These are the only countries in the world where the coronavirus has not reached

This gives an idea of ​​the tremendous expansion of the covid-19 and why the pandemic has caught governments around the world with the wrong foot and without formulas to face it. Interestingly, another great global pandemic, the 1919 flu, the so-called Spanish flu, was hard-hitting by these paradisiacal islands in the southern seas, especially in Tonga and Samoa, where thousands of people died. Perhaps that is why they are now so proud of having stopped the virus. These are the 14 countries you should travel to if you are looking for covid-19 free zones. Another thing is that they let you in, since most have either closed borders or require a 14-day quarantine for all travelers.

Fifteen small islands some 1,700 kilometers north of New Zealand, territory on which they depend economically. In fact, although it has its own system of government, it is an associated Free State of New Zealand. Its beautiful beaches and good accommodation infrastructure have made the Cook Islands the cheapest and most popular tourist destination in the Pacific.

Thirty coral atolls spread over three million square kilometers of water in the central Pacific, 4,915 kilometers northwest of Australia. This is this famous and small republic of the southern seas to which tourism comes attracted by its beautiful beaches.

The Drakensberg Mountains on the northeast border of Lesotho with South Africa. pixabay

Is there a country called Lesotho? Many wonder. Yes, and it is a singularity of the borders left by British decolonization in southern Africa. Lesotho is a mountainous enclave, the size of Belgium, embedded within present-day South Africa, where just over two million Shoto people live. It is a much appreciated destination for hiking and climbing.

They are the old Spanish Carolinas islands, discovered in 1526 by galleons that made the Mexico-Philippines route and linked to the Spanish Crown for more than three centuries, although the Hispanic presence there was rather ephemeral and chaotic. In 1898, they were sold to Germany for 25 million pesetas (150,000 euros). The capital, and only international airport, is Pohnpei .

Like the Carolinas, they were part of Spanish Micronesia until they came under US administration. Idyllic beaches, crystal clear waters, good diving areas. A typical wedding travel destination.

The Great Mansu Hill Monument in Pyongyang, North Korea. pixabay

It is not necessary to explain much of the country. Given its special relationship with information transparency, we will never know if there were no cases or they did not count it.

The smallest State in Oceania: a single island of 21 square kilometers converted into an independent republic in 1968 after becoming independent from Australia. Its economy depends on large phosphate deposits. It is not exactly the most requested tourist destination in the world.

Officially the Republic of Palau, it is a neighboring archipelago of the Federated States of Micronesia formed by 340 mostly uninhabited coral and volcanic islands that together do not add up to 500 square kilometers in area. It is considered one of the best diving destinations in the world.

Hotel complex in Samoa. pixabay

One of the Polynesian countries with the strongest and most lively local culture. It is formed by two volcanic islands. Despite its small size, it has a very powerful rugby team that rivals the greats of this sport. A destination of incredible beaches and good diving in coral reefs. By the way, near the capital Apia, the British novelist Robert Louis Stevenson is buried.

Almost a thousand islands spread over two archipelagos make up this country of Melanesia, also lost in the vastness of the Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea. It has many attractions for tourism: the lagoons of Marovo and Langa Langa, diving in Tulagi and the tropical forest of Tetepare Island, among others.

The Kingdom of Tonga is another of the Polynesian countries, also closely linked to New Zealand, from which it is 1,700 kilometers away. 74% of Tongans reside outside the islands, and 32% of them do so in New Zealand, where they occupy the lowest positions in the labor market. It is a very popular destination for Oceania tourism thanks to its beaches, its strong culture, diving and sport fishing.

Interior of the Turabek Khanum mausoleum in Turkmenistan. pixabay

Finally, another country without coronavirus and not a remote Pacific island! The problem is that the Government of Turkmenistan is as opaque as that of North Korea and quite possibly the absence of cases is due to the obscurantism of a presidential and authoritarian regime. Not that they don't exist.

So tiny that it is the second smallest country in the world, behind Vatican City. It consists of five atolls and four coral reefs with a total of 26 square kilometers. A perfect destination for travelers looking for rarities.

It was declared the happiest country in the world by the British think tank New Economics Foundation. In total, 82 islands strewn for a thousand square kilometers of water in Polynesia, with dreamy beaches where nobody goes, a pristine nature and zero haste and stress in the rhythm of local life.

NOTE: 11 countries in the Region of the Americas do not appear in the lists of declared cases provided by the WHO. However, in the press if you find positive news about covid-19 in all of them. So they have not been included in this list. They are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Granada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Suriname.

Follow me also on Spotify, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. You can listen to me every Friday, at 7:40 pm, with Carles Francino in 'La Ventana', on the SER network.