­Samsung Electronics has marked the first anniversary of its own apps store, by announcing the service has expanded to cover 109 countries. Initially available from September 2009 in select European and Asian countries Samsung Apps has expanded its coverage at a rapid pace riding on the launch of the Samsung Wave smartphone.

Samsung Apps recently added nine more service countries – Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Iceland, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sudan – to increase availability to 109 markets.

The Samsung Wave, the first smartphone based on Samsung’s own bada platform, hit the market in June 2010. Since its launch, more than 14 million bada applications have been downloaded from Samsung Apps, as the service’s user base continues to expand.

“The expansion of the Samsung Apps gives us the opportunity to reach more users than ever before with entertaining, compelling and enriching smartphone experiences. We are committed to introducing users to new applications and services, unique to Samsung,” said Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Media Solutions Center, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung Apps rapid expansion also signals an incredible opportunity for developers and content providers to reach new customers all over the world.”

Already offering an array of applications, including games, social networks, e-books and health-related services, Samsung says that it plans to drive the creation of more locally-customized applications. It will also integrate relevant local information and provide a more tailored service to users globally.