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How Many Countries are There in the World? - Answers


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How Many Countries are There in the World?

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Political Map of World
Map depicting all the countries in the world

There are 195 countries in the world, including 193 UN member states and 02 non-member observer states (the Vatican [Holy See] and the State of Palestine).

Besides these 195 countries, many other countries or regions are either partially recognized by the UN, have disputes regarding their existence, or are dependent on other territories. That’s why it is difficult to come to a definite number.

 

To reach a final number of countries in the world, the UN is a reliable source because there is a specific process for becoming its member. The process is again time-tested, proven, and democratic.

A country first has to apply for membership to be a part of the United Nations. The membership application will then be assessed and voted in. The 05 permanent member countries of the United Nations (USA, China, France, Russia, and the UK) have to approve a country to become a member.


There are many countries or regions that are not a part of the List of countries in the world, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, The Cook Islands, Niue, Greenland, Kosovo, Western Sahara, and many more.

Many political, historical, socio-economic, and geographical issues are coming in the way of the full recognition of these countries. We’ll discuss this in the last section of this blog.

Let’s first discuss the 195 countries in the world.

List of 195 Countries in the World (Alphabetically):

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Albania
  3. Algeria
  4. Andorra
  5. Angola
  6. Antigua and Barbuda
  7. Argentina
  8. Armenia
  9. Australia
  10. Austria
  11. Azerbaijan
  12. Bahamas
  13. Bahrain
  14. Bangladesh
  15. Barbados
  16. Belarus
  17. Belgium
  18. Belize
  19. Benin
  20. Bhutan
  21. Bolivia
  22. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  23. Botswana
  24. Brazil
  25. Brunei
  26. Bulgaria
  27. Burkina Faso
  28. Burundi
  29. Cabo Verde
  30. Cambodia
  31. Cameroon
  32. Canada
  33. Central African Republic
  34. Chad
  35. Chile
  36. China
  37. Colombia
  38. Comoros
  39. Congo
  40. Costa Rica
  41. Côte d’Ivoire
  42. Croatia
  43. Cuba
  44. Cyprus
  45. Czechia (Czech Republic)
  46. Denmark
  47. Djibouti
  48. Dominica
  49. Dominican Republic
  50. DR Congo
  51. Ecuador
  52. Egypt
  53. El Salvador
  54. Equatorial Guinea
  55. Eritrea
  56. Estonia
  57. Eswatini
  58. Ethiopia
  59. Fiji
  60. Finland
  61. France
  62. Gabon
  63. The Gambia
  64. Georgia
  65. Germany
  66. Ghana
  67. Greece
  68. Grenada
  69. Guatemala
  70. Guinea
  71. Guinea-Bissau
  72. Guyana
  73. Haiti
  74. Holy See (The Vatican)
  75. Honduras
  76. Hungary
  77. Iceland
  78. India
  79. Indonesia
  80. Iran
  81. Iraq
  82. Ireland
  83. Israel
  84. Italy
  85. Jamaica
  86. Japan
  87. Jordan
  88. Kazakhstan
  89. Kenya
  90. Kiribati
  91. Kuwait
  92. Kyrgyzstan
  93. Laos
  94. Latvia
  95. Lebanon
  96. Lesotho
  97. Liberia
  98. Libya
  99. Liechtenstein
  100. Lithuania
  101. Luxembourg
  102. Madagascar
  103. Malawi
  104. Malaysia
  105. Maldives
  106. Mali
  107. Malta
  108. Marshall Islands
  109. Mauritania
  110. Mauritius
  111. Mexico
  112. Micronesia
  113. Moldova
  114. Monaco
  115. Mongolia
  116. Montenegro
  117. Morocco
  118. Mozambique
  119. Myanmar
  120. Namibia
  121. Nauru
  122. Nepal
  123. Netherlands
  124. New Zealand
  125. Nicaragua
  126. Niger
  127. Nigeria
  128. North Korea
  129. North Macedonia
  130. Norway
  131. Oman
  132. Pakistan
  133. Palau
  134. Panama
  135. Papua New Guinea
  136. Paraguay
  137. Peru
  138. Philippines
  139. Poland
  140. Portugal
  141. Qatar
  142. Romania
  143. Russia
  144. Rwanda
  145. Saint Kitts & Nevis
  146. Saint Lucia
  147. Samoa
  148. San Marino
  149. Sao Tome & Principe
  150. Saudi Arabia
  151. Senegal
  152. Serbia
  153. Seychelles
  154. Sierra Leone
  155. Singapore
  156. Slovakia
  157. Slovenia
  158. Solomon Islands
  159. Somalia
  160. South Africa
  161. South Korea
  162. South Sudan
  163. Spain
  164. Sri Lanka
  165. St. Vincent & Grenadines
  166. State of Palestine
  167. Sudan
  168. Suriname
  169. Sweden
  170. Switzerland
  171. Syria
  172. Tajikistan
  173. Tanzania
  174. Thailand
  175. Timor-Leste
  176. Togo
  177. Tonga
  178. Trinidad and Tobago
  179. Tunisia
  180. Turkey
  181. Turkmenistan
  182. Tuvalu
  183. Uganda
  184. Ukraine
  185. United Arab Emirates
  186. United Kingdom
  187. United States of America
  188. Uruguay
  189. Uzbekistan
  190. Vanuatu
  191. Venezuela
  192. Vietnam
  193. Yemen
  194. Zambia
  195. Zimbabwe

Countries as per Location

Out of the 195 countries in the world:

  • 54 countries in Africa
  • 48 countries in Asia
  • 44 countries in Europe
  • 23 countries in North America (including the Caribbean region)
  • 12 countries in South America
  • 14 countries in Oceania

Which Countries or Regions are not on the above List?

The countries and regions not in the above List of 195 countries are:

1. Taiwan

Its political status remains uncertain as it is no longer a member of the United Nations. Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China) was replaced by the People’s Republic of China (according to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758) as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations.” The People’s Republic of China claims Taiwan and refuses diplomatic relations with countries that recognize Taiwan as a country.

2. Kosovo

The Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognized state, located in Southeast Europe. It has territorial disputes with the Republic of Serbia. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. It went on to receive recognition by 112 United Nations member states as sovereign state. However, since then, 15 UN members have withdrawn their diplomatic recognition. Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state. However, after the 2013’s Brussels Agreement, Serbia accepted the institutions of Kosovo. Serbia continues to claim the Republic of Kosovo as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. However, it has now recognized the administration of the territory by Kosovo’s elected government.

3. Greenland

It is the largest island in the world (located east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans). Though it is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, it has its own domestic affairs (including its parliamentary system of government).

4. The Cook Islands

It is a self-governing island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is in free association with New Zealand. Defense and foreign affairs of this self-governing island country are exercised by New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands.

5. Niue

It is also a self-governing island country (just like the Cook Islands), located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is also in free association with New Zealand, which conducts most of the diplomatic relations on behalf of Niue.

6. Western Sahara

It is a disputed territory. Western Sahara was a former Spanish colony; however, in 1975, it was annexed by Morocco. The United Nations lists it as a non−decolonized territory. Thus Western Sahara is included in the UN List of Non-Self-Governing Territories. It has been a subject of the territorial dispute between Morocco and the region’s indigenous Saharawi people, who are led by the Polisario Front.

34 Regions dependent on Other Territories:

  1. American Samoa (USA)
  2. Anguilla (UK)
  3. Aruba (Neth.)
  4. Bermuda (UK)
  5. British Virgin Islands (UK)
  6. Cayman Islands (UK)
  7. Channel Islands (UK)
  8. Curacao (Neth.)
  9. Faroe Islands (Denmark)
  10. Falkland Islands (UK)
  11. French Guiana (FR)
  12. French Polynesia (FR)
  13. Gibraltar (UK)
  14. Guadeloupe (FR)
  15. Guam (USA)
  16. Hong Kong (China)
  17. Isle of Man (UK)
  18. Jan Mayen (Norway)
  19. Macau (China)
  20. Martinique (FR)
  21. Mayotte (FR)
  22. Montserrat (UK)
  23. New Caledonia (FR)
  24. Northern Mariana Islands (USA)
  25. Puerto Rico (USA)
  26. Réunion (FR)
  27. Saint Barthelemy (FR)
  28. Saint Helena (UK)
  29. Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FR)
  30. Sint Maarten (Neth.)
  31. Tokelau (NZ)
  32. Turks and Caicos (UK)
  33. US Virgin Islands
  34. Wallis & Futuna (FR)

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