The Apple iPad –– the April-released touchscreen iOS device that received a lot of hype before the iPhone 4 hit the market last month – is apparently set for expansion to some more international markets this week!

In a Monday announcement, Apple revealed that its iPad tablet computer will become available for sale in nine more countries, with effect from Friday, July 23.

The nine countries in which the iPad – which has six different models priced between $499 and $829 in the US - will be launched include Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Singapore.

The customers in these countries will be able to purchase any of the six iPad models via Apple’s retail stores or Apple Authorized Resellers.

With the recently-announced overseas expansion of the availability of the iPad in nine more countries, the Apple tablet will become available in 19 countries in all. The device is already available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland.

Apparently, the availability of the iPad in overseas markets is further set to broaden in the near future, with Apple also disclosing that the device will hit the markets in some more countries later this year.