List of sovereign states

The following is a list providing an overview of sovereign states around the world, with information on their status and recognition of their sovereignty.

The 206 listed states can be divided into three categories based on membership within the United Nations System: 193 member states,[1] two observer states and 11 other states. The sovereignty dispute column indicates states having undisputed sovereignty (190 states) and states having disputed sovereignty (16 states, of which there are six member states, one observer state and nine other states).

Compiling a list such as this can be a difficult and controversial process, as there is no definition that is binding on all the members of the community of nations concerning the criteria for statehood. For more information on the criteria used to determine the contents of this list, please see the criteria for inclusion section below. The list is intended to include entities that have been recognised as having de facto status as sovereign states, and inclusion should not be seen as an endorsement of any specific claim to statehood in legal terms.

List of states

Common and formal names	Membership within the UN System[lower-alpha 1]	Sovereignty dispute[lower-alpha 2]	Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty[lower-alpha 4]
↓ UN member states and observer states ↓
Abkhazia → See Abkhazia listing
Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan	UN member state	None
Albania – Republic of Albania	UN member state	None
Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria	UN member state	None
Andorra – Principality of Andorra	UN member state	None	Andorra is a co-principality in which the office of head of state is jointly held ex officio by the French president and the bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Urgell,[2] who himself is appointed with approval from the Holy See.
Angola – Republic of Angola	UN member state	None
Antigua and Barbuda	UN member state	None	Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 5] with one autonomous region, Barbuda.[lower-alpha 6]
Argentina – Argentine Republic[lower-alpha 7]	UN member state	None	Argentina is a federation of 23 provinces and one autonomous city.[lower-alpha 8]
Armenia – Republic of Armenia	UN member state	Not recognised by Pakistan.	Armenia is not recognised by Pakistan due to the dispute over Artsakh.[5][6][7]
Artsakh → See Artsakh listing
Australia – Commonwealth of Australia	UN member state	None	Australia is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 5] and a federation of both states and territories. There are six states, three internal territories, six external territories and one claimed Antarctic external territory. The external territories of Australia are:  Ashmore and Cartier Islands  Christmas Island  Cocos (Keeling) Islands  Coral Sea Islands Territory  Heard Island and McDonald Islands  Norfolk Island  Australian Antarctic Territory
Austria – Republic of Austria	UN member state	None	Member of the European Union.[lower-alpha 3] Austria is a federation of nine states.
Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan	UN member state	None	Azerbaijan contains one autonomous region, Nakhchivan [lower-alpha 6] The de facto state of Artsakh has been established in the southwest of Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas[9]	UN member state	None	The Bahamas is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain	UN member state	None
Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh	UN member state	None
Barbados	UN member state	None	Barbados is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Belarus – Republic of Belarus	UN member state	None
Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] Belgium is a federation of three linguistic communities and three regions.
Belize	UN member state	None	Belize is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Benin – Republic of Benin	UN member state	None
Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan	UN member state	None
Bolivia – Plurinational State of Bolivia	UN member state	None
Bosnia and Herzegovina	UN member state	None	Bosnia and Herzegovina has two constituent entities:  Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina  Republika Srpska and Brčko District, a self-governing administrative district.[10]
Botswana – Republic of Botswana	UN member state	None
Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil	UN member state	None	Brazil is a federation of 26 states and one federal district.
Brunei – Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace	UN member state	None
Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Burkina Faso	UN member state	None
Burma → See Myanmar listing
Burundi – Republic of Burundi	UN member state	None
Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia	UN member state	None
Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon	UN member state	None
Canada[lower-alpha 9]	UN member state	None	Canada is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 5] and a federation of 10 provinces and three territories.
Cape Verde – Republic of Cabo Verde[lower-alpha 10]	UN member state	None
Central African Republic	UN member state	None
Chad – Republic of Chad	UN member state	None
Chile – Republic of Chile	UN member state	None	[lower-alpha 11]
China – People's Republic of China[lower-alpha 12]	UN member state	Partially unrecognised. Claimed by the Republic of China	China contains five autonomous regions, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, and Xinjiang.[lower-alpha 6] Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of:  Hong Kong  Macau China claims, but does not control Taiwan, which is governed by a rival administration (the Republic of China) that claims all of China as its territory.[lower-alpha 13] China is not recognised by 15 UN member states and the Holy See, which, with the exception of Bhutan, all recognise Taiwan instead.[lower-alpha 14]
China, Republic of → See Taiwan listing
Colombia – Republic of Colombia	UN member state	None
Comoros – Union of the Comoros	UN member state	None	Comoros is a federation of three islands.[lower-alpha 15]
Congo, Democratic Republic of the[lower-alpha 16]	UN member state	None
Congo, Republic of the[lower-alpha 17]	UN member state	None
Cook Islands → See Cook Islands listing
Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica	UN member state	None
Côte d'Ivoire → See Ivory Coast listing
Croatia – Republic of Croatia	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Cuba – Republic of Cuba	UN member state	None
Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus	UN member state	Not recognised by Turkey[13]	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] The northeastern part of the island is the de facto state of Northern Cyprus. Cyprus is not recognised by Turkey due to the Cyprus dispute, with Turkey recognising Northern Cyprus.
Czech Republic[lower-alpha 18]	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Democratic People's Republic of Korea → See Korea, North listing
Democratic Republic of the Congo → See Congo, Democratic Republic of the listing
Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] The Kingdom of Denmark includes 2 self-governing territories:  Faroe Islands  Greenland The continental territory of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland form the three constituent countries of the Kingdom.[lower-alpha 19] The Kingdom of Denmark as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law does not apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.[14][15]
Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti	UN member state	None
Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica	UN member state	None
Dominican Republic	UN member state	None
East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste[lower-alpha 20]	UN member state	None
Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador	UN member state	None
Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt	UN member state	None
El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador	UN member state	None
Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea	UN member state	None
Eritrea – State of Eritrea	UN member state	None
Estonia – Republic of Estonia	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Eswatini – Kingdom of Eswatini[lower-alpha 21]	UN member state	None
Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia	UN member state	None	Ethiopia is a federation of nine regions and two chartered cities.
Fiji – Republic of Fiji	UN member state	None	Fiji contains one autonomous region, Rotuma.[lower-alpha 6][16][17]
Finland – Republic of Finland	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]  Åland is a neutral and demilitarised autonomous region of Finland.[lower-alpha 6][lower-alpha 22]
France – French Republic	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] France contains five overseas regions/departments; French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion. France also includes the overseas territories of:  Clipperton Island  French Polynesia  New Caledonia  Saint Barthélemy  Saint Martin  Saint Pierre and Miquelon  Wallis and Futuna  French Southern and Antarctic Lands[lower-alpha 23]
Gabon – Gabonese Republic	UN member state	None
Gambia, The – Republic of The Gambia[18]	UN member state	None
Georgia	UN member state	None	Georgia contains two autonomous republics, Adjara and Abkhazia.[lower-alpha 6] In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto states have been formed.
Germany – Federal Republic of Germany	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] Germany is a federation of 16 states.
Ghana – Republic of Ghana	UN member state	None
Greece – Hellenic Republic	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] Greece contains one autonomous area, Mount Athos.[19]
Grenada	UN member state	None	Grenada is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala	UN member state	None
Guinea – Republic of Guinea[lower-alpha 24]	UN member state	None
Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau	UN member state	None
Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana	UN member state	None
Haiti – Republic of Haiti	UN member state	None
Holy See → See Vatican City listing
Honduras – Republic of Honduras	UN member state	None
Hungary	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Iceland[lower-alpha 25]	UN member state	None
India – Republic of India	UN member state	None	India is a federation of 28 states and eight union territories.
Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia	UN member state	None	Indonesia has five autonomous provinces, Aceh, Jakarta, Papua, West Papua, and Yogyakarta.[lower-alpha 6]
Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran	UN member state	None
Iraq – Republic of Iraq	UN member state	None	Iraq is a federation[lower-alpha 15][23] of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region.[lower-alpha 6]
Ireland[lower-alpha 26]	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Israel – State of Israel	UN member state	Partially unrecognised	Israel exerts strong control over the territory claimed by Palestine. Israel annexed East Jerusalem,[25] an annexation not recognised by the international community.[26] Israel maintains varying levels of control over the rest of the West Bank, and although Israel no longer has a permanent civilian or military presence in the Gaza Strip, following its unilateral disengagement, it is still considered by some to be the occupying power under international law.[27][28][29][30][31] Israel is not recognised as a state by 28 UN members and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The Palestine Liberation Organization, which enjoys recognition by a majority of UN member states as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, also does not recognise Israel.
Italy – Italian Republic	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] Italy has 5 autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.[lower-alpha 6]
Ivory Coast – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire[lower-alpha 27]	UN member state	None
Jamaica	UN member state	None	Jamaica is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Japan	UN member state	None
Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan	UN member state	None
Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan	UN member state	None
Kenya – Republic of Kenya	UN member state	None
Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati	UN member state	None
Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea	UN member state	Claimed by South Korea	North Korea is not recognised by three UN members, France, Japan, and South Korea, the last of which claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.[32]
Korea, South – Republic of Korea	UN member state	Claimed by North Korea	South Korea has one autonomous region, Jejudo.[lower-alpha 6][33] South Korea is not recognised by North Korea, which claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.
Kosovo → See Kosovo listing
Kuwait – State of Kuwait	UN member state	None
Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic	UN member state	None
Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic	UN member state	None
Latvia – Republic of Latvia	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Lebanon – Lebanese Republic	UN member state	None
Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho	UN member state	None
Liberia – Republic of Liberia	UN member state	None
Libya – State of Libya	UN member state	None
Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein	UN member state	None
Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Macedonia → See North Macedonia listing
Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar	UN member state	None
Malawi – Republic of Malawi	UN member state	None
Malaysia	UN member state	None	Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories.
Maldives – Republic of Maldives	UN member state	None
Mali – Republic of Mali	UN member state	None
Malta – Republic of Malta	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands	UN member state	None	Under Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania	UN member state	None
Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius	UN member state	None	Mauritius has an autonomous island, Rodrigues.[lower-alpha 6]
Mexico – United Mexican States	UN member state	None	Mexico is a federation of 31 states and one autonomous city. The Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities have de facto autonomy.
Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia	UN member state	None	Under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Federated States of Micronesia is a federation of four states.
Moldova – Republic of Moldova	UN member state	None	Moldova has the autonomous regions of Gagauzia and Transnistria autonomous territorial unit. The latter is under the de facto control of Transnistria.
Monaco – Principality of Monaco	UN member state	None
Mongolia	UN member state	None
Montenegro	UN member state	None
Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco	UN member state	None	Part of the Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara is controlled by the partially recognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique	UN member state	None
Myanmar – Republic of the Union of Myanmar[lower-alpha 28]	UN member state	None	Wa State is a de facto autonomous state within Myanmar.
Nagorno-Karabakh → See Artsakh listing
Namibia – Republic of Namibia	UN member state	None
Nauru – Republic of Nauru	UN member state	None
Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal	UN member state	None	Nepal is a federation composed of 7 provinces.
Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes four areas with substantial autonomy:  Aruba  Curaçao  Netherlands  Sint Maarten The continental part of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten form the four constituent countries of the Kingdom. Three other overseas territories (Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius) are special municipalities of the continental Netherlands.[lower-alpha 29] The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law applies only to parts within Europe.
New Zealand	UN member state	None	New Zealand is a Commonwealth realm,[lower-alpha 5] and has one dependent territory and one claimed Antarctic dependent territory of:  Tokelau  Ross Dependency The Realm of New Zealand has responsibilities for (but no rights of control over) two freely associated states:  Cook Islands  Niue The Cook Islands and Niue have diplomatic relations with 49 and 18 UN members respectively.[34][35][36] They have full treaty-making capacity in the UN,[37] and are members of some UN specialized agencies.
Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua	UN member state	None	Nicaragua contains two autonomous regions, Atlántico Sur and Atlántico Norte.[lower-alpha 6]
Niger – Republic of Niger	UN member state	None
Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria	UN member state	None	Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and one federal territory.
Niue → See Niue listing
North Korea → See Korea, North listing
North Macedonia – Republic of North Macedonia[lower-alpha 30]	UN member state	None
Northern Cyprus → See Northern Cyprus listing
Norway – Kingdom of Norway	UN member state	None	Norway has two unincorporated areas in Europe:  Svalbard is an integral part of Norway, but has a special status due to the Svalbard Treaty.  Jan Mayen is an uninhabited island that is an integral part of Norway, although unincorporated. Norway has one dependent territory and two claimed Antarctic dependent territories in the Southern Hemisphere:  Bouvet Island  Peter I Island  Queen Maud Land
Oman – Sultanate of Oman	UN member state	None
Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan	UN member state	None	Pakistan is a federation of four provinces and one capital territory. Pakistan exercises control over certain portions of Kashmir, but has not officially annexed any of it,[38][39] instead regarding it as a disputed territory.[40][41] The portions that it controls are divided into two territories, administered separately from Pakistan proper:  Azad Kashmir  Gilgit-Baltistan Azad Kashmir describes itself as a "self-governing state under Pakistani control", while Gilgit-Baltistan is described in its governance order as a group of "areas" with self-government.[42][43][44] These territories are not usually regarded as sovereign, as they do not fulfil the criteria set out by the declarative theory of statehood (for example, their current laws do not allow them to engage independently in relations with other states). Several state functions of these territories (such as foreign affairs and defence) are performed by Pakistan.[43][45][46]
Palau – Republic of Palau	UN member state	None	Under Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Palestine – State of Palestine	UN observer state; member of 2 UN specialized agencies	Partially unrecognised. Disputed by Israel	The State of Palestine, declared in 1988, is not recognised as a state by Israel and has received diplomatic recognition from 138 states.[47] The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, or effective control over much of the territory that it proclaimed.[48] The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative body formed as a result of the Oslo Accords that exercises limited autonomous jurisdiction within the Palestinian territories. In foreign relations, Palestine is represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization.[49] The State of Palestine is a member state of UNESCO,[50] UNIDO, and an observer state in the UN.
Panama – Republic of Panama	UN member state	None
Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea	UN member state	None	Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 5] with one autonomous region, Bougainville.[lower-alpha 6]
Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay	UN member state	None
Peru – Republic of Peru	UN member state	None
Philippines – Republic of the Philippines	UN member state	None	The Philippines contains one autonomous region, Bangsamoro.[lower-alpha 6]
Poland – Republic of Poland	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Portugal – Portuguese Republic	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] Portugal contains two autonomous regions, the Azores and Madeira.[lower-alpha 6]
Pridnestrovie → See Transnistria listing
Qatar – State of Qatar	UN member state	None
Republic of Korea → See Korea, South listing
Republic of the Congo → See Congo, Republic of the listing
Romania	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Russia – Russian Federation	UN member state	None	Russia is a federation of 85 federal subjects (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast). Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics.[lower-alpha 6]
Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda	UN member state	None
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic → See Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic listing
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis	UN member state	None	Saint Kitts and Nevis is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 5] and is a federation[lower-alpha 15] of two islands, St. Kitts and Nevis.
Saint Lucia	UN member state	None	Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	UN member state	None	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Samoa – Independent State of Samoa	UN member state	None
San Marino – Republic of San Marino	UN member state	None
São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe	UN member state	None	São Tomé and Príncipe contains one autonomous province, Príncipe.[lower-alpha 6]
Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	UN member state	None
Senegal – Republic of Senegal	UN member state	None
Serbia – Republic of Serbia	UN member state	None	Serbia contains two autonomous regions, Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija.[lower-alpha 6] The latter is under the de facto control of Kosovo.
Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles	UN member state	None
Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone	UN member state	None
Singapore – Republic of Singapore	UN member state	None
Slovakia – Slovak Republic	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Solomon Islands	UN member state	None	Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia	UN member state	None	Somalia is a federation of six states. Two, Puntland and Galmudug, have self-declared autonomy, while one, Somaliland, is de facto independent.
Somaliland → See Somaliland listing
South Africa – Republic of South Africa	UN member state	None
South Korea → See Korea, South listing
South Ossetia → See South Ossetia listing
South Sudan – Republic of South Sudan	UN member state	None	South Sudan is a federation of 10 states and three administrative areas. The Abyei Area is a zone with "special administrative status" established by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. It is de jure a condominium of South Sudan and Sudan, but de facto administered by two competing administrations and the United Nations.[51][52]
Spain – Kingdom of Spain	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3] Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and two special autonomous cities.[lower-alpha 6][lower-alpha 31]
Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka[lower-alpha 32]	UN member state	None
Sudan – Republic of the Sudan	UN member state	None	Sudan is a federation of 18 states. The Abyei Area is a zone with "special administrative status" established by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. It is de jure a condominium of South Sudan and Sudan, but de facto administered by two competing administrations and the United Nations.[51][52]
Sudan, South → See South Sudan listing
Suriname – Republic of Suriname	UN member state	None
Swaziland → See Eswatini listing
Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden	UN member state	None	Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 3]
Switzerland – Swiss Confederation	UN member state	None	Switzerland is a federation of 26 cantons.
Syria – Syrian Arab Republic	UN member state	None	The Syrian National Coalition, which is recognised as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people by 20 UN members, has established an interim government to rule rebel controlled territory during the Syrian civil war. Syria has one self-declared autonomous region: Rojava.
Taiwan (Republic of China) → See Taiwan listing
Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan	UN member state	None	Tajikistan contains one autonomous region, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province.[lower-alpha 6]
Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania	UN member state	None	Tanzania contains one autonomous region, Zanzibar.[lower-alpha 6]
Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand	UN member state	None
The Bahamas → See Bahamas, The listing
The Gambia → See Gambia, The listing
Timor-Leste → See East Timor listing
Togo – Togolese Republic	UN member state	None
Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga	UN member state	None
Transnistria → See Transnistria listing
Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago	UN member state	None	Trinidad and Tobago contains one autonomous region, Tobago.[lower-alpha 6]
Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia	UN member state	None
Turkey – Republic of Turkey	UN member state	None
Turkmenistan	UN member state	None
Tuvalu	UN member state	None	Tuvalu is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 5]
Uganda – Republic of Uganda	UN member state	None
Ukraine	UN member state	None	Ukraine contains one autonomous region, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,[lower-alpha 6] however it is under the de facto control of Russia.
United Arab Emirates	UN member state	None	The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates.
United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	UN member state	None	Former EU member in transition.[lower-alpha 33] The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 5] consisting of four constituent countries; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom has the following 13 overseas territories and one claimed Antarctic dependent territory:  Akrotiri and Dhekelia  Anguilla  Bermuda  British Indian Ocean Territory  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Falkland Islands  Gibraltar  Montserrat  Pitcairn Islands  Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  Turks and Caicos Islands  British Antarctic Territory The British monarch also has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:  Guernsey  Isle of Man  Jersey
United States – United States of America	UN member state	None	The United States is a federation of 50 states, one federal district, and one incorporated territory. Additionally, the Federal government of the United States has sovereignty over 13 unincorporated territories. Of these territories, the following five are inhabited possessions:  American Samoa  Guam  Northern Mariana Islands  Puerto Rico  U.S. Virgin Islands It also has sovereignty over several uninhabited territories:  Baker Island  Howland Island  Jarvis Island  Johnston Atoll  Kingman Reef  Midway Atoll  Navassa Island  Wake Island It also disputes sovereignty over the following two territories:  Bajo Nuevo Bank  Serranilla Bank Three sovereign states have become associated states of the United States under the Compact of Free Association:  Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands  Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia  Palau – Republic of Palau
Uruguay – Oriental Republic of Uruguay	UN member state	None
Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan	UN member state	None	Uzbekistan contains one autonomous region, Karakalpakstan.[lower-alpha 6]
Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu	UN member state	None
Vatican City – Vatican City State	UN observer state under the designation of "Holy See"; member of three UN specialized agencies and the IAEA	None	Administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity with diplomatic relations to 183 states. This figure consists of 180 UN member states, the Cook Islands, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the State of Palestine.[53] In addition, the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta maintain diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The Holy See is a member of the IAEA, ITU, UPU, and WIPO and a permanent observer of the UN (in the category of "Non-member State")[49] and multiple other UN System organizations. The Vatican City is governed by officials appointed by the Pope, who is the Bishop of the Diocese of Rome and ex officio sovereign of Vatican City.
Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela	UN member state	None	Venezuela is a federation of 23 states, one capital district, and federal dependencies.
Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam	UN member state	None
Yemen – Republic of Yemen	UN member state	None
Zambia – Republic of Zambia	UN member state	None
Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe	UN member state	None
↑ UN member states and observer states ↑
↓ Other states ↓
Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia	No membership	Claimed by Georgia	Recognised by Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Syria, Venezuela, Artsakh, South Ossetia and Transnistria.[54] Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
Artsakh – Republic of Artsakh[lower-alpha 34]	No membership	Claimed by Azerbaijan	A de facto independent state,[55][56][57] recognised only by Abkhazia,[58] South Ossetia[58] and Transnistria.[58][59] Claimed in whole by Azerbaijan.[60]
Cook Islands	Member of eight UN specialized agencies	None (See political status)	A state in free association with New Zealand, the Cook Islands maintains diplomatic relations with 52 states. The Cook Islands is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity.[37] It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship.
Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo	Member of two UN specialized agencies	Claimed by Serbia	Pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, Kosovo was placed under the administration of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in 1999.[61] Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and it has received diplomatic recognition from 113 UN member states and the Republic of China, while 18 states have recognized Kosovo only to later withdraw their recognition.[62] Serbia continues to maintain its sovereignty claim over Kosovo. Other UN member states and non UN member states continue to recognise Serbian sovereignty or have taken no position on the question. Kosovo is a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. The Republic of Kosovo has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo.
Niue	Member of five UN specialized agencies	None (See political status)	A state in free association with New Zealand, Niue maintains diplomatic relations with 20 states. Niue is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity.[37] It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship.
Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus	No membership	Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus	Recognised only by Turkey. Under the name "Turkish Cypriot State", it is an observer state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Northern Cyprus is claimed in whole by the Republic of Cyprus.[63]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	No membership	Claimed by Morocco	Recognised at some stage by 84 UN member states, 45 of which have since withdrawn or frozen their recognition. It is a founding member of the African Union and the Asian–African Strategic Partnership formed at the 2005 Asian–African Conference. The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone, are claimed in whole by Morocco as part of its Southern Provinces. In turn, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims the part of Western Sahara to the west of the Moroccan Wall controlled by Morocco. Its government resides in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.
Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland	No membership	Claimed by Somalia	A de facto independent state,[55][64][65][66][67] not diplomatically recognised by any other state, claimed in whole by the Federal Republic of Somalia.[68]
South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania	No membership	Claimed by Georgia	A de facto independent state,[69] recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Syria, Venezuela, Abkhazia, Artsakh and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia.[70]
Taiwan – Republic of China[lower-alpha 12]	Former UN member (as Republic of China, 1945–1971) Observer in one UN specialized agency under the name "Chinese Taipei"	Claimed by the People's Republic of China	A state competing (nominally) for recognition with the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the government of China since 1949. The Republic of China (ROC) controls the island of Taiwan and associated islands, Quemoy, Matsu, the Pratas and parts of the Spratly Islands, and has not renounced claims over its annexed territories on the mainland.[71] The ROC is recognised by 14 UN member states and the Holy See as of 20 September 2019. All these states do not recognise the PRC either. Additionally, one UN member (Bhutan) has refrained from recognising either the ROC or the PRC. The territory of the ROC is claimed in whole by the PRC.[lower-alpha 13] The ROC participates in international organizations under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly "Chinese Taipei" and in the WTO it has full membership. The ROC was a founding member of the UN and enjoyed membership from 1945 to 1971, with veto power in the UN Security Council. See China and the United Nations.
Transnistria – Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic	No membership	Claimed by Moldova	A de facto independent state,[55] recognised only by Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia.[54] Claimed in whole by Moldova as the Transnistria autonomous territorial unit.[72]
↑ Other states ↑

Legend "Membership within the UN System" column   UN Member states   UN Observer states   Member of a UN Specialized Agency   Observer in a UN Specialized Agency   No membership in the UN System

Legend "Sovereignty dispute" column   Undisputed sovereignty   Sovereignty disputed

Criteria for inclusion

The dominant customary international law standard of statehood is the declarative theory of statehood, which was codified by the Montevideo Convention of 1933. The Convention defines the state as a person of international law if it "possess[es] the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) a capacity to enter into relations with the other states" so long as it was not "obtained by force whether this consists in the employment of arms, in threatening diplomatic representations, or in any other effective coercive measure".[73]

Debate exists on the degree to which recognition should be included as a criterion of statehood. The declarative theory of statehood argues that statehood is purely objective and recognition of a state by other states is irrelevant. On the other end of the spectrum, the constitutive theory of statehood defines a state as a person under international law only if it is recognised as sovereign by other states. For the purposes of this list, included are all states that either:

• consider themselves sovereign (through a declaration of independence or some other means) and are often regarded as satisfying the declarative theory of statehood, or
• are recognised as a sovereign state by at least one UN member state

Note that in some cases, there is a divergence of opinion over the interpretation of the first point, and whether an entity satisfies it is disputed. Unique political entities which fail to meet the classification of a sovereign state are considered proto-states.[74][75]

On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 206 entities:[76][lower-alpha 35]

• 203 states recognised by at least one UN member state
• Two states that satisfy the declarative theory of statehood and are recognised only by non-UN member states: Artsakh, Transnistria
• One state that satisfies the declarative theory of statehood and is not recognised by any other state: Somaliland

The table includes bullets representing entities which are either not sovereign states or have a close association to another sovereign state. It also includes subnational areas where the sovereignty of the titular state is limited by an international agreement. Taken together, these include:

• States in a free association relationship to another state
• Two entities controlled by Pakistan which are neither sovereign states, dependent territories, or part of another state: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan
• Dependent territories of another state, as well as areas that exhibit many characteristics of dependent territories according to the dependent territory page
• Subnational entities created by international agreements

See also

• Adjectivals and demonyms for countries and nations
• Gallery of country coats of arms
• Gallery of sovereign state flags
• ISO 3166-1
• List of administrative divisions by country
• List of countries and capitals in native languages
• List of countries and dependencies by population
• List of country-name etymologies
• List of dependent territories
• List of international rankings
• List of ISO 3166 country codes
• List of micronations
• List of national capitals in alphabetical order
• List of rebel groups that control territory
• List of states with limited recognition
• List of territorial disputes
• Member states of the United Nations
• Sovereign state
  • List of former sovereign states
  • List of sovereign states and dependent territories by continent
  • List of sovereign states by date of formation
    • Lists of sovereign states by year
• Template:Clickable world map
• Terra nullius
• United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories

Notes

1. This column indicates whether or not a state is a member of the United Nations.[1] It also indicates which non-member states participate in the United Nations System through membership in the International Atomic Energy Agency or one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. All United Nations members belong to at least one specialized agency and are parties to the statute of the International Court of Justice.
2. This column indicates whether or not a state is the subject of a major sovereignty dispute. Only states whose entire sovereignty is disputed by another state are listed.
3. The member states of the European Union have transferred part of their sovereignty in the form of legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU, which is an example of supranational union. The EU has 27 member states.[8]
4. Information is included on:
   • The extent to which a state's sovereignty is recognised internationally. More information can be found at List of states with limited recognition,
   • Membership in the European Union,[lower-alpha 3] where applicable,
   • Any dependencies, if applicable, which are generally not part of the territory of the sovereign state,
   • federal structure of the state, where applicable. More information can be found at Federated state,
   • Any autonomous areas inside the territory of the sovereign state,
   • Any situations where one person is the Head of State of more than one state,
   • Any governments in exile recognised by at least one state.
5. Commonwealth realms are members of the Commonwealth of Nations in which the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. The realms are sovereign states; see Relationship of the realms.
6. For more information on divisions with a high degree of autonomy, see List of autonomous areas by country.[3]
7. The Argentine Constitution (Art. 35) recognises the following denominations for Argentina: "United Provinces of the Río de la Plata", "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Confederation"; furthermore, it establishes the usage of "Argentine Nation" for purposes of legislation.
8. Argentina's claimed Antarctic territory of Argentine Antarctica (Antártida Argentina) is one of five constituent departments of the province Tierra del Fuego.[4]
9. The legal name for Canada is the sole word; an officially sanctioned, though disused, name is Dominion of Canada (which includes its legal title); see: Name of Canada, Dominion.
10. The government of Cape Verde declared "Cabo Verde" to be the official English name of the country in 2013.[11]
11. Chile's claimed Antarctic territory of the Chilean Antarctic (Antártica Chilena) is a commune of the Antártica Chilena Province of the Magallanes Region.
12. The People's Republic of China (PRC) is commonly referred to as "China", while the Republic of China (ROC) is commonly referred to as "Taiwan". The ROC is also occasionally known diplomatically as Chinese Taipei, or by another alternative name.
13. In 1949, the Republic of China government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communist Party of China (CPC) and set up a provisional capital in Taipei. The CPC established the PRC. As such, the political status of the ROC and legal status of Taiwan (alongside the territories under ROC jurisdiction) are in dispute. In 1971, the United Nations gave the China seat to the PRC. In the view of the United Nations, no member of the organisation withdrew as a consequence of this but the ROC representatives declared that they were withdrawing. Most states recognise the PRC to be the sole legitimate representative of all China, and the UN classifies Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". The ROC has de facto relations with most sovereign states. A significant political movement within Taiwan advocates Taiwan independence.
14. See also Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and Foreign relations of China.
15. More information on more or less federal structures can be found at a List of federations.[12]
16. Also known as Congo-Kinshasa. Formerly referred to as Zaire, its official name from 1971 to 1997.
17. Also known as Congo-Brazzaville.
18. A simpler official short name has been encouraged by the Czech government, "Czechia". This variant remains uncommon, but has been adopted by several companies and organisations. See Name of the Czech Republic.
19. The designation "Denmark" can refer either to continental Denmark or to the short name for the entire Kingdom of the Danish Realm (e.g. in international organizations).
20. The government of East Timor uses "Timor-Leste" as the official English name of the country.
21. Formerly referred to as the Kingdom of Swaziland, its official name until 2018.
22. Åland was demilitarised by the Treaty of Paris in 1856, which was later affirmed by the League of Nations in 1921, and in a somewhat different context reaffirmed in the treaty on Finland's admission to the European Union in 1995.
23. France's claimed Antarctic territory of Adélie Land (Terre Adélie) is one of five constituent districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
24. Also known as Guinea-Conakry.
25. While sometimes referred to as the "Republic of Iceland"[20][21] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic, the official name of the country is simply "Iceland".[22] One example of the former is the name of the Constitution of Iceland, which in Icelandic is Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands and literally means "the Constitution of the republic of Iceland". However, note that in this usage "republic" is not capitalised.
26. "Ireland" is the official name of the country in English. "Republic of Ireland" (the official description in English) and "Éire" (the official name in Irish) have sometimes been used unofficially to distinguish the state from the larger island of Ireland, however, this is officially deprecated.[24] See names of the Irish state.
27. The government of Ivory Coast uses "Côte d'Ivoire" as the official English name of the country.
28. The country's official name of Myanmar, adopted in 1989, has been mixed and controversial, with the former name Burma still being used in many cases. See Names of Myanmar.
29. The designation "Netherlands" can refer either to the continental Netherlands or to the short name for the entire Kingdom (e.g. in international organizations).
30. Formerly known constitutionally as the Republic of Macedonia from 1991 to 2019 and under the international designation of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM) from 1993 to 2019 due to the Macedonia naming dispute with Greece. Following the Prespa agreement going into effect in February 2019, the country was renamed to North Macedonia.
31. Spain holds several small overseas territories scattered along the Mediterranean coast bordering Morocco, known as the Plazas de soberanía.
32. Formerly known as Ceylon until 1972.
33. The UK formally withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020. The state is currently in a provisional transition period out of the supranational union till 31 December 2020, see Brexit, Post-Brexit relations.
34. Formerly known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, its official name from 1991 to 2017
35. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is not included, as despite being a sovereign entity it lacks territory and does not claim statehood. Entities considered to be micronations are not included. It is often up to debate whether a micronation truly controls its claimed territory. Also omitted from this list are all uncontacted peoples, either who live in societies that cannot be defined as states or whose statuses as such are not definitively known.

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72. Regions and territories: Trans-Dniester
73. Hersch Lauterpacht (2012). Recognition in International Law. Cambridge University Press. p. 419. ISBN 9781107609433.
74. Hahn, Gordon (2002). Russia's Revolution from Above, 1985–2000: Reform, Transition, and Revolution in the Fall of the Soviet Communist Regime. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers. p. 527. ISBN 978-0765800497.
75. Griffiths, Ryan (2016). Age of Secession: The International and Domestic Determinants of State Birth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 85, 213–242. ISBN 978-1107161627.
76. The following bullets are grouped according to the availability of sources for the two criteria ((a) and/or (b)). This arrangement is not intended to reflect the relative importance of the two theories. Additional details are discussed in the state's individual entries.

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