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File:Palais des Nations unies, à Genève.jpg

Flags of the United Nations member and non-member GA observer states in front of the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

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 UN member states,[1] 2 UN General Assembly non-member observer states, and 11 other states. The sovereignty dispute column indicates states having undisputed sovereignty (188 states, of which there are 187 UN member states and 1 UN General Assembly non-member observer state), states having disputed sovereignty (16 states, of which there are 6 UN member states, 1 UN General Assembly non-member observer state, and 9 de facto states), and states having a special political status (2 states, both in free association with New Zealand).

Compiling a list such as this can be a complicated 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.

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".[2]

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 polities that consider themselves sovereign states (through a declaration of independence or some other means) and either:

  • are often regarded as satisfying the declarative theory of statehood, or
  • are recognised as a sovereign state by at least one UN member state

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.[3][4]

On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 206 entities:[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]

  • 203 states recognised by at least one UN member state
  • 2 states that satisfy the declarative theory of statehood and are recognised only by non-UN member states
  • 1 state that satisfies the declarative theory of statehood and is not recognised by any other state

The table includes bullets in the right-hand column representing entities that 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:

  • Entities that are in a free association relationship with another state
  • 2 entities controlled by Pakistan which are neither sovereign states, dependent territories, nor 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

List of states[]

UN member states and General Assembly observer states[]

Common and formal names Membership within the UN System[lower-alpha 3] Sovereignty dispute[lower-alpha 4] Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty[lower-alpha 6]
 Afghanistan A UN member state A None The de facto ruling government, the Flag of the Taliban.svg Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has not been recognised by any state. The United Nations continues to recognise the Template:Country data Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the government of Afghanistan.[5][6]
Flag of Albania.svg Albania – Republic of Albania A UN member state A None
Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Andorra.svg.png Andorra – Principality of Andorra A UN member state A 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,[7] who himself is appointed with approval from the Holy See.
File:Flag of Angola.svg.png Angola – Republic of Angola A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda A UN member state A None Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 7] with one autonomous region, Barbuda.[lower-alpha 8]
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina – Argentine Republic[lower-alpha 9] A UN member state A None Argentina is a federation of 23 provinces and one autonomous city.[lower-alpha 10]
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia – Republic of Armenia A UN member state Not recognised by Pakistan. Armenia is not recognised by Pakistan due to the dispute over Artsakh.[10][11][12]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia – Commonwealth of Australia A UN member state A None Australia is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 7] 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:
File:Flag of Austria.svg Austria – Republic of Austria A UN member state A None Member of the European Union.[lower-alpha 5] Austria is a federation of nine states.
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan[lower-alpha 11] A UN member state A None Azerbaijan contains one autonomous region, Nakhchivan.[lower-alpha 8] The de facto state of Artsakh has been established in the southwest of Azerbaijan.
Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas[14] A UN member state A None The Bahamas is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
File:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Barbados.svg.png Barbados A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus – Republic of Belarus A UN member state A None Many states rescinded their recognition of President Alexander Lukashenko following the disputed 2020 election. Lithuania currently recognises Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Coordination Council as the legitimate government of Belarus.[15]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] Belgium is a federation of three linguistic communities and three regions.
File:Flag of Belize.svg Belize A UN member state A None Belize is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
File:Flag of Benin.svg Benin – Republic of Benin A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan A UN member state A None
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg Bolivia – Plurinational State of Bolivia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg.png Bosnia and Herzegovina A UN member state A None Bosnia and Herzegovina has two constituent entities:

and Brčko District, a self-governing administrative district.[16]

File:Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana – Republic of Botswana A UN member state A None
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

 – Federative Republic of Brazil

A UN member state A None Brazil is a federation of 26 states and one federal district.
File:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei – Brunei Darussalam A UN member state A None
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso A UN member state A None
Flag of Burundi Burundi – Republic of Burundi A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Cameroon.svg.png Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon A UN member state A None
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada[lower-alpha 12] A UN member state A None Canada is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 7] and a federation of ten provinces and three territories.
File:Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde – Republic of Cabo Verde[lower-alpha 13] A UN member state A None
File:Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Chad.svg Chad – Republic of Chad A UN member state A None
Flag of Chile.svg Chile – Republic of Chile A UN member state A None Chile has one special territory, Easter Island. [lower-alpha 14]
Flag of the People's Republic of China China – People's Republic of China[lower-alpha 15] A UN member state Partially unrecognised. BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine China contains five autonomous regions, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, and Xinjiang.[lower-alpha 8] Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of:

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 16]

China is not recognised by [[Foreign relations of China#Countries without diplomatic relations with the PRC|Template:Numrec]] UN member states and Vatican City, which, with the exception of Bhutan, all recognise the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead.[lower-alpha 17]

File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia – Republic of Colombia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros – Union of the Comoros A UN member state A None Comoros is a federation of three islands.[lower-alpha 18]
Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica A UN member state A None
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia – Republic of Croatia A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba – Republic of Cuba A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus A UN member state Not recognised by Turkey[19] Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] 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.

Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic[lower-alpha 19] A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Democratic Republic of the Congo[lower-alpha 20] A UN member state A None
no Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] The Kingdom of Denmark includes 2 self-governing territories:

The metropolitan territory of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland form the three constituent countries of the Kingdom.[lower-alpha 21] The Kingdom of Denmark as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law (in most cases) does not apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland. See Greenland and the European Union, and Faroe Islands and the European Union for more information.[20][21]

File:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti A UN member state A None
Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica A UN member state A None
File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic A UN member state A None
File:Flag of East Timor.svg East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste[lower-alpha 22] A UN member state A None
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt A UN member state A None
Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea – State of Eritrea A UN member state A None
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia – Republic of Estonia A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Eswatini.svg Eswatini – Kingdom of Eswatini[lower-alpha 23] A UN member state A None
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia A UN member state A None Ethiopia is a federation of eleven regions and two chartered cities.
File:Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji – Republic of Fiji A UN member state A None Fiji contains one autonomous region, Rotuma.[lower-alpha 8][22][23]
File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland – Republic of Finland A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
Flag of France.svg France – French Republic A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] France contains five overseas regions/departments; French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion. France also includes the overseas territories of:
File:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon – Gabonese Republic A UN member state A None
File:Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia, The – Republic of The Gambia[24] A UN member state A None
Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia A UN member state A None Georgia contains two autonomous republics, Adjara and Abkhazia.[lower-alpha 8] In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto states have been formed.
Flag of Germany.svg Germany – Federal Republic of Germany A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] Germany is a federation of 16 states.
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana – Republic of Ghana A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece – Hellenic Republic A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] Greece contains one autonomous area, Mount Athos.[25]
File:Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada A UN member state A None Grenada is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
File:Flag of Guatemala.svg.png Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea – Republic of Guinea[lower-alpha 26] A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti – Republic of Haiti A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras – Republic of Honduras A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland[lower-alpha 27] – Republic of Iceland A UN member state A None
Flag of India.svg India – Republic of India A UN member state A None India is a federation of 28 states and eight union territories.
File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia A UN member state A None Indonesia has eight autonomous provinces, Aceh, Jakarta, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, West Papua, and Yogyakarta.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq – Republic of Iraq A UN member state A None Iraq is a federation[lower-alpha 18][29] of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region.[lower-alpha 8]
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland[lower-alpha 28] A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
Flag of Israel.svg Israel – State of Israel A UN member state Partially unrecognised Israel exerts strong control over the territory claimed by Palestine. It has annexed East Jerusalem,[31] an act not recognised by the international community.[32] Israel has varying levels of control over the rest of the West Bank, and although it ended its permanent civilian or military presence in the Gaza Strip, it is still considered to be the occupying power under international law.[33][34][35][36]

Israel is not recognised as a state by 28 UN members and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The Palestine Liberation Organization, recognised by a majority of UN member states as the representative of the Palestinian people, recognised Israel in 1993.

Flag of Italy.svg Italy – Italian Republic A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] Italy has 5 autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire[lower-alpha 29] A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Jamaica.svg.png Jamaica

A UN member state A None Jamaica is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
Flag of Japan Japan A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan A UN member state A None
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya – Republic of Kenya A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati A UN member state A None
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait – State of Kuwait A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Laos.svg Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic A UN member state A None
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia – Republic of Latvia A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon – Republic of Lebanon A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia – Republic of Liberia A UN member state A None
Flag of Libya.svg Libya – State of Libya A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar A UN member state A None
Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi – Republic of Malawi A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia  A UN member state A None Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories.
File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives – Republic of Maldives A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Mali.svg Mali – Republic of Mali A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Malta.svg Malta – Republic of Malta A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands A UN member state A None Under Compact of Free Association with the United States.
File:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius A UN member state A None Mauritius has an autonomous island, Rodrigues.[lower-alpha 8]
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico – United Mexican States A UN member state A None Mexico is a federation of 31 states and one autonomous city.

The Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities have de facto autonomy.

File:Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Micronesia, Federated States of A UN member state A None Under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Federated States of Micronesia is a federation of four states.
Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova – Republic of Moldova A UN member state A None Moldova has the autonomous regions of Gagauzia and the Left Bank of the Dniester. The latter and a city Bender (Tighina), is under the de facto control of Transnistria.
File:Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco – Principality of Monaco A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Montenegro.svg.png Montenegro A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco A UN member state A None Part of the Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara is controlled by the partially recognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
File:Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar – Republic of the Union of Myanmar[lower-alpha 30] A UN member state A None Wa State is a de facto autonomous state within Myanmar. The United Nations has not recognised the de facto ruling government of Myanmar, the State Administration Council.[6]
File:Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia – Republic of Namibia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru – Republic of Nauru A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal A UN member state A None Nepal is a federation composed of 7 provinces.
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes four areas with substantial autonomy:

Metropolitan Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten form the four constituent countries of the Kingdom. Three overseas parts of the Netherlands (Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius) are special municipalities of metropolitan Netherlands.[lower-alpha 31] The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law only wholly applies to parts within Europe.

Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand A UN member state A None New Zealand is a Commonwealth realm,[lower-alpha 7] and has one dependent territory and one claimed Antarctic dependent territory:

The New Zealand Government acts for the entire Realm of New Zealand in all international contexts, which has responsibilities for (but no rights of control over) two freely associated states:

The Cook Islands and Niue have diplomatic relations with Template:Numrel and Template:Numrel UN members respectively.[37][38] They have full treaty-making capacity in the UN,[39] and are members of some UN specialized agencies.

File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua A UN member state A None Nicaragua contains two autonomous regions, Atlántico Sur and Atlántico Norte.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Niger.svg Niger – Republic of the Niger A UN member state A None
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria A UN member state A None Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and one federal territory.
File:Flag of North Korea.svg.png North Korea – Democratic People's Republic of Korea A UN member state BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine North Korea is not recognised by one UN member, South Korea, which claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.[40]
File:Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia – Republic of North Macedonia[lower-alpha 32] A UN member state A None
Flag of Norway.svg Norway – Kingdom of Norway A UN member state A 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
File:Flag of Oman.svg Oman – Sultanate of Oman A UN member state A None
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan A UN member state A 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,[41][42] instead regarding it as a disputed territory.[43][44] The portions that it controls are divided into two territories, administered separately from Pakistan proper:
  • Template:Country data Azad Kashmir
  • Template:Country data 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.[45][46][47] 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 defense) are performed by Pakistan.[46][48][49]

File:Flag of Palau.svg Palau – Republic of Palau A UN member state A None Under Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine – State of Palestine A UN General Assembly observer state; member of two UN specialized agencies Partially unrecognised. The State of Palestine, declared in 1988, is not recognised as a state by Israel but has received diplomatic recognition from Template:Numrec states.[50] The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, or effective control over much of the territory that it proclaimed.[51] 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.[52] The State of Palestine is a member state of UNESCO,[53] UNIDO and other international organizations.[54]
Flag of Panama.svg Panama – Republic of Panama A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg.png Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea A UN member state A None Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 7] with one autonomous region, Bougainville.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Paraguay.svg.png Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Peru.svg.png Peru – Republic of Peru A UN member state A None
File:Flag of the Philippines.svg.png Philippines – Republic of the Philippines A UN member state A None The Philippines contains one autonomous region, Bangsamoro.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland – Republic of Poland A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Portugal.svg.png Portugal – Portuguese Republic A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] Portugal contains two autonomous regions, the Azores and Madeira.[lower-alpha 8]
Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar – State of Qatar A UN member state A None
File:Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Republic of the Congo[lower-alpha 33] A UN member state A None
Flag of Romania.svg Romania A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
Flag of Russia.svg Russia – Russian Federation A UN member state A None Russia is a federation of 83  internationally recognised federal subjects (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast). Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics.[lower-alpha 8]
Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis A UN member state A None Saint Kitts and Nevis is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 7] and is a federation[lower-alpha 18] of two islands, St. Kitts and Nevis.
File:Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia A UN member state A None Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A UN member state A None Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
File:Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa – Independent State of Samoa A UN member state A None
File:Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino – Republic of San Marino A UN member state A None
File:Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe A UN member state A None São Tomé and Príncipe contains one autonomous province, Príncipe.[lower-alpha 8]
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal – Republic of Senegal A UN member state A None
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia – Republic of Serbia A UN member state A None Serbia contains two autonomous regions, Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija.[lower-alpha 8] The latter is under the de facto control of Kosovo.
File:Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles A UN member state A None
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore – Republic of Singapore A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia – Slovak Republic A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands A UN member state A None Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
File:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia A UN member state A None Somalia is a federation of six states. Two, Puntland and Galmudug, have self-declared autonomy, while one, Somaliland, is de facto independent.
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa – Republic of South Africa A UN member state A None
Flag of South Korea South Korea – Republic of Korea A UN member state BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine South Korea has one autonomous region, Jeju Province.[lower-alpha 8][55]

South Korea is not recognised by North Korea, which claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.

Flag of South Sudan.svg South Sudan – Republic of South Sudan A UN member state A 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.[56][57]
Flag of Spain.svg Spain – Kingdom of Spain A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5] Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and two special autonomous cities.[lower-alpha 8][lower-alpha 34]
File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka[lower-alpha 35] A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan – Republic of the Sudan A UN member state A 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.[56][57]
File:Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname – Republic of Suriname A UN member state A None
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden A UN member state A None Member of the EU.[lower-alpha 5]
File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland – Swiss Confederation A UN member state A None Switzerland is a federation of 26 cantons.
Flag of Syria.svg Syria – Syrian Arab Republic A UN member state A 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.

Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan A UN member state A None Tajikistan contains one autonomous region, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania A UN member state A None Tanzania contains one autonomous region, Zanzibar.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Togo.svg Togo – Togolese Republic A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago A UN member state A None Trinidad and Tobago contains one autonomous region, Tobago.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey – Republic of Türkiye[lower-alpha 36] A UN member state A None
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu A UN member state A None Tuvalu is a Commonwealth realm.[lower-alpha 7]
Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda – Republic of Uganda A UN member state A None
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine A UN member state A None Ukraine contains one autonomous region, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,[lower-alpha 8] which is under the control of Russia. Five other areas of Ukraine are under full or partial Russian control, including Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Sevastopol, and Zaporizhzhia.
File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates A UN member state A None The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland A UN member state A None The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm[lower-alpha 7] 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:

The British monarch also has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown Dependencies:

Flag of the United States.svg United States – United States of America A UN member state A 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:

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:

File:Flag of Uruguay.svg.png Uruguay

 – Oriental Republic of Uruguay

A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan A UN member state A None Uzbekistan contains one autonomous region, Karakalpakstan.[lower-alpha 8]
File:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Vatican City State - 2023 version.svg Vatican City – Vatican City State A UN General Assembly observer state under the designation of "Holy See"; member of three UN specialized agencies A None Administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity with diplomatic relations to Template:Numrec. This figure consists of Template:Numrec UN member states, the Cook Islands, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the State of Palestine.[58] 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 three UN specialized agencies (ITU, UPU, and WIPO) and the IAEA, as well as being a permanent observer of the UN (in the category of "Non-member State")[52] 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.
Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela A UN member state A None Venezuela is a federation of 23 states, one capital district, and federal dependencies.
File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen – Republic of Yemen A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia – Republic of Zambia A UN member state A None
File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe A UN member state A None

Other states[]

Common and formal names Membership within the UN System[lower-alpha 37] Sovereignty dispute[lower-alpha 38] Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty[lower-alpha 39]
File:Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.svg Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine Recognised by Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Syria, Venezuela, Artsakh, South Ossetia and Transnistria.[59] Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
File:Flag of Artsakh.svg Artsakh – Republic of Artsakh[lower-alpha 40] D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine A de facto independent state,[60][61][62] recognised only by Abkhazia,[63] South Ossetia[63] and Transnistria.[63][64] Claimed in whole by Azerbaijan.[65]
File:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands D Member of eight UN specialized agencies A None
(See political status)
A state in free association with New Zealand, Template:Numrel. The Cook Islands is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity.[39] It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship.
Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo D Member of two UN specialized agencies BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine 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.[66] Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and it has Template:Numrec and the Republic of China, while 18 of those states have recognised Kosovo only to later withdraw their recognition.[67] 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.
File:Flag of Niue.svg Niue D Member of five UN specialized agencies A None
(See political status)
A state in free association with New Zealand, Template:Numrel. Niue is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity.[39] It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship.
Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine 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.[68]
File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine Recognised at some stage by Template:Numrec, Template:Numrec 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.
File:Flag of Somaliland.svg Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine A de facto independent state,[60][69][70][71][72] not diplomatically recognised by any other state, claimed in whole by the Federal Republic of Somalia.[73]
File:Flag of South Ossetia.svg South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine A de facto independent state,[74] recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Syria, Venezuela, Abkhazia, Artsakh, and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Provisional Administration of South Ossetia.[75]
File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan – Republic of China[lower-alpha 15] D No membership, former membership until 1971 Partially unrecognised. BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine 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, Penghu, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, and Pratas Island, as well as Taiping Island and Zhongzhou Reef of the Spratly Islands, and has not renounced claims over its annexed territories on the mainland.[76] The ROC is recognised by Template:Numrec, none of which recognise the PRC. Additionally, one UN member (Bhutan) has refrained from recognising either the ROC or the PRC.

In addition to these relations, the ROC also maintains unofficial relations[77] with 58 UN member states, one self-declared state (Somaliland), three territories (Guam, Hong Kong, and Macau), and the European Union via its representative offices and consulates under the One China principle. Taiwan has the 31st-largest diplomatic network in the world with 110 offices.[78]

The territory of the ROC is claimed in whole by the PRC.[lower-alpha 16] The ROC participates in international organizations under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly "Chinese Taipei" and in the WTO it has full membership under the designation of "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu". 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.

File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg Transnistria – Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic D No membership BClaimed by AfghanistanClaimed by GeorgiaClaimed by North Korea Claimed by Serbia Claimed by Somalia Claimed by the People's Republic of China Claimed by the Republic of China Claimed by South Korea Claimed by Azerbaijan Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus Disputed by Israel Claimed by Indonesia Claimed by the Marshall Islands Claimed by Mauritius Claimed by Morocco Claimed by Moldova Claimed by Mali Claimed by Spain Claimed by Argentina Claimed by Ukraine A de facto independent state,[60] recognised only by Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia.[59] Claimed in whole by Moldova.[79]

See also[]

  • Armorial of sovereign states
  • Gallery of sovereign state flags
  • ISO 3166-1
  • List of adjectival and demonymic forms for countries and nations
  • List of administrative divisions by country
  • List of associated states
  • List of condominiums
  • List of countries and dependencies and their capitals in native languages
  • List of countries and dependencies by area
  • List of countries and dependencies by population
  • List of countries by United Nations geoscheme
  • 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
  • List of rebel groups that control territory
  • List of states with limited recognition
  • List of territorial disputes
  • List of territories governed by the United Nations
  • Lists of political entities by century
  • Lists of state leaders by century
  • 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
  • Template:Clickable world map
  • Terra nullius
  • United Nations list of non-self-governing territories

Notes[]

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 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.[13]
  6. 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 5] 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.
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 Commonwealth realm refers to any member state of the Commonwealth of Nations whose head of state is King Charles III. Each realm is separate, independent, and a sovereign state; see Relationship of the realms.
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 For more information on divisions with a high degree of autonomy, see List of autonomous areas by country.[8]
  9. 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.
  10. Argentina's claimed Antarctic territory of Argentine Antarctica (Antártida Argentina) is one of five constituent departments of the province Tierra del Fuego.[9]
  11. Sometimes officially "Azerbaijan Republic"
  12. 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.
  13. The government of Cape Verde declared "Cabo Verde" to be the official English name of the country in 2013.[17]
  14. Chile's claimed Antarctic territory of the Chilean Antarctic (Antártica Chilena) is a commune of the Antártica Chilena Province of the Magallanes Region.
  15. 15.0 15.1 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 other alternative names.
  16. 16.0 16.1 In 1949, the Republic of China government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and set up a provisional capital in Taipei. The CCP 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 organization 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.
  17. See also Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and Foreign relations of China.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 More information on more or less federal structures can be found at a List of federations.[18]
  19. An official short name in English has been adopted by the Czech government, "Czechia". This variant remains uncommon, but has been adopted by several companies and organizations including the United Nations. See Name of the Czech Republic.
  20. Also known as Congo-Kinshasa. Formerly referred to as Zaire, its official name from 1971 to 1997.
  21. The designation "Denmark" can refer either to metropolitan Denmark or to the entire Danish Realm (for example in international organizations).
  22. The government of East Timor uses "Timor-Leste" as the official English name of the country.
  23. Formerly referred to as the Kingdom of Swaziland, its official name until 2018.
  24. Åland was demilitarized 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.
  25. France's claimed Antarctic territory of Adélie Land (Terre Adélie) is one of five constituent districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
  26. Also known as Guinea-Conakry.
  27. While sometimes referred to as the "Republic of Iceland"[26][27] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic, the official name of the country is simply "Iceland".[28] 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, in this usage "republic" is not capitalized.
  28. "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.[30] See names of the Irish state.
  29. The government of Ivory Coast uses "Côte d'Ivoire" as the official English name of the country.
  30. 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.
  31. The designation "Netherlands" can refer either to metropolitan Netherlands or to the entire Kingdom (e.g. in international organizations).
  32. 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 "North Macedonia".
  33. Also known as Congo-Brazzaville.
  34. Spain holds several small overseas territories scattered along the Mediterranean coast bordering Morocco, known as the plazas de soberanía.
  35. Formerly known as Ceylon until 1972.
  36. Formerly the "Republic of Turkey". In 2023, the United Nations recognized "Türkiye" as the official English name of the country after a request made by the Turkish government.
  37. 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.
  38. 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.
  39. 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 5] 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.
  40. Formerly known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, its official name from 1991 to 2017

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Member States | United Nations". United Nations. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. Hersch Lauterpacht (2012). Recognition in International Law. Cambridge University Press. p. xxxv. ISBN 9781107609433.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. "Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan". BBC News. 7 September 2021.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "U.N. Seats Denied, for Now, to Afghanistan's Taliban and Myanmar's Junta". The New York Times. 1 December 2021.
  7. "Andorra country profile". BBC News. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  8. Government of Antigua and Barbuda. "Chapter 44: The Barbuda Local Government Act" (PDF). Laws of Antigua and Barbuda. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  9. "Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica". Patagonia-Argentina. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  10. "Pakistan Worldview, Report 21, Visit to Azerbaijan" (PDF). Senate of Pakistan Foreign Relations Committee. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2009.
  11. "Nilufer Bakhtiyar: "For Azerbaijan Pakistan does not recognise Armenia as a country"". Today.az. 13 September 2006. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  12. "Pakistan the only country not recognising Armenia – envoy". News.Az. 5 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014. We are the only country not recognising Armenia as a state.
  13. "Country profiles". The European Union. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  14. "Bahamas, The | The Commonwealth". thecommonwealth.org. 15 August 2013. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  15. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania (23 September 2020). "Lithuanian Foreign Ministry's statement on the situation in Belarus". Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  16. Stjepanović, Dejan (2015). "Dual Substate Citizenship as Institutional Innovation: The Case of Bosnia's Brčko District". Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 21 (4): 382–383. doi:10.1080/13537113.2015.1095043. eISSN 1557-2986. ISSN 1353-7113. OCLC 5927465455. S2CID 146578107.
  17. Tanya Basu (14 December 2013). "Cape Verde Gets New Name: 5 Things to Know About How Maps Change". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  18. Constitution of Comoros, Art. 1.
  19. Andreas S. Kakouris (9 July 2010). "Cyprus is not at peace with Turkey". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014. Turkey stands alone in violation of the will of the international community. It is the only country to recognise the "TRNC" and is the only country that does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and its government.
  20. "Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands : No. 137 of March 23, 1948". Statsministeriat. Copenhagen. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  21. "The Greenland Home Rule Act : Act No. 577 of 29 November 1978". Statsministeriat. Copenhagen. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  22. "Rotuma Act". Laws of Fiji (1978 ed.). Suva, Fiji: Government of Fiji. 1927. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  23. Government of Fiji, Office of the Prime Minister (1978). "Chapter 122: Rotuma Act". Laws of Fiji. University of the South Pacific. Archived from the original on 1 March 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  24. "The Gambia profile". BBC News. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  25. Constitution of Greece, Art. 105.
  26. "Iceland - Culture, History, & People". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  27. "Working Paper No. 54 : UNGEGN list of country names (Prepared by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names)" (PDF). unstats.un.org. Vienna. May 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  28. "Hvert er formlegt heiti landsins okkar?". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  29. "Iraqi constitution" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2016.
  30. Daly, Mary E. (January 2007). "The Irish Free State/Éire/Republic of Ireland/Ireland: "A Country by Any Other Name"?". Journal of British Studies. Cambridge University Press on behalf of The North American Conference on British Studies. 46 (1): 72–90. doi:10.1086/508399. JSTOR 10.1086/508399.
  31. "Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel". www.knesset.gov.il. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
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  • Bissio, Roberto Remo, ed. (1995). The World: A Third World Guide: 1995/96. Montevideo: Instituto del Tercer Mundo. ISBN 978-0-85598-291-1. OCLC 476299738.

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Template:Earth Template:Lists of sovereign states and dependent territories by continent Template:Lists of political entities by century Template:States with limited recognition

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