Other territories often regarded as separate geographical territories even though they are integral parts of their mother countries (such as the overseas departments and regions of France).
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see Africa: territories and regions.
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.[7][8]
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.[7][8]
Recognised at some stage by 84UN member states, 38 of which have since withdrawn or frozen their recognition.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.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see Asia: territories and regions.
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.[q]
China is not recognised by 12 UN member states and the Holy See, which, with the exception of Bhutan, all recognise Taiwan instead.[r]
Israel exerts strong control over the territory claimed by Palestine. Israel annexed East Jerusalem,[22] an annexation not recognised by the international community.[23] 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.[24][25][26][27]
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.[28]
Wa State is a de facto autonomous state within Myanmar. The United Nations has not recognized the de facto ruling government of Myanmar, the State Administration Council.[16]
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,[30][31] instead regarding it as a disputed territory.[32][33] The portions that it controls are divided into two territories, administered separately from Pakistan proper:
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.[34][35][36] 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.[35][37][38]
The State of Palestine, declared in 1988, is not recognised as a state by Israel but has received diplomatic recognition from 146 states.[39] The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, or effective control over much of the territory that it proclaimed.[40] 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.[41] The State of Palestine is a member state of UNESCO,[42] UNIDO and other international organizations.[43]
Russia is a federation of 85federal subjects (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast). Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics.[l]
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.[44] The ROC is recognised by 11UN member states and the Holy See as of15January2024. 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.[q] 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.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see Europe: political geography.
The continental territory of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland form the three constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Danish Realm.[z] 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.[59][60]
Metropolitan 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 metropolitan Netherlands.[ae] The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law applies only to parts within Europe.
Russia is a federation of 85federal subjects (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast). Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics.[l]
Administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity with diplomatic relations to 183states. This figure consists of 180 UN member states, the Cook Islands, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the State of Palestine.[66] 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")[41] 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.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in North America with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see North America: countries and territories.
Geologically, North America is joined with South America by the Isthmus of Panama to form the Americas.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Oceania with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see Oceania: territories and regions.
Australia is a Commonwealth realm[ai] 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:
The Cook Islands and Niue have diplomatic relations with 49 and 18 UN members respectively.[76][77][78] They have full treaty-making capacity in the UN,[79] and are members of some UN specialized agencies.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see South America: demographics.
Geologically, South America is joined with North America by the Isthmus of Panama to form the Americas.
Transcontinental island countries and dependencies in South America or North America (depending on the boundary definition), classified as Caribbean countries and dependencies by the United Nations Statistics Division: Aruba, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago (Only Trinidad and Tobago is an independent state).
Antarctica is regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System, which defines it as all land and ice shelves south of 60°S, and has no government and belongs to no country. However, the following territorial claims in Antarctica have been made:
Russia and the United States have reserved the right to claim territory on Antarctica.
Subantarctic islands
Unlike Antarctica itself, other nearby Subantarctic island territories most commonly associated with the Antarctic continent, but lying north of 60°S, have had full sovereignty established over them by a governing state.
The following dependent territories are situated within the wider Antarctic region, but are not directly part of the Antarctic Treaty System:
In addition to the dependent territories listed above, the following islands are governed as a direct part of a controlling state. Thus they are fully and legally integrated within the governance structure of the respective state. They are similarly also not part of the Antarctic Treaty System.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
1 2 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 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.
↑ The government of East Timor uses "Timor-Leste" as the official English name of the country.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
↑ The designation "Denmark" can refer either to continental Denmark or to the short name for the entire Kingdom (e.g. in international organizations).
↑ 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.
↑ France's claimed Antarctic territory of Adélie Land (Terre Adélie) is one of five constituent districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
↑ While sometimes referred to as the "Republic of Iceland"[62][63] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic, the official name of the country is simply "Iceland".[64] 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.
↑ "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.[65] See names of the Irish state.
↑ The designation "Netherlands" can refer either to metropolitan Netherlands or to the entire Kingdom (e.g. in international organizations).
↑ 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.
↑ Spain holds several small overseas territories scattered along the Mediterranean coast bordering Morocco, known as the Plazas de soberanía.
↑ The UK formally withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020. The state saw a provisional transition period out of the supranational union in 2020, see Brexit, Post-Brexit relations.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
↑ 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.
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, states with limited recognition, constituent country, or a dependent territory. Most sovereign states, but not all countries, are members of the United Nations. There is no universal agreement on the number of "countries" in the world since several states have disputed sovereignty status, limited recognition and a number of non-sovereign entities are commonly considered countries.
The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967. These territories make up the State of Palestine, which was self-declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1988 and is recognized by 146 out of 193 UN member states.
A dependent territory, dependent area, or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state and remains politically outside the controlling state's integral area. As such, a dependent territory includes a range of non-integrated not fully to non-independent territory types, from associated states to non-self-governing territories.
An associated state is the minor partner or dependent territory in a formal, free relationship between a political territory and a major party—usually a larger nation.
A European microstate or European ministate is a very small sovereign state in Europe. In modern usage, it typically refers to the six smallest states in Europe by area: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Vatican City are monarchies. These states trace their status back to the first millennium or the early second millennium except for Liechtenstein, created in the 18th century.
A sovereign state is a state that has the supreme sovereignty or ultimate authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may also refer to a constituent country, or a dependent territory.
The decolonisation of Asia was the gradual growth of independence movements in Asia, leading ultimately to the retreat of foreign powers and the creation of several nation-states in the region.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared the establishment of the State of Palestine on November 15, 1988. As of June 2024, the State of Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 145 of the 193 member states of the United Nations. It is a non-member observer state at the United Nations since November 2012. This limited status is largely due to the United States, a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power, has consistently used its veto or threatened to do so to block Palestine’s full membership to UN. The existence of a state of Palestine is recognized by the states that have established bilateral diplomatic relations with it. There is a wide range of views on the legal status of the State of Palestine, both among international states and legal scholars.
↑ 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 recognize the "TRNC" and is the only country that does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its government.
↑ Sanger, Andrew (2011). "The Contemporary Law of Blockade and the Gaza Freedom Flotilla". In M.N. Schmitt; Louise Arimatsu; Tim McCormack (eds.). Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law - 2010. Vol.13. Springer Science & Business Media. p.429. doi:10.1007/978-90-6704-811-8_14. ISBN978-90-6704-811-8. It is this direct external control over Gaza and indirect control over life within Gaza that has led the United Nations, the UN General Assembly, the UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza, International human rights organisations, US Government websites, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a significant number of legal commentators, to reject the argument that Gaza is no longer occupied. * Scobbie, Iain (2012). Elizabeth Wilmshurst (ed.). International Law and the Classification of Conflicts. Oxford University Press. p.295. ISBN978-0-19-965775-9. Even after the accession to power of Hamas, Israel's claim that it no longer occupies Gaza has not been accepted by UN bodies, most States, nor the majority of academic commentators because of its exclusive control of its border with Gaza and crossing points including the effective control it exerted over the Rafah crossing until at least May 2011, its control of Gaza's maritime zones and airspace which constitute what Aronson terms the 'security envelope' around Gaza, as well as its ability to intervene forcibly at will in Gaza. * Gawerc, Michelle (2012). Prefiguring Peace: Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding Partnerships. Lexington Books. p.44. ISBN9780739166109. In other words, while Israel maintained that its occupation of Gaza ended with its unilateral disengagement Palestinians – as well as many human right organizations and international bodies – argued that Gaza was by all intents and purposes still occupied.
Mendes, Errol (30 March 2010). "Statehood and Palestine for the purposes of Article 12 (3) of the ICC Statute"(PDF). pp.28, 33. Archived(PDF) from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011: "...the Palestinian State also meets the traditional criteria under the Montevideo Convention..."; "...the fact that a majority of states have recognised Palestine as a State should easily fulfil the requisite state practice".
McDonald, Avril (Spring 2009). "Operation Cast Lead: Drawing the Battle Lines of the Legal Dispute". Human Rights Brief. 25. Washington College of Law, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2011: "Whether one applies the criteria of statehood set out in the Montevideo Convention or the more widely accepted constitutive theory of statehood, Palestine might be considered a state."
↑ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "Arab States: Palestine". United Nations. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
↑ 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 recognize the "TRNC" and is the only country that does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its government.
↑ "Archived copy"(PDF). unstats.un.org. Archived(PDF) from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
↑ Republic of Nauru Permanent Mission to the United Nations. "Foreign Affairs". United Nations. Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
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Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Angola – Republic of Angola
Benin – Republic of Benin
Botswana – Republic of Botswana
Burkina Faso 
Burundi – Republic of Burundi
Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon
Cape Verde – Republic of Cabo Verde [e] 
Central African Republic 
Chad – Republic of Chad
Comoros – Union of the Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the [g] 
Congo, Republic of the [h] 
Côte d'Ivoire – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire [i] 
Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti
Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea – State of Eritrea
Eswatini – Kingdom of Eswatini [j] 
Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Gabon – Gabonese Republic
Gambia, The – Republic of the Gambia [6] 
Ghana – Republic of Ghana
Guinea – Republic of Guinea [k] 
Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Kenya – Republic of Kenya
Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
Liberia – Republic of Liberia
Libya – State of Libya
Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar
Malawi – Republic of Malawi
Mali – Republic of Mali
Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius
Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
Namibia – Republic of Namibia
Niger – Republic of the Niger
Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda
São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal – Republic of Senegal
Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles
Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia
South Africa – Republic of South Africa
South Sudan – Republic of South Sudan
Sudan – Republic of the Sudan
Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
Togo – Togolese Republic
Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia
Uganda – Republic of Uganda
Zambia – Republic of Zambia
Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe
Western Sahara – Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland
Bouvet Island 
British Indian Ocean Territory 
French Southern and Antarctic Lands 
Heard Island and McDonald Islands – Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Mayotte – Department of Mayotte
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 
Italy (Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands), 
Malta , 
Portugal (Madeira [including the Savage Islands]), and 
Spain (Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, Alboran Island, and Spain's plazas de soberanía).
France (Mayotte, and Réunion).
Yemen (Socotra).
