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South Ossetia and Austral Islands - why?

Posted by Pirkko Schildt on January 28, 2020 at 8:34pm

Can someone tell me why these were added to the list of TCC areas?
I have been "defending" my choice of using TCC as my main list with the fact that it has got clear rules why and area is an area and I'd love to know based on which points in the definitions these areas were added.

Br,

Pirkko (currently 194/329)

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Replies

  • Craig W. Roark February 19, 2020 at 9:27pm

    There are a couple of places that I'm surprised aren't listed on the TCC List. The first would be Sakhalin Island off the coast of Eastern Russia north of Hokkaido Japan. A disputed area would be the Kuril Islands , the Russian Islands that were annexed after WWII are a part of Kamchatka which is on the TCC List. The Japanese Kuril Islands are listed as part of Hokkaido . The Ryukyu Islands are listed , so should Hokkaido with the Japanese Kuril Islands on the same line listing count towards a visit.

  • Pirkko Schildt February 15, 2020 at 5:40am

    We me regularly on the first Friday of the month, and July being the main holiday month in Finland, not many people would be around on the 18th. But if you need any help, feel free to contact me (pirkko.schildt@iki.fi) and maybe we could even meet you for a cup of coffee or something!

    Pirkko

  • Jack Wheeler February 15, 2020 at 5:36am

    I'll be in Helsinki on July 18 -- slim chance your meeting would be then that month but might as well ask

  • Pirkko Schildt February 15, 2020 at 4:06am

    Malta 2021 is the International Meeting. The Finnish Club have monthly meetings.

  • Jack Wheeler February 15, 2020 at 2:15am

    Pirkko -- Living in Lisbon I belong to the Med Chapter and just attended their meeting in Altafulla, Spain.  Do you have any meetings prior to May 2021?  Quite a while from now. 

    Thanks... Jack (currently 302/329)

    jack@wheelerexpeditions.com

  • Pirkko Schildt February 13, 2020 at 11:03pm

    All of them, as we require 100 TCC areas for members to join. Br, Pirkko

  • Timothy Skeet February 13, 2020 at 10:00pm

    Hi Pirkko,

    Of your 100 people in Finland, how many would qualify for TCC Provisional or full membership?

    I will, indeed, see you in Malta. I've already started the planning and it looks like it will be a well-attended event.

    Best regards,

    Tim

  • Pirkko Schildt February 5, 2020 at 10:49pm

    Thanks! I knew there were reasons for these, but I was just curious to know what they were and now I know.

    In the Finnish club we have nowadays about 100 people in our Facebook group and typically 20-30 attending the monthly meetings.

    See you, maybe in Malta in May 2021!

    Br,

    Pirkko (and Lasse)

  • Timothy Skeet February 5, 2020 at 8:56am

    Hi Pirkko,

    Just as there are many travelers who would like a more paired down list, just as many reach out to us to say, "Hey! Under the TCC rules, shouldn't this be included in the list?"

    The list, and the rules that formulate what we count as a country/territory, is the gold standard that attracts many travelers to join and participate in our club. Listening to our membership on both sides of this issue is important, which is why we deliberate at length on the admission/deletion of a country/territory. However, the final selection must be upheld by our own rules.

    Austral Islands:

    A couple of members questioned why the Marquesas are on the list (under Rule 4b1) but not the Australs. Together with the Tuamotu's, the Australs used to both be on the list but were retired in 1980. The Tuamotus are measured to be too close to the Society, Disappointment and Gambier Islands). After measuring the northernmost Australs, they are indeed outside of 200 miles of the southernmost Society Islands (In fact, the two closest islands are more than 300 miles apart). reference: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gccalc.shtml
    Therefore, the Australs qualify under 4b1.
    South Ossetia:
    A lot of members advocated that it was time to admit South Ossetia. Some incorrectly applied a "culturally distinct" argument, which is not (nor, has ever been) a criterion under the Rules, but many point out that it was difficult any longer to support having Abkhazia and not South Ossetia. In these cases, we deliberately delay to see how the area will play out. Back in 2008, right or wrong, it was felt that Abkhazia was more likely to survive as a separate entity while South Ossetia was likely to be swiftly absorbed right into Russia proper which explained the "why one and not the other?". But it is now very ten years since they were both set up as “countries” and are recognized as such by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. Thus, we could no longer support that the two places were on different trajectories.
    Therefore, South Ossetia qualifies under Rule 5 (if not Rule 1).
    I hope this helps.
    On a separate note, I know you will probably know this answer: How many travelers are connected in Finland?
    Take care from frigid Canada,
    Tim
  • Pirkko Schildt February 4, 2020 at 4:48am

    Ok, take your time :-) Our next trip (starting with Suriname) doesn't start until Feb 29th, so I can wait a few more days ...

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