Olympics 2008
The Games
by
Liz Olson
In the 2008, 204 countries participated in the Beijing Summer
Games. With only 195 independent countries in the world, this begs the
question, what were the other countries?
National Olympic
Committees
Although there are only 195 independent countries in the
world, there are 205 National Olympic Committees (NOC) worldwide that have
been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC
permitted 12 territories to form their own NOC and send athletes to Beijing
to compete in the 2008 Summer Games.
The purpose of each NOC is to
promote the development of athletes and sports within the country or
territory, as well as to facilitate the participation of their own athletes
in the Games. Athletes cannot participate in the Games unless they are sent
by a National Olympic Committee.
Who did not compete?
If all
the independent countries of the world and 12 other territories competed,
that would equal 207 participants. Out of the 195 independent countries,
only 192 sent athletes to the 2008 Summer Games. The three countries that
did not send athletes include Brunei, Kosovo, and Vatican City. Brunei,
which has an NOC, planned to send two athletes, but they did not register
them on time. Kosovo, the world’s newest country, had not yet formed a
National Olympic Committee. Vatican City also does not have a National
Olympic Committee, and therefore did not compete.
The 12 territories
that participated in the 2008 Summer Games included
American Samoa
Aruba
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Guam
Hong
Kong
Netherlands Antilles
Palestine
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
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