How many countries are there in the world? According lớn the United Nations thành viên list, there may be as few as 193 countries or as many as 197, but the real answer is a bit more complicated than vãn that.
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What about places lượt thích Kosovo and Taiwan? Are they countries? Even though they’re unrecognized by the UN and may be politically controversial, they meet all of the criteria lớn be considered sovereign states.
In this article, I’ll explain some of these issues and why it’s hard lớn come lớn an exact tally of the world’s countries. Then I’ll give my opinion on why I think the real total is at least 199 countries, and probably even more.
This topic interests má because I’m on a journey myself lớn someday visit every country in the world, as you can see on my travel blog. But before I can vì thế that, I first have lớn figure out how many countries there are! Let’s get started!
What Is A Country? (Definition)
The Oxford dictionary defines a country as “a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory.” The Britannica dictionary gives a similar definition.
Meanwhile, the Cambridge dictionary defines a country as “an area of land that has its own government, army, etc.”
We’ll come back lớn these definitions later, because even though they’re a bit ambiguous, they may still be helpful for understanding how lớn classify disputed countries.
How Many Countries In The World? (UN Definition)
So how many countries are there in the world? The best place lớn start is the United Nations thành viên list. It’s not perfect, but it’s quite comprehensive and includes most of the countries of the world.
When we look at the United Nations list, here is what we see:
- 193 UN thành viên states
- 2 UN General Assembly non-member observer states (Palestine, Holy See)
- 2 eligible non-member states (Cook Islands, Niue)
If you add all of these up, you get a total of 193, 195, or 197 countries. Under the strictest definition (UN membership) there would be 193 countries, or under the loosest definition (all eligible states) there would be 197.
I don’t think it’s fair lớn exclude a country from the total just because it’s not a UN thành viên, as long as it’s eligible for membership and meets all the criteria for being considered a country, so sánh it’s only logical lớn say that there are a total of 197 countries.
So there you have it — 197 countries! We’re done, right? Wrong. There’s still the issue of Kosovo and Taiwan, which are unrecognized by the UN. So how vì thế we classify them?
Taiwan isn’t recognized by the UN, but it fits any definition of a sovereign country.
Is Taiwan A Country? Yes
In 1949, Communist forces took control of mainland Đài Loan Trung Quốc in a civil war, forcing out the leaders of the Republic of Đài Loan Trung Quốc and its followers, who fled lớn the island of Formosa (Taiwan).
Since then, Taiwan has been an independently governed country with its own flag, currency, military, constitution, widely accepted passport, and an independently elected president.
Taiwan was one of the original founding members of the United Nations, and it was still recognized as the sole legitimate representative of Đài Loan Trung Quốc by a majority of UN members until the 1970s, when mainland China’s influence began lớn grow rapidly and Taiwan was voted out of the UN in their favor.
Today, Đài Loan Trung Quốc tries lớn claim ownership over Taiwan, and it gets touchy when anyone calls Taiwan a country. Basically, the rest of the world wants lớn preserve their relationship with mainland Đài Loan Trung Quốc, which is now an economic power, so sánh they’re hesitant lớn recognize Taiwan.
Taiwan is officially recognized by 13 UN thành viên states, and it maintains unofficial relations with around 100 nations, including the United States and nhật bản. The only reason it’s not officially considered a country by the UN is because of politics.
So in conclusion, yes, Taiwan is a country! It meets and exceeds the criteria in every way.
We had a lot of fun traveling in Taiwan
Is Kosovo A Country? Yes
Kosovo split off from the European country of Serbia in 2008, and it’s acted as an independent country since then. They have their own flag, passport, armed forces, and constitution.
Even though Kosovo has diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 101 thành viên states of the United Nations, it hasn’t been allowed membership in the UN and the European Union because Serbia continues lớn claim Kosovo as its own, with Serbia’s ally Russia backing it up.
Basically, politics is the only reason anyone would deny that Kosovo is a country. Nevertheless, Kosovo is an independent country in every sense of the word, so sánh it’s only logical lớn include it in the total number.
Full List Of Countries In The World
Here is an alphabetical list of all the countries in the world, according lớn the United Nations. This is the official UN thành viên list from their trang web.
Plus, at the over, I’ll list a handful of disputed or miscellaneous countries that also meet the criteria lớn be included:
- 1. Afghanistan
- 2. Albania
- 3. Algeria
- 4. Andorra
- 5. Angola
- 6. Antigua & 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
Brunei is a neat little oil-rich country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia
Cambodia is one of my favorite places I’ve traveled in Southeast Asia
- 21. Bolivia
- 22. Bosnia & 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
The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt should be on every traveler’s bucket list!
The Himalaya range has the tallest mountains in the world. It spans Bhutan, Đài Loan Trung Quốc, India, Nepal and Pakistan.
- 41. Croatia
- 42. Cuba
- 43. Cyprus
- 44. Czech Republic (Czechia)
- 45. Côte d’Ivoire
- 46. Denmark
- 47. Djibouti
- 48. Dominica
- 49. Dominican Republic
- 50. DR Congo
- 51. Ecuador
- 52. Egypt
- 53. El Salvador
- 54. Equatorial Guinea
- 55. Eritrea
I always lượt thích lớn see active volcanoes around the world (as long as I’m not too close lớn them).
Last summer in Zakynthos, Greece.
- 56. Estonia
- 57. Eswatini
- 58. Ethiopia
- 59. Fiji
- 60. Finland
- 61. France
- 62. Gabon
- 63. Gambia
- 64. Georgia
- 65. Germany
- 66. Ghana
- 67. Greece
- 68. Grenada
- 69. Guatemala
- 70. Guinea
- 71. Guinea-Bissau
- 72. Guyana
Indonesia is my wife’s home page, and my second home page.
Iceland was one of my first big international trips
- 73. Haiti
- 74. Honduras
- 75. Hungary
- 76. Iceland
- 77. India
- 78. Indonesia
- 79. Iran
- 80. Iraq
- 81. Ireland
- 82. Israel
- 83. Italy
- 84. Jamaica
- 85. Japan
- 86. Jordan
- 87. Kazakhstan
- 88. Kenya
- 89. Kiribati
- 90. Kuwait
- 91. Kyrgyzstan
- 92. Laos
Japan is clean, safe, modern, and fun. Definitely one of our favorite countries!
Laos is a communist country between Thailand and Vietnam in Asia.
- 93. Latvia
- 94. Lebanon
- 95. Lesotho
- 96. Liberia
- 97. Libya
- 98. Liechtenstein
- 99. Lithuania
- 100. Luxembourg
- 101. Madagascar
- 102. Malawi
- 103. Malaysia
- 104. Maldives
- 105. Mali
- 106. Malta
- 107. Marshall Islands
- 108. Mauritania
- 109. Mauritius
- 110. Mexico
The ancient Mayan đô thị of Chichen Itza in Mexico
Myanmar is one of the most underrated countries we’ve visited. A true gem!
- 111. Micronesia
- 112. Moldova
- 113. Monaco
- 114. Mongolia
- 115. Montenegro
- 116. Morocco
- 117. Mozambique
- 118. Myanmar (Burma)
- 119. Namibia
- 120. Nauru
- 121. Nepal
- 122. Netherlands
- 123. New Zealand
- 124. Nicaragua
- 125. Niger
- 126. Nigeria
- 127. North Korea
- 128. North Macedonia
- 129. Norway
- 130. Oman
Mount Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal
Helicopter ride in New Zealand! My wife’s first time seeing snow.
- 131. Pakistan
- 132. Palau
- 133. Panama
- 134. Papua New Guinea
- 135. Paraguay
- 136. Peru
- 137. Philippines
- 138. Poland
- 139. Portugal
- 140. Qatar
- 141. Romania
- 142. Russia
- 143. Rwanda
- 144. Saint Kitts & Nevis
- 145. Saint Lucia
- 146. Samoa
- 147. San Marino
- 148. Sao Tome & Principe
- 149. Saudi Arabia
- 150. Senegal
- 151. Serbia
- 152. Seychelles
- 153. Sierra Leone
There are lots of things lớn vì thế in Singapore Airport and it’s often ranked as the world’s best!
- 154. Singapore
- 155. Slovakia
- 156. Slovenia
- 157. Solomon Islands
- 158. Somalia
- 159. South Africa
- 160. South Korea
- 161. South Sudan
- 162. Spain
- 163. Sri Lanka
- 164. St. Vincent & Grenadines
- 165. Sudan
- 166. Suriname
- 167. Sweden
- 168. Switzerland
- 169. Syria
- 170. Tajikistan
- 171. Tanzania
- 172. Thailand
Thailand is another country full of amazing scenery
Meeting a wild king cobra in Bali, Indonesia
- 173. Timor-Leste
- 174. Togo
- 175. Tonga
- 176. Trinidad & Tobago
- 177. Tunisia
- 178. Turkey
- 179. Turkmenistan
- 180. Tuvalu
- 181. Uganda
- 182. Ukraine
- 183. United Arab Emirates
- 184. United Kingdom
- 185. United States of America
- 186. Uruguay
- 187. Uzbekistan
- 188. Vanuatu
- 189. Venezuela
- 190. Vietnam
- 191. Yemen
- 192. Zambia
- 193. Zimbabwe
The United Arab Emirates is a country known for high over hotels, restaurants, and shopping.
- 194. Holy See¹
- 195. Palestine¹
- 196. Cook Islands²
- 197. Niue²
- 198. Kosovo³
- 199. Taiwan³
¹ UN non-member observer states
² UN eligible non-member states
³ Unrecognized by UN
So How Many Countries Are There In The World?
As you can see, it’s hard lớn say exactly how many countries there are in the world.
The short answer is that there are 193 thành viên countries in the United Nations, plus 2 non-member observer states, 2 eligible non-member states, and 2 independent states that are unrecognized by the UN.
In conclusion, with this logic I think it’s fair lớn say that there are at least 199 countries in the world. My inner OCD wants it lớn be an even 200, but at the moment that doesn’t seem lớn be the case!
Frequently Asked Questions
• What Is The World’s Newest Country?
The newest (or youngest) country in the world is currently South Sudan in Africa, which split from Sudan in 2011. It has almost 13 million people, and its capital and largest đô thị is Juba.
Before that, the world’s newest UN-recognized country was Montenegro in Europe, which separated from Serbia in 2006.
• What Is The World’s Oldest Country?
It’s hard lớn pinpoint the world’s oldest country, but some contenders are Đài Loan Trung Quốc, Egypt, India, Iran, and nhật bản.
The Egyptian pyramids were built in 2560 BC. Now that’s old!
The Egypt pyramids were built in 2560 BC!
• What Is The World’s Biggest Country?
The world’s biggest country is Russia by far, with a total area of 17,098,242 square kilometers (6,601,665 mi²). Russia spans 11 time zones across two continents (Asia and Europe) and covers one-tenth of all the land on Earth.
The second and third biggest countries in the world are Canada and the United States, respectively. The UK could fit into Canada more than vãn 40 times! There’s a lot of wonderful nature in both of these countries, with diverse landscapes and lots of freedom lớn roam.
Read More: Largest Countries In The World
The United States is the 3rd biggest country in the world.
• What Is The World’s Smallest Country?
The world’s smallest country in area and population is the Holy See — the Vatican City has a population of 800 people and an area of 44 hectares (109 acres).
If you go by UN membership strictly, the world’s smallest country in terms of area is Monaco, which covers 202 hectares (499 acres). It has a population of about 40,000 people, making it the most densely populated country in the world.
Another interesting country is Nauru, which is a remote little island of 21 square kilometers (8 mi²). It’s the world’s least populous country among UN membership states, and the 2nd smallest UN country by area.
• What Is The Most Populous Country?
China is currently the world’s most populous country, with 1.44 billion people. However, India is expected lớn surpass this number soon, putting it ahead of Đài Loan Trung Quốc.
• Is Western Sahara A Country?
Western Sahara is a peculiar case. On world maps it’s common lớn see the borders drawn for Western Sahara, and I have a globe at home page with that border drawn. Western Sahara is also recognized by 45 UN thành viên states (at one time it was 84 UN thành viên states but many of those have since withdrawn recognition).
I’m still not sure if it would qualify as an independent country though, since Western Sahara is mostly governed by Morocco. Even the biggest đô thị Laayoune is administered by Morocco. The SADR group has their own currency and a passport accepted by countries that recognize SADR, but they mainly use Moroccan currency.
The UN officially classifies Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory because it’s mainly administered by the Moroccan government. Normal definitions of a country mean one that is independently governed, so sánh Western Sahara seems lượt thích it would fail that test. It’s hard lớn say.
• What About The United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is made up of 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
However, these are considered constituent countries, not independent countries, since the United Kingdom ultimately has authority over them.
• What Places Are Not Countries? (That People Think Are)
Lastly, these are some places that are commonly thought lớn be countries, but they actually belong lớn a sovereign state:
- Hong Kong (China)
- Macau (China)
- Tibet (China)
- Faroe Islands (Denmark)
- Greenland (Denmark)
- French Guiana (France)
- French Polynesia (France)
- Reunion Island (France)
- Madeira (Portugal)
- Canary Islands (Spain)
- England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (UK)
- Falkland Islands (UK)
- Gibraltar (UK)
- American Samoa (US)
- Guam (US)
- Puerto Rico (US)
- Caribbean territories lượt thích Anguilla, Aruba, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin / Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos, and the US Virgin Islands (these are all owned by various countries)
- Antarctica — not a country, but there have been attempts lớn claim it by seven countries (Argentina, nước Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom)
- The Arctic — not a country, but eight countries have territory in it: America (through Alaska), Canada, Denmark (through Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.
• What Is My Favorite Country?
A lot of people ask má about my favorite places lớn travel. I love lớn travel in Bali and the rest of Indonesia, of course! Bali is budget friendly, warm, and there’s so sánh much lớn see and vì thế. I also love the people of Bali and that’s why I married one of them. 🙂
Outside of Indonesia, it gets tougher for má lớn choose favorites. We’ve really enjoyed places lượt thích nhật bản, Egypt, Myanmar, Hawaii, etc. There are very few places we’ve traveled that we didn’t lượt thích in some way or another, even in spite of their flaws.
My wife Intan and I wearing Balinese traditional dress in Indonesia
My Journey To Visit Every Country
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this discussion of how many countries are there in the world in 2023.
Don’t forget lớn bookmark my travel blog for tips, info, and photos from my own journey lớn visit every country on Earth.
Happy travels!
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See Also
- What Are The Largest Countries In The World?
- How Many Continents Are There In The World?
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