What inspires someone to launch a YouTube channel that explores every country on the planet? For Paul Barbato, aka Barbs, the creator of Geography Now, it all started with a love for learning and a bit of frustration. Through Geography Now, he seeks to create a bridge between cultures, inviting viewers to see the world through a new lens — one that is shaped by the people and places. From balancing personal loss with creating content to managing the technical demands of video production, every step has been a learning experience for Barbs. Read on to learn more about Barbs as he prepares to wrap up his decade-long mission of uncovering every country.

Where are you based?
Hello! I am currently based in Los Angeles California!

What inspired you to post videos on YouTube?
You know honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do with my life prior to YouTube, I was doing everything from walking dogs to wearing a ninja turtle costume at events (they always made me Leonardo because I fit the costume even though my favorite is Raphael)

All I knew was that I loved learning about the world and its complex fascinating cultures and demarcation lines on the map. So I would typically go to YouTube to learn, but the problem was there wasn’t any channel on YouTube at the time that really “taught” geography or did full informational profiles on every country in the world. As a sort of “motivation driven by frustration” I decided “fine, I’ll do it.” So I did, and became YouTube’s first channel fully dedicated to covering informational profiles on every UN recognized country in the world.

What initially inspired you to center your channel on geography-related content?
I grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Chicago where I would hear kids occasionally speaking different languages to their parents which made me curious. “What is that you’re saying? Oh! You’re Greek? What’s Greek? Oh there’s a country called “Greece?” Where is that? WHOA! That’s far on the map!” And from there the curiosity just grew and grew.

I’m a heavy visual learner and soon the Atlas became my favorite book because it showed a world of places beyond. I wanted to know, what was outside my little city and across the ocean? I had never even seen an ocean at that age.

I never really knew what I could “do” with this fascination with understanding the complex geopolitical structures this world is run by but I knew I wanted to dive deeper into it. Then the YouTube thing came along and the rest is history.

Why do you believe it is important to share this type of educational material through this platform?
I believe it’s important because 1.We live in a digital era in which the new generation has never known a time with the internet and the web is so ingrained within our society and culture at this point that it’s crucial to involve online learning resources

And 2. Geography is important because this world is our home. Not learning about what’s out there is like living in a mansion and only staying in one room. There’s so much to understand about how everything and everyone on this planet has a story and why it is the way it is. The more you understand the more you can grow and move forward.

Who or what has influenced you the most in your journey as a travel educator and content creator?
You know, one of the biggest reasons I started Geography Now was because I wanted to be a travel show host and specifically for a show called “Globe Trekker” it was an amazing series that typically aired on PBS and I was obsessed with watching it. It was exactly what I wanted to do. I sent in an audition video but never heard back.

I was a bit dejected, but unsurrendering. If I couldn’t be on Globe Trekker, I figured I would just have to make my own “Globe Trekker” type of thing. I guess in a sense, failing Globe Trekker was what really put a fire in my belly. I still love that show though, no hard feelings haha.

Can you tell us more about Geography Now? How do you believe learning about different cultures through Geography Now can help bridge divides in our increasingly polarized world?
Geography Now’s objective has always been to teach about every country in the world but not just in your typical “spitting out Wikipedia facts” type of way. Much of my information comes from my subscribers that are from the countries of the videos I make and oftentimes they are even featured in the videos to give a local perspective.

It’s a whole other world of an experience when you meet someone in person and hear from them. When I do a country video, I want my audience to feel like they are meeting a person for the first time and learning about them, not hammering a bunch of cold regurgitated wikipedia facts that are easily googled.

I want my audience to feel like they can understand what it’s like to be Nicaraguan for a day, or an Angolan, or Kyrgyz person, because when you do, the preconceived notions start to disintegrate. And there’s no better way then by featuring the people of a country. People are the best resource in my opinion which is why I value my subscribers so much in my content.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in creating content for Geography Now, and how have you overcome them?
Around the time I was working on the Brazil episode I got a call from my dad telling me that he was diagnosed with brain cancer. I almost stopped Geography Now all together, but he had witnessed how much the channel was helping me grow in my life. It was the first time I had some kind of a “career” and he loved seeing me work on it and wanted me to keep going.

For the next 2 years I would have to smile in front of the camera putting on a show knowing that behind the scenes dad was getting worse and worse and sometime after the Guatemalan episode, he passed away. This was the hardest thing I’ve had to go through not only in Geography Now’s timeline but my entire life.

In a way though this story has a silver lining. Since then I’ve taken on the role of providing for my mom and she’s the best roommate ever and I’ve gotten so much closer to her over these years. She’s my favorite person on earth, and now she never has to work again and she can enjoy her life painting and traveling the world with me. I want her to see as much as possible.

Since traveling so much, is there a must-visit country people might not think about that you would recommend?
Oh SO MANY. I could go on for hours on this topic but I will start by saying — “Especially in Africa.”- My goodness I don’t understand why people don’t give Africa more attention…well actually considering how underrepresented the entire continent is usually portrayed in most forms of media maybe I do. But seriously, Some of my best memories were in Togo, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea…. The list goes on.

The other region I’m always fascinated with (despite hating cold weather) is the Arctic. Anywhere inhabited by inuit people, I’ve been to Greenland twice and it is one of my favorite places. The whole area is like a different planet made of rock and ice yet it’s amazing to see how the locals are totally capable of adapting to the inhospitable conditions and thriving.

Ahh you got me pumped and now I want to buy a flight ticket. Haha.

What has Geography Now taught you about the world?
I’ve learned in all my years that this world is more like a macro version of a “clicky” high school, or a quirky family with weird cousins and dramatic relatives. That’s the biggest illustration I try to convey in every episode.

Much of my information I get for the show actually comes from my subscribers that come from the country of the episodes I’m doing. They tend to give me the “really gritty, good, insider information that you can’t Wikipedia”. For example Bulgarians will sometimes just perceive Macedonians as “offshoot Bulgarians” (even though Macedonians will NEVER agree to it). Turkic peoples have a longstanding history of living between the dichotomy of “Islam vs. Traditional Turkic superstitious beliefs and traditions” and what’s really going on with that “Frenemy situation” between Malaysia and Indonesia?

Every country is like a “quirky person” at a party and the real challenge is, figuring out how to understand what made that person the way they are.

Your decade-long project to profile every UN-recognized country has been incredibly ambitious. As you prepare to conclude this journey with Zimbabwe, how do you feel about the progress and impact of Geography Now?
First of all, thank you! Second, this is something I have been both physically and mentally preparing for a long time. We all knew this day would come. The only question on everybody’s mind was just, “how” would it come?

I am super excited to bring the UN country episodes to close. I went to Zimbabwe on a group trip with my mom and 18 subscribers where we not only got to experience and document Zimbabwe, but I also filmed the episode IN the country. It’s going to be a good finale.

Geography Now has had such a crazy journey. It’s taken up a huge chunk of my life and it really is the biggest endeavor I’ve ever accomplished. I’ve met people of all walks of life all over the world both online and in person that have a shared love of the channel. I’ve met metalheads in the Netherlands to textile moguls in Ethiopia, and they all love watching geography now.

People have literally met each other and eventually MARRIED through the Channel (ie Malika and Raouf in the Turkmenistan episode) - I’ve bumped into fans and taken pictures with them in the most remote areas I would not expect to be recognized like the Hargeisa Airport in Somaliland, or Annobon island Equatorial Guinea. I guess one thing everyone in the world can relate to is the fact that they are all “from somewhere” and Geography Now is a platform they can come to see everyone’s “somewhere” .

Can you tell us more about your new project “Letter To?” How did this idea come about, and what do you hope to achieve with it?
This is a series I’m really happy to have started and I’ve been working on it for a while. For ten years I’ve been standing in a studio talking ABOUT countries on my channel. I’m done with that, now it’s time to talk TO the countries. It’s a sort of “twist” on the geography genre with a new “intimate personal” format.

The idea came up from the fact that on the show, we often do skits in which a character personifies an entire country in a dialogue sequence. So I figured, what if that actually was a concept I could illustrate on the channel? What if instead of looking at a country as if it were a “thing to dissect and study”, what if it was a person I can have a meaningful discussion with? And with that, the “Letters” series was born. The only caveat is, I actually have to travel to the country and document the experience in order to write the letter.

Which of course I am definitely always down to do.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a similar educational project or YouTube channel?
First of all, make sure you are REALLY interested in what you are doing and feel you can speak passionately about your topic and have fun with it. YouTube is no place for “generic, bland, lifeless” content.

Second, There will be a LOT of writing involved and you will eventually have to get good at it. My goodness I did not realize how important writing was to the whole process until I was like two episodes in. This applies to everything. Writing an outline, script, research, emails, notes, and ideas.

Third, most likely you will have to learn how to do some of the technical aspects of making videos, even if you delegate cinematic and post production work to editors and a crew, it will be helpful to at least know the “jargon” to convey how you want your project to come out visually when you have a vision. I personally had to teach myself how to operate a camera and edit with motion graphics, but eventually I handed motion graphics to my friend Jared to save time.

Fourth, if you want YouTube to be a career, and more than just a “fun personal project” you will really need to figure out how you will stick out and be original, with videos that will harness an audience. Once you have that audience you need to make sure you learn how to engage with them and figure out what works best. Every channel is different and your story will be unique to you!

How do you see the future of geography education evolving, especially with the rise of digital platforms?
Videos are getting shorter, louder, crazier, shockier and “special-effect-ier”-with bold captions and fast jump cuts. It’s weird but this seems to be the trend that grabs more attention these days. I’m noticing a lot of educational videos trying to adopt these techniques and I have to admit even I sometimes fall into enjoying them.

Will Geography Now switch up the format and follow this trend? I would say, “I’ll take notes and maybe incorporate some elements of what seems to be conventionally working, as a means to adapt to the current digital climate, but will I do a COMPLETE format change? No. I’ll always be the same Barbs you’ve always known and hung out with for the past 10 years.

Any tips for travelers?
These are just things that work for me and what I always do, so take it with a grain of salt if you disagree but:
1. I almost never bring checked luggage. I can carry everything I need with carry-ons and yes this even includes filming equipment. This allows me to travel faster and more effectively and I never have to worry about lost items in transit (one of my biggest nightmares)
2. Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, you just have to be very budget conscious. There are many techniques people use and it all depends on what works best for you, some people are “points” travelers, some people book in the middle of the week on off-peak season, and some people are willing to endure three layovers with a 3 AM departure. Either way, with enough planning, the “average” person can totally go and explore the world.
3. Try to avoid “over researching and planning” a place too much before you go. Allow some space to “let the destination come and surprise you” a little bit. Trust me it will make the experience much better.

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you are particularly excited about that you can share with us?
Well I am definitely going to continue the “Letters” series and I have plans to do much more travel related content. I’m done “teaching” about the world, it’s time to SHOW my subscribers the world. Remember I wanted to be on Globe Trekker? Well it’s time to finally fulfill that dream haha.

In addition, I was thinking about possibly writing a book and starting a new series where I do something no YouTuber has done before but… Ahh I can’t quite reveal it just yet. I want it to be a surprise. You’ll just have to wait and see when it comes out ;). But I will say this, There have been hints and little easter eggs mentioned in past Geography Now videos that subscribers will totally understand when this new project comes out.

It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
You know, I admit I’m not always positive, sometimes I DO get bogged down by all the chaos and drama this world and current events have to offer.

But I guess two things help: one, I have good people in my life and especially my mom. My friends all come to my house and call her “mom” as well. When you have good people with good character in your life almost anything is bearable.

Second, I’ve seen so much of the world at this point that I know that what we typically perceive as “crazy” here in the west is really childsplay compared to what so many other regions across the world experience on a regular basis. When you’ve seen the “other side” I guess it kind of formulates a broader perspective and allows you to walk through life with a [relatively] more rational and collective demeanor. Does that mean I try to avoid the world’s issues and craziness? No, but I don’t let the typical hyperbolic divisive online reactions get to me.

What is your motto in life?
I have two mottos:
1. Have incredibly low expectations in life, that way you can technically never lose”.
2. You don’t have to care what the world thinks of you, but you’re still responsible for how the world will perceive you, and the world IS bigger than you; so, just keep that in mind.

To learn more about Geography Now and Paul Barbato, please follow the links below:
Youtube: @GeographyNow
Instagram: @GeographyNow_Official
TikTok: @Geographynow_Official
Facebook: @GeographyNowFanpage
Twitter: @GeographyNow

Paul "Barbs" Barbato - Traversing All the Countries on Earth