Apple's retail stores around the world, by order of appearance

Apple has over 240 stores located around the globe. America dominates the list with its 218 stores while France is set to start opening stores at a rate that is second only to the US.

List of Apple stores by country across the world:

America: 218 stores.
First opened: Tysons Corner on May 19, 2001
Flagship stores: Charleston, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu, Boston

UK: 24
First store opened: Regent Street on November 20, 2004 (The Regent Street store was the first store to open in Europe and is currently the largest Apple store in the world).
Flagship stores: London, Glasgow

Canada: 14
First store opened: Yorkdale on May 21, 2005
Flagship store: Montreal

Japan: 7
First store opened: Ginza on November 20, 2004
Flagship stores: Tokyo, Osaka

Australia: 5
First store opened: Sydney (George Street) on June 19, 2008
Flagship store: Sydney

Switzerland: 3
First store opened: Geneva on September 25, 2008
Flagship store: Zurich

Germany: 2
First store opened: Munich on December 6, 2008
Flagship store: Munich

Italy: 2
First store opened: Rome on March 31, 2007

China: 1
First store opened: Beijing on June 19, 2008
Flagship store: Beijing

France: 1
First store opened: Paris Carrousel du Louvre (Due to open November 7, 2009)
(with a second due to open in Marseille on November 14,2009 and a third to open in Paris, Opera before the end of Summer, 2010)

Future stores are rumoured to open in Ireland, Spain, India, New Zealand, Mexico and the Netherlands. Apple is also rumoured to be increasing the number of stores in the following countries: France, the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, China, Germany and Italy.

Microsoft opened its first store on October 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona (in the US) while a second opened on October 29 in California. On October 22 Microsoft also opened a Windows Cafe in Paris, France, where it sells coffees and cakes branded with Microsoft-like names instead of computing products.