[mireaux7]

there are a lot of countries in the world today, more than the average person may even realize. but how many of these said nations have made a lasting mark on the rest of the world?

which countries have impacted the world in a big way?

I have a list of countries I feel are the most globally influential. I wont touch up on everything, but just a few things to give you an idea.

(in random order)

Great Britian/England:

Jolly Ol' England is home to pretty much any story or fable that deals with traditional medieval fare such as Knights,Kings, Queens,Princesses, etc. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Shakespeare are all of British origin.

Lets not forgot the great music: Beatles, Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel even Heavy Metal.

Some of history greatest explorers came from England. Off hand, Captain James Cook comes to mind.

China/Peoples Republic of China:

Home to 1/4 of the world's population, China is the inventor of fireworks, paper, and many other great inventions.

Chinese cuisine is regarded as one of the finest in the world.
Virtually every asian nation can trace their roots of ancestry back to China.

Spain:

Pretty much every country south of the United States in the western hemisphere, speaks Spanish. Thoroughout history, Spanish explorers have established missionaries in various locales, and have spread their culture abroad, even as far as the Phillipines.

Its no wonder why Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world today.

United States:

The U.S. is world reknown for its movies & music. Also responsible for the "westernization"of many other countries, such as Japan.

Many key inventions, such as electricity, the automobile, airplane, etc were invented here, and such inventions have changed the face of the rest of the world.

others to consider:

Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Egypt, Israel, India.

am i leaving any others out?

[Ninja Duck]

You left off Russia and the USSR. But if any of these countries dropped off the face of the earth, it would take everyone only about 50 years to forget about it. What do you know off the top of your head about Prussia?

[Cobnat]

There are hundreds of countries (most have been wiped out or converted though) that have contributed to humanity as a whole. Though I must say that Great Britain has to be most influential for the all the colonies it establish, for how many natives it wiped out and for its contribution to science and language.