As I delve deeper into this captivating narrative of Barbs’ journey, I find myself awestruck by his relentless pursuit of adventure and knowledge. His tales transport me to distant lands and cultures that I can only dream of experiencing firsthand. From the icy tundra of Greenland to the narrowest three-country salient on Earth, Barbs has traversed some of the most unique and inhospitable terrains imaginable.
YouTuber Paul ‘Barbs’ Barbato has been making his way across every UN-recognized country in alphabetical order over the last ten years. We got to speak with him as part of TopMob’s new Rising Stars series as he finally finished his decade-long journey in Zimbabwe.
Geography Now is a popular educational YouTube channel founded by Barbato in 2014, boasting over three million subscribers. Over the past ten years, he has traveled to numerous countries worldwide, aiming to visit each one recognized by the United Nations on his global journey.
Ten years on, he ultimately realized his dream by traversing a remarkable 193 countries, alphabetically from A to Z. We were privileged to speak with him about this colossal feat, his future aspirations, and the motivations that sparked him to embark on such an immense journey in its infancy.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Paul B (Barbs) (@geographynow_official)
Barbs always knew he wanted to cover every country in the world — but it was also important for him to respect his viewers and not ruffle any feathers. To avoid causing a kerfuffle, he decided to follow the UN’s list of officially recognized countries and follow them in alphabetical order to dodge any accusations of showing favoritism.
He clarified that people might think he was being unfair or partial if he discussed some countries before others or acknowledged certain conflicts. To prevent such perceptions, he opted to adhere to the United Nations’ list, as it appears to be a reliable and widely accepted catalog of nations with an internationally recognized status.
Later on, I chose to arrange the episodes in alphabetical order to ensure fairness and let viewers know exactly what was coming up next, even though they didn’t know yet how I would pull it off. This approach might have been the secret ingredient that kept viewers hooked on the show.
Barb’s channel is full of funny and educational content, offering hard and fast lessons on each country’s culture, history, ecology, and politics from his perspective. Many of his videos gain hundreds of thousands of views as excited fans pour in with their takeaways from the episode.
He found it essential to create content because at the time he started his YouTube channel in 2014, there weren’t many similar channels available. Essentially, he saw a significant gap in YouTube’s video library that he aimed to address.
He expressed his long-standing fascination with understanding the world and its inhabitants. Yet, when he began in 2014, there were no platforms akin to Geography Now. While there were educational channels that might have touched upon geography, none offered a dedicated focus on providing comprehensive profiles of every nation worldwide – thus, he decided to pioneer this endeavor!
Barb’s enthusiasm for geography was ignited by the varied Chicago neighborhood where he spent his childhood, fueling an inherent curiosity within him about different cultures, tongues, and lands across the globe.
He shared with us that in school, he was consistently among children who spoke various languages. This intrigued him even further when he learned about the origins of these languages. This sparked an interest in geography within him, and his fascination continued to deepen. As a visual learner, the Atlas quickly became his most cherished book.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Paul B (Barbs) (@geographynow_official)
As a grown man now, he’s managed to visit 193 different nations, and among these diverse destinations, Greenland stands out as one of his top picks due to a memorable journey he shared with his mom.
He shared that one of his most memorable experiences was a trip to Greenland with his mother during a video project. Despite his dislike for cold climates, the Arctic regions and communities run by the Inuit have always held a captivating allure for him.
Up there, it feels like another world, composed mainly of stone and ice, with conditions so harsh that they’re almost incompatible with life – but incredible beings have managed not just to survive, but to flourish! Remarkably, I encountered children as young as 10 who spoke casually about hunting muskoxen over the weekend, an activity I find astounding. This resilient attitude truly leaves me amazed.
Barbs has had numerous extraordinary experiences during his travels, yet one of his most noteworthy achievements is being the first individual to record his journey across the globe’s thinnest tripoint where Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ghana meet.
He shared with us that it was a remarkably skinny passage, roughly 120 meters across, which he captured live on his GPS device. “This is exactly what gets me excited… It might seem meaningless to others, but for me, it was an exceptional day – one of the best I’ve ever had.
Two years on, he culminated his ten-year endeavor in a grand style by visiting Zimbabwe alongside 18 of his followers, wrapping up the project with much fanfare.
He exclaimed, “I’ve just returned, and it was simply extraordinary!” He continued, “Despite our diverse backgrounds – different hometowns, lifestyles, and perspectives on life – everyone in our group got along marvelously. The icing on the cake was that my mom accompanied me, making this her first-ever visit to the African continent.
During our visit, we were fortunate enough to witness some of the country’s most striking features. We encountered a wealth of wildlife and managed to secure captivating interviews with local Zimbabweans. What made this experience even more significant was that I filmed a large portion of the Zimbabwe episode directly within the country itself. This project, which I consider my masterpiece, demanded an authentic approach, and what could be more fitting than immersing myself in the country?
Through his hard work, Barbs has earned the recognition as an authentic internet celebrity, a title he modestly dismissed, referring to himself as simply a ‘public figure.’ For him, internet stardom serves as a means to fuel his passion and forge connections with individuals from all corners of the globe. Remarkably, this has even led him to make friends with someone from the tiny island nation of Tuvalu, which boasts a total population of just 13,000 people.
As a gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but share my incredible feeling: “I was just this fellow with an ambitious dream.” It took me a decade to see it through, and somehow, over 3.5 million others decided to embark on this journey with me. Can you imagine what that sensation is like?… Simply astonishing.
Due to the nature of the content I produce, I have a broad, worldwide following, and an essential part of my role is engaging with them through dialogue. My viewers significantly contribute to my content, as I frequently consult and interview them for firsthand information about their countries. In essence, sometimes I see my subscribers as more important figures or ‘stars’ than I am myself.
After completing a project that lasted for a decade, we were curious about where Barbs plans to take his channel next… however, he indicates that this is merely the start of a fresh path for his content creation.
As a gamer diving into the world of Geography Now, I’m shifting gears from mere discussions to interactive explorations. It’s time to engage with this vast, fascinating world, not just chat about it. The upcoming Zimbabwe episode will mark the end of our ‘Country of the UN’ series, but it’s merely the prologue to an exhilarating new journey. I can’t wait to embark on this adventure where we’ll be doing geography hands-on and sharing the experiences with you all!
“I’ve been waiting to do this new content series for a long time, and now I can finally begin the next chapter. Geography Now 2.0 is coming, and as I always say on the show, stay cool and stay tuned.”
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2024-10-15 19:19