Sovereign states by year | ||
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List of sovereign states in 2011 | Events of 2012 | List of sovereign states in 2013 |
This is a list of sovereign states in 2012, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012. It contains 207 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 195 widely recognized sovereign states and 12 entities which claim an effective sovereignty but are considered de facto constituents of other powers by the general international community.
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state. Recognition can be reaccorded either de facto or de jure. Recognition can be a declaration to that effect by the recognizing government, or an act of recognition such as entering into a treaty with the other state. A vote by a country in the United Nations in favour of the membership of another country is an implicit recognition of that country by the country so voting, as only states may be members of the UN.
Sovereignty is the full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any interference from outside sources or bodies. In political theory, sovereignty is a substantive term designating supreme authority over some polity. In international law, the important concept of sovereignty refers to the exercise of power by a state. De jure sovereignty refers to the legal right to do so; de facto sovereignty the ability in fact to do so
In law and government, de facto describes practices that exist in reality, even though they are not officially recognized by laws. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with de jure, which refers to things that happen according to law.
Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty | |
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A | ||
Capital: Kabul | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Tirana | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Algiers | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Andorra la Vella | Widely recognized UN member state. The President of France and Bishop of Urgell were ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra is the responsibility of France and Spain. | |
Capital: Luanda | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: St. John's | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Antigua and Barbuda has two dependencies, Barbuda and Redonda. | |
Capital: Buenos Aires | Widely recognized UN member state. Argentina is a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city. [2] It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica, which is suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. It also claims the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British overseas territories. | |
Capital: Yerevan | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. [3] | |
Capital: Canberra | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Australia is a federation of six states and three territories. [4] It had sovereignty over the following external territories:
The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is an uninhabited external territory of Australia consisting of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs, and the 12 nautical mile territorial sea generated by the islands. The territory is located in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf, about 320 km (199 mi) off the northwest coast of Australia and 144 km (89 mi) south of the Indonesian island of Rote. The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of Antarctica administered by the Australian Antarctic Division, an agency of the federal Department of the Environment and Energy. The territory's history dates to a claim on Enderby Land made by the United Kingdom in 1841, which was subsequently expanded and eventually transferred to Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation by area. In 1961, the Antarctic Treaty came into force. Article 4 deals with territorial claims, and although it does not renounce or diminish any preexisting claims to sovereignty, it also does not prejudice the position of Contracting Parties in their recognition or non-recognition of territorial sovereignty. As a result, only four other countries—New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, and Norway—recognise Australia's claim to sovereignty in Antarctica. The Territory of Christmas Island is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, around 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi). | |
Capital: Vienna | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Austria is a federation of nine states. [5] | |
Capital: Baku | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Azerbaijan had one autonomous republic, Nakhchivan. It included the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, where a partially recognized breakaway republic had declared independence. | |
B | ||
Capital: Nassau | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Manama | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Dhaka | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Bridgetown | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Minsk | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Brussels | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Belgium is a federation of three communities and three regions. [6] | |
Capital: Belmopan | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Thimphu | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative) | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Sarajevo | Widely recognized UN member state. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a federation of two constituent entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. | |
Capital: Gaborone | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Brasília | Widely recognized UN member state. Brazil is a federation of 26 states and one federal district. [7] | |
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan | Widely recognized UN member state. Brunei claims part of the Spratly Islands (disputed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia). | |
Capital: Sofia | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Ouagadougou | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Burma | ||
Capital: Bujumbura | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
C | ||
Capital: Phnom Penh | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Yaoundé | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Ottawa | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Canada is a federation of ten provinces and three territories. [8] | |
Capital: Praia | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Bangui | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: N'Djamena | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Santiago | Widely recognized UN member state. Chile has two special territories: Easter Island and the Juan Fernández Islands. It had a claim over Chilean Antarctic Territory, which is suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. | |
Capital: Beijing | Widely recognized UN member state [9] and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The People's Republic of China had five autonomous regions: Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet. Additionally, it had sovereignty over two special administrative regions: The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, the Pratas Islands and Itu Aba, all of which were governed by the Republic of China. It also claims the Paracel Islands (disputed by the Republic of China and Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei), and South Tibet (controlled by India). The People's Republic of China administered Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract, which were within the disputed region of Kashmir. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the north-east, and the Philippines to the south. The island of Taiwan has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 sq mi), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanised population is concentrated. Taipei is the capital and largest metropolitan area. Other major cities include Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan and Taoyuan. With 23.7 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated states, and is the most populous state and largest economy that is not a member of the United Nations (UN). Kinmen or Quemoy, officially Kinmen County, is two groups of islands governed by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and located just off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The county consists of the Kinmen Islands and the Wuqiu Islands (Ockseu) more than 110 kilometres (68 mi) to the northeast. It is one of two counties under the streamlined Fujian Province of the Republic of China. The Kinmen Islands are located only about two kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the mainland city of Xiamen, and their strategic position has reflected the significant change of Cross-Strait relations from a battlefront to a trading point between China and Taiwan. In the controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has continuously claimed the territory of Kinmen County as part of its own Fujian Province, claiming the Kinmen Islands as a county of Quanzhou prefecture-level city, and claiming the Wuqiu (Ockseu) Islands as part of Xiuyu District in Putian prefecture-level city. The Matsu Islands are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea administered as Lienchiang County is Republic of China (Taiwan). It is the smallest county of Taiwan. | |
Capital: Bogotá | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Colombia administered Serranilla Bank and claims Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States) | |
Capital: Moroni | Widely recognized UN member state. The Comoros is a federation of three islands autonomous islands: Grande Comore, Mohéli, and Anjouan. Comoros also claims sovereignty over the French region of Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands. Comoros also claims Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and France). | |
Capital: Kinshasa | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Brazzaville | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: San José | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Côte d'Ivoire | ||
Capital: Zagreb | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Havana | Widely recognized UN member state. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay is under the permanent control of the United States. | |
Capital: Nicosia | Widely recognized UN member state. [10] EU member. The northeastern part of the island is the de facto independent state of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey. | |
Capital: Prague | Widely recognized UN member state.EU member. | |
D | ||
Capital: Copenhagen | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. The Kingdom of Denmark also included two autonomous countries: | |
Capital: Djibouti | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Roseau | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Santo Domingo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
E | ||
Capital: Dili | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Quito | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Cairo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: San Salvador | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Malabo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Asmara | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Tallinn | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Addis Ababa | Widely recognized UN member state. Ethiopia is a federation of nine regions and two chartered cities. [12] | |
F | ||
Capital: Suva | Widely recognized UN member state. Fiji had an autonomous dependency, Rotuma. | |
Capital: Helsinki | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Finland had a neutral and demilitarised region: | |
Capital: Paris | Widely recognized UN member state and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. EU member. France includes five overseas departments: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion. It also has sovereignty over the following overseas territories:
Clipperton Island is an uninhabited 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America. It is 10,677 km (6,634 mi) from Paris, France, 5,400 km (3,400 mi) from Papeete, Tahiti, and 1,080 km (670 mi) from Mexico. It is an overseas minor territory of France, under direct authority of the Minister of Overseas France. French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of the French Republic and its sole overseas country. It is composed of 118 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over an expanse of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean. Its total land area is 4,167 square kilometres (1,609 sq mi). The French Southern and Antarctic Lands is an overseas territory of France. It consists of:
France also claims Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and the Comoros). | |
G | ||
Capital: Libreville | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Banjul | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Tbilisi | Widely recognized UN member state. Georgia had two autonomous republics: Adjara and Abkhazia. The latter republic is home to a de facto independent state. Georgia also included the disputed region of South Ossetia, where a partially recognized breakaway republic had declared independence. | |
Capital: Berlin | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. EU member. Germany is a federation of sixteen states. [13] | |
Capital: Accra | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Athens | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Greece has sovereignty over Mount Athos, an autonomous monastic state that is jointly governed by the multi-national "Holy Community" on the mountain and the Civil Governor appointed by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and spiritually under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. | |
Capital: St. George's | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Grenada has one autonomous dependency, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. | |
Capital: Guatemala City | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. | |
Capital: Conakry | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Bissau | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Georgetown | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
H | ||
Capital: Port-au-Prince | Widely recognized UN member state. Haiti claims the uninhabited United States possession of Navassa Island. | |
Holy See | ||
Capital: Tegucigalpa | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Budapest
| Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
I | ||
Capital: Reykjavík | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: New Delhi | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. India is a federation of twenty-nine states and seven union territories. Indian sovereignty over South Tibet is disputed by the People's Republic of China. India administers part of the disputed region of Kashmir as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. [14] | |
Capital: Jakarta | Widely recognized UN member state. Indonesia had five special provinces: Aceh, Jakarta, Papua, West Papua, and Yogyakarta. | |
Capital: Tehran | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Baghdad | Widely recognized UN member state. Iraq is constitutionally designated as a federation of autonomous regions, but only one region (Iraqi Kurdistan) had been established. | |
Capital: Dublin | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Jerusalem | Widely recognized UN member state. [16] Israel occupies East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank. These areas were not generally recognized as being part of Israel. | |
Capital: Rome | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Italy had 5 autonomous regions: Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. | |
Capital: Yamoussoukro (official), Abidjan (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
J | ||
Capital: Kingston | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Tokyo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Amman | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
K | ||
Capital: Astana | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Nairobi | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: South Tarawa | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Pyongyang | Widely recognized UN member state. [17] claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. | |
Capital: Seoul | Widely recognized UN member state. [18] South Korea had one autonomous region: Jeju-do. claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. | |
Capital: Kuwait City | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Bishkek | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
L | ||
Capital: Vientiane | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Riga | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Beirut | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Maseru | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Monrovia | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Tripoli | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Vaduz | Widely recognized UN member state. The defense of Liechtenstein is the responsibility of Switzerland. | |
Capital: Vilnius | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Luxembourg | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
M | ||
Capital: Skopje | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Antananarivo | Widely recognized UN member state. Madagascar claims the French possessions of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island. It also claims Banc du Geyser (disputed by Comoros and France) | |
Capital: Lilongwe | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Kuala Lumpur (official), Putrajaya (administrative) | Widely recognized UN member state. Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states and three federal territories. [20] Malaysia claims part of the Spratly Islands (disputed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei). | |
Capital: Malé | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Bamako | Widely recognized UN member state. Part of Mali's territory was controlled by the de facto State of Azawad from 6 April to 12 July. | |
Capital: Valletta | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Majuro | Widely recognized UN member state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Marshall Islands claims the United States territory of Wake Island. | |
Capital: Nouakchott | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Port Louis | Widely recognized UN member state. Mauritius had one autonomous dependency: Rodrigues. Mauritius also had two other dependencies: Agalega Islands and Cargados Carajos. It claims the British Indian Ocean Territory and the French territory of Tromelin Island. | |
Capital: Mexico City | Widely recognized UN member state. Mexico is a federation of 31 states and one federal district. [21] | |
Capital: Palikir | Widely recognized UN member state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The FSM is a federation of four states. [22] | |
Capital: Chişinău | Widely recognized UN member state. Moldova had two autonomous territorial units: Gagauzia and Transnistria. The latter is home to a de facto independent state. | |
Capital: Monaco | Widely recognized UN member state. The defense of Monaco is the responsibility of France. | |
Capital: Ulaanbaatar | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Podgorica | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Rabat | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Morocco claims sovereignty over and controlled most of the disputed Western Sahara, which is home to the de facto independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco disputed the Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta, Isla de Alborán, Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas, Melilla, and Peñón de Alhucemas. | |
Capital: Maputo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Naypyidaw | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
N | ||
Capital: Windhoek | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Yaren (unofficial, seat of parliament) | Widely recognized UN member state. The defense of Nauru is the responsibility of Australia. | |
Capital: Kathmandu | Widely recognized UN member state. Nepal is designated as a federation, but its federal units had not yet been created. | |
Capital: Amsterdam (official), The Hague (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four autonomous countries: Territory of islands without autonomy (consists of three special municipalities that are part of the Netherlands): The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Caribbean Netherlands are not. | |
Capital: Wellington | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. New Zealand had responsibilities for the two free associated states of: It also had sovereignty over two dependent territories:
The government of Tokelau claims Swains Island, part of American Samoa (a U.S. dependence). New Zealand does not recognize this claim. | |
Capital: Managua | Widely recognized UN member state. Nicaragua had two autonomous regions: the North Atlantic Autonomous Region and South Atlantic Autonomous Region. | |
Capital: Niamey | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Abuja | Widely recognized UN member state. Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and one federal territory. [24] | |
Capital: Oslo | Widely recognized UN member state. Norway had two integral overseas areas: Jan Mayen and Svalbard. The latter of area had a special status due to the Spitsbergen Treaty. Norway had sovereignty over the following dependencies:
| |
O | ||
Capital: Muscat, Oman | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
P | ||
Capital: Islamabad | Widely recognized UN member state. Pakistan is a federation of four provinces and four territories. It administers part of the disputed region of Kashmir as the territories of Azad Kashmir and the autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. [25] | |
Capital: Ngerulmud | Widely recognized UN member state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. | |
Capital: Ramallah (administrative), Gaza City (administrative), Jerusalem (claims) | Partially recognised de facto self-governing entity. [26] Palestine claims sovereignty over a disputed region consisting of three Israeli-occupied territories: the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. In foreign relations, Palestine was represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, which was a permanent observer at the United Nations (to 29 November). Permanent observer at the United Nations (since 29 November). The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative body that exercised limited control over parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Gaza is under the control of Hamas. | |
Capital: Panama City | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Port Moresby | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Papua New Guinea has one autonomous region: Bougainville. | |
Capital: Asunción | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Lima | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Manila | Widely recognized UN member state. The Philippines had one autonomous region: Muslim Mindanao. The Philippines administered Scarborough Shoal, which was disputed by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. It also claims sovereignty over the Spratly Islands (disputed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia) and the Malaysian territory of Sabah. | |
Capital: Warsaw | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Lisbon | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. EU member. Portugal had two autonomous regions: the Azores and Madeira. Portugal claims the Spanish municipalities of Olivenza and Táliga. | |
Q | ||
Capital: Doha | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
R | ||
Capital: Bucharest | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Moscow | Widely recognized UN member state and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Russia is a federation of 22 republics, 46 oblasts, 9 krais, 3 federal cities, 1 autonomous oblast, and 4 autonomous okrugs. [27] | |
Capital: Kigali | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
S | ||
Capital: Basseterre | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a federation of fourteen parishes within two island. [28] Nevis (which is one of the islands) has autonomy. | |
Capital: Castries | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Kingstown | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Apia | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: San Marino | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: São Tomé | Widely recognized UN member state. São Tomé and Príncipe had one autonomous province: Príncipe. | |
Capital: Riyadh | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Dakar | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Belgrade | Widely recognized UN member state. Serbia had two autonomous provinces: Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija. The latter was governed by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo; Kosovo declared independence in 2008, [29] and is a partially recognized de facto independent republic. | |
Capital: Victoria | Widely recognized UN member state. The Seychelles claims the British Indian Ocean Territory. | |
Capital: Freetown | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Singapore | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Bratislava | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Ljubljana | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Honiara | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
Capital: Mogadishu
| Widely recognized UN member state. Over the course of the Somali Civil War, several autonomous regional governments were established in the de jure territory of Somalia. Although these states did not claim independence from Somalia, they were de facto self-governing: There were also areas of the country which at various times had no effective government at all or which were ruled by local clans. In addition, there is one state which has declared and established de facto independence from Somalia: Somaliland. | |
Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. | |
Capital: Juba | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state. Disputes Abyei with the Republic of the Sudan. South Sudan is a federation of 10 states. [30] | |
Capital: Madrid | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Spain is divided into seventeen autonomous communities and two autonomous cities. [31] Its sovereignty over Ceuta, Isla de Alborán, Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas, Melilla and Peñón de Alhucemas is disputed by Morocco. Its sovereignty over Olivenza and Táliga is disputed by Portugal. It claims the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. | |
Capital: Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte (administrative), Colombo (commercial) | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Khartoum | Widely recognized UN member state. Sudan is a federation of 15 states (later 17). [32] Disputes Abyei with the Republic of the South Sudan | |
Capital: Paramaribo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal and legislative) | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Stockholm | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. | |
Capital: Bern | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state. Switzerland is a federation of 26 cantons. [33] | |
Capital: Damascus | Widely recognized UN member state. Syria included the Golan Heights, which were occupied by Israel. It disputed the Turkish sovereignty over Hatay Province. Syrian Arab Republic is widely viewed as the legitimate authority of Syria. | |
T | ||
Capital: Dushanbe | Widely recognized UN member state. Tajikistan had one autonomous province: Gorno-Badakhshan. | |
Capital: Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. Tanzania had one autonomous region: Zanzibar. | |
Capital: Bangkok | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Timor-Leste | ||
Capital: Lomé | Widely recognized UN member state and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. | |
Capital: Nukuʻalofa | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Port of Spain | Widely recognized UN member state. Trinidad and Tobago had one autonomous island: Tobago. | |
Capital: Tunis | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Ankara | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Ashgabat | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Funafuti | Widely recognized UN member state. Commonwealth realm. | |
U | ||
Capital: Kampala | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Kiev | Widely recognized UN member state. Ukraine has one autonomous republic: Crimea. | |
Capital: Abu Dhabi | Widely recognized UN member state. The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates. [34] | |
Capital: London | Widely recognized UN member state and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. EU member. The United Kingdom is composed of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It has sovereignty over the following British overseas territories:
In addition, the British Monarch (not the United Kingdom) has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:
| |
Capital: Washington, D.C. | Widely recognized UN member state and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The United States is a federation of 50 states, one federal district, and one incorporated territory. [35] It asserted sovereignty over the following inhabited insular areas:
It also asserted sovereignty over eight uninhabited unincorporated territories: [36]
The United States claims Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank. Its claim to Serranilla is disputed by Colombia and Nicaragua and its claim to Bajo Nuevo is disputed by Colombia, Jamaica, and Nicaragua. Some government sources stated that these two areas were unincorporated territories of the United States. | |
Capital: Montevideo | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Tashkent | Widely recognized UN member state. Uzbekistan had one autonomous republic: Karakalpakstan. | |
V | ||
Capital: Port Vila | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Vatican City | Widely recognized independent state. Vatican City is administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity recognized by a large number of countries and a Permanent observer at the United Nations. The Holy See also administered a number of extraterritorial properties in Italy. The Pope is the ex officio head of state of Vatican City. | |
Capital: Caracas | Widely recognized UN member state. Venezuela is a federation of 23 states, one federal dependency, and one federal district. [37] | |
Capital: Hanoi | Widely recognized UN member state. Vietnam claims sovereignty over the Paracel Islands (disputed by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China) and Spratly Islands (disputed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Brunei, the Philippines, and Malaysia). | |
Y | ||
Capital: Sana'a | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Z | ||
Capital: Lusaka | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Capital: Harare | Widely recognized UN member state. | |
Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty |
---|---|
Capital: Sukhumi | Partially recognized de facto self-governing entity. 3 |
Capital: Gao | De facto self-governing state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed by Mali. Debellation by Ansar Dine and MUJAO completed on 12 July. [38] |
Capital: Taipei (seat of government) | Partially recognized de facto independent state. [9] The Republic of China claims to be the sole legitimate government of China, but only administered Taiwan, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, the Pratas Islands and Itu Aba. |
Capital: Avarua | A state in free association with New Zealand, recognized by Japan, Netherlands, and China. The Cook Islands is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity. It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship. |
Capital: Pristina | Partially recognized de facto self-governing entity. [39] Claimed by Serbia as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija under UN administration |
Capital: Stepanakert | De facto self-governing entity. Not recognized by any other state. claims by Azerbaijan. |
Capital: Alofi | A state in free association with New Zealand, recognized by China. Niue is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity. It had shared citizenship with New Zealand. |
Capital: Lefkoşa | Partially recognized de facto self-governing entity. [40] claims by the Republic of Cyprus. |
Capital: Tifariti (temporary), El Aaiún (claimed) | Partially recognized de facto self-governing entity. [41] The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims the disputed territory of Western Sahara, most of which is under control of Morocco. The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone, were claims by Morocco. Its government resided in exile in Tindouf, Algeria. |
Capital: Hargeisa | De facto self-governing entity. Not recognized by any other state. claims by Somalia. |
Capital: Tskhinvali | Partially recognized de facto independent state. [42] claimed by Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia. |
Capital: Tiraspol | Partially recognized de facto self-governing entity. [43] claims by Moldova. |
Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent: