The new iPad hits nine countries today, including major European markets and the land of the free.

However, the rest of the world won’t have to wait long for their crack at the gorgeous Retina screen. The new iPad will launch in 25 countries on March 23, or next Friday. 

So Apple lovers in the following countries will have something to spend their hard earned cash on in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Prices in Europe start at €499 for the WiFi only 16GB version, which is relatively competitive compared to high-end Android tablets.