How Many Countries are in the World?

Most of the current experts and international authorities agree on 194 countries in existence, however, different international bodies differ greatly on how many countries there are. The 194 countries does not include Kosovo (disclaimer), or Palestine or Western Sahara or Taiwan or Greenland or many other partly recognized states .
There are few questions that are more difficult to answer than the total number of countries in the world, as there is no single correct answer. When looking at official statistics from various governmental and international agencies from around the globe, a great deal of discrepancy is seen for this figure. Depending upon the source you acknowledge, there may be 189, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195 or 196 independent countries in existence upon our globe today.

Member States In The United Nations

As of May 1, 2008, the United Nations had 193 official members. This number does not include the Palestine or the Vatican/Holy See (who act as non-member observers), Taiwan (whose credentials have at large been rejected by the UN since 1971), or Kosovo (which is not a UN member, but does participate actively in actions of the UN’s International Monetary Fund and World Bank).

How Many Countries Does The United States Recognize?

The US State Department recognizes 195 independent countries around the world, but that list of countries reflects the political agenda of the United States of America. For example, it includes Kosovo, but does not officially include Taiwan, as China claims that Taiwan (the ROC) is simply a province of China. Such recognition is meant to appease trading partners of the US, and further its diplomatic objectives. Such geopolitical factors are by and in large why defining an official number of independent countries around the globe is such an arduous task.

Is Taiwan An Independent Country?

Taiwan (a.k.a. The Republic of China (ROC)) is a sovereign, unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic. Its jurisdiction is almost entirely comprised by the island of Taiwan, where the capital Taipei is located, and smaller holdings over adjacent islands amidst the East China, South China, and Philippine Seas, the Taiwan and Luzon Straits. The country was formed in 1949 after the then-in-power Nationalists were defeated by the Communists (who took over the Chinese mainland and most of Mongolia) and subsequently relocated to Taiwan. Although the Taiwanese (ROC) government is the remnant of the legitimate government in place before the Communists established the People’s Republic of China (PRC), many countries have failed to recognize it claims to sovereignty as a self-governing independent nation, as the economically and militarily powerful PRC has threatened to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions against those countries choosing to recognize Taiwan.

Is Western Sahara An Independent Country?

Western Sahara is a territory in northwest Africa whose governance has been in dispute between the native Sahrawi and the Kingdom of Morocco for more than 40 years.

Is Palestine An Independent Country?

The State of Palestine, carrying on the name held by the British possession predating the 1947 establishment of the State of Israel, is recognized by 136 UN members. An Algerian-based government in exile declared Palestine’s independence from Israel in 1988, and diplomatic contentions and combat between the two are still carried on to this very day

Is Kosovo An Independent Country?

Kosovo may very well have some of the least clear national boundaries and status concerning its independent sovereignty from among all of the world’s political entities today. Formerly a part of the Communist nation of Yugoslavia, after that country’s dissolution in 1991, Kosovo became part of the newly formed Serbia and Montenegro in 1992. After Serbia and Montenegro split in 2006, the Serbian province of Kosovo’s Parliament, with its majority Albanian population, elected to form a separate republic itself two years later. Today, recognition of the Republic of Kosovo receives mixed perceptions internationally, with Kosovo, 108 UN member countries, and Taiwan viewing it as its own independent nation, while Serbia and others view it as an autonomous Serbian province.

Is The United Kingdom One Country Or 4 Countries?

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, though considered individual countries themselves by many observers, are in fact constituent parts of the United Kingdom (UK), as recognized by the United Nations, United States, and European Union. Therefore, they are all included within the United Kingdom as a single country our list below.

Is Greenland An Independent Country?

What about Greenland? In a nation-wide referendum, the people voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 by an overwhelming majority vote. With the referendum, Greenland acquired complete responsibility for its own internal affairs in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Home Rule Government, and the Danish monarch still accepted as a head of state. In that regard, Greenland is still a part of Denmark, and not recognized as an official independent country. Technically, we consider it a constituent autonomous state: a self-governing political entity that is still within the realm of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Internationally Recognized Countries

National boundaries and sovereignties are constantly shifting, but our list of independent nations, shown below, provides a fairly complete picture of the globe’s geopolitical demarcations as they stand today. Please note that we don't say this list is the ONLY answer, just that it's the best answer we can provide with the information we have on hand.
NOTE: Only countries recognized (as such) by the United Nations are listed, not dependencies and/or territories.
Regarding England, Scotland and Wales, though considered individual countries, they are all a part of the United Kingdom (UK), a European country, and therefore included within the United Kingdom on the list below.
Note: South Sudan is the planet's newest country, which brings Africa's country to a total of 54.

AFRICA (54)

Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

ASIA (44)

Afghanistan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma (Myanmar)
Cambodia
China
East Timor
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen

EUROPE (47)

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City

N. AMERICA (23)

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United States

OCEANIA (14)

Australia
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
New Zealand
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

S. AMERICA (12)

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela

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