“The world is calling. Answer it. With Verizon Wireless, you can call and text in more than 220 countries.”

Verizon Wireless has taken some liberties in its latest advertising, claiming to provide service to “more than 220 countries” worldwide.

That’s an amazing feat, considering there are fewer than 200 recognized nations on Earth.

In fact, although recognized authorities peg the number of nations somewhat differently — the United Nations recognizes 192, National Geographic 193, and the World Atlas 195 — nobody comes close to Verizon Wireless.

The company told Consumerist, who made inquiries, that it counts special administrative regions, dependent territories, and other special zones as individual countries.

Norfolk Island, part of the Commonwealth of Australia, enjoys full sovereignty as an independent nation in the eyes of Verizon.

So do the Falkland Islands (or Las Islas Malvinas if you prefer), a fact sure to upset Great Britain which fought a war over the matter in the early 1980s.

Even the Åland Islands, a Swedish-speaking territory of Finland, ends up on the list. The neutral Åland Islands were considered the Switzerland of the Baltic Sea during World War 2, where merchant ships delivered goods for both the Axis powers and the Allies.  These days, both Germans and the English can text one another with Verizon Wireless.

At this rate, Verizon could claim South Bass Island, one of several Lake Erie Islands, as an independent nation, too.

[flv width=”640″ height=”500″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WTTG Washington Verizon Ad Makes Confusing Claim 4-16-10.flv[/flv]

WTTG-TV in Washington explores Verizon’s confusing claim that it delivers service in more countries than exist on planet Earth.  (1 minute)