Unrecognized Countries
Unrecognized countries are territories that have achieved de facto independence, yet have failed to gain international recognition as independent states.
A number of entities have declared independence and sought diplomatic recognition from the international community as de jure sovereign states, but have not been universally recognized as such.
Many of these territories are 'frozen conflicts' and have been left in an 'unrecognized state' as a result.
These entities often have de facto control of their territory, a government, a military and a legal system. A number of such entities exist today and operate as functioning states.
Examples of Unrecognized Countries are Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Transnistria and Somaliland.
"Travel to Places That Don't Exist"
South Ossetia
South Ossetia, internationally recognized as part of Georgia, gained de-facto independence in 2008 during its war against Georgia and is a post-Soviet "frozen conflict." Possibly the least visited out of all of the unrecognized countries in the region, it definitely makes for a unique destination.