, the Andes, Pampas, the north, and Patagonia, the country's climate ranges from subtropical in the north to sub-Antarctic in the south and boasts a wide range of animal species.

In Patagonia, intrepid travellers could encounter sea lions, penguins, and seals. The waters off the Atlantic feature dolphins, orcas, and sharks. Meanwhile, the north is home to crocodiles, caimans, flamingos, toucans, and jaguars.

How many countries are there? 

The UN recognises 195 countries, 193 of which are member states. The final two are the non-member observer states of Vatican City and Palestine, although the true number is disputed.

This is due to a number of disputed zones and countries with either full or partial sovereignty, writes the BBC. In fact, the CIA (the US' Central Intelligence Agency) lists the full number as 237.