Member states of the Organization of American States

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Current and former member states
Observer states OAS Observer.png
  Current and former member states
  Observer states

33 out of 35 sovereign states of the Americas are member states of the Organization of American States (OAS); Cuba and Nicaragua are the only exceptions, although they were both former member states. [1]

Contents

Member states

When formed on 5 May 1948, there were 21 members of the OAS. The organization's membership expanded as other nations in the Americas gained full political independence as sovereign states.

Country Capital Year
joined
GDP (PPP)
(million USD)
GDP (PPP)
per capita
(2020) [2]
HDI
(2018 est.
for 2017)
[3]
Currency Official or national
language(s)
Antigua and Barbuda St. John's 19811.78$18,2410.780 Eastern Caribbean dollar English
Argentina Buenos Aires 1948716$20,7710.825 Argentine peso Spanish
Bahamas Nassau 198211.8$32,5380.807 Bahamian dollar English
Barbados Bridgetown 19677.169$13,3490.800 Barbadian dollar English
Belize Belmopan 19912.38$6,4580.708 Belizean dollar English
Bolivia Sucre 194855.4$8,2750.693 Bolivian boliviano Spanish
Brazil Brasília 19483,012$14,8350.759 Brazilian real Portuguese
Canada Ottawa 19901,519$46,6110.926 Canadian dollar English
French
Chile Santiago 1948386$25,1100.843 Chilean peso Spanish
Colombia Bogota 1948598$14,9310.747 Colombian peso Spanish
Costa Rica San José 194864$22,1320.794 Costa Rican colón Spanish
Dominica Roseau 19790.91$10,8530.715East Caribbean dollarEnglish
Dominican Republic Santo Domingo 1948200$17,9350.736 Dominican peso Spanish
Ecuador Quito 1948165$10,8950.752United States dollarSpanish
El Salvador San Salvador 194845$8,4200.674United States dollarSpanish
Grenada St. George's 19751.142$15,2830.772 East Caribbean dollar English
Guatemala Guatemala City 1948113$8,8530.650 Guatemalan quetzal Spanish
Guyana Georgetown 19912.70$19,7040.654 Guyanese dollar English
Haiti Port-au-Prince 194813$3,0950.498 Haitian gourde French
Honduras [Note 1] Tegucigalpa 194833$5,4200.617 Honduran lempira Spanish
Jamaica Kingston 196921$9,2410.732 Jamaican dollar English
Mexico Mexico City 19482,014$18,4440.774 Mexican peso Spanish
Panama Panama City 194864$26,7820.789United States dollarSpanish
Paraguay Asuncion 194841$13,0690.702 Paraguayan guaraní Spanish
Peru Lima 1948358$11,8780.750 Peruvian sol Spanish
Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre 19840.97$25,6530.778 East Caribbean dollar English
Saint Lucia Castries 19792.02$12,7090.747 East Caribbean dollar English
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown 19811.20$12,7050.723 East Caribbean dollar English
Suriname Paramaribo 19774.7$16,7340.720 Surinamese dollar Dutch
Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain 196735.6$25,0230.784 Trinidad and Tobago dollar English
United States Washington, D.C. 194816,800$63,5930.924 United States dollar English
Uruguay Montevideo 194862$22,7930.804 Uruguayan peso Spanish
Venezuela [Note 2] Caracas 1948553$5,177 [8] 0.761 Venezuelan bolívar Spanish

Former member states

Country Capital Year
joined
GDP (PPP)
(million USD)
GDP (PPP)
per capita
(2020) [2]
HDI
(2018 est.
for 2017)
[3]
Currency Official or national
language
Cuba [Note 3] Havana 1948212No data0.777 Cuban peso Spanish
Nicaragua [Note 4] Managua 194824.39$5,5690.658 Nicaraguan córdoba Spanish

Permanent missions accredited to the OAS in Washington, D.C.

Non-member jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions are not members of the OAS as each is a dependent territory or overseas territory of another sovereign state. They are grouped under the parent state which has sovereignty over them.

Territory Parent stateStatus
Anguilla United Kingdom Overseas territory
Aruba Netherlands Constituent country
Bermuda United Kingdom Overseas territory
Bonaire Netherlands Special municipality
Bouvet Island Norway Dependency
British Virgin Islands United Kingdom Overseas territory
Cayman Islands United Kingdom Overseas territory
Clipperton Island France Overseas state private property
Curaçao Netherlands Constituent country
Falkland Islands [Note 5] United Kingdom Overseas territory
French Guiana France Overseas department and region
Greenland Denmark Autonomous territory
Guadeloupe France Overseas department and region
Martinique France Overseas department and region
Montserrat United Kingdom Overseas territory
Navassa Island [Note 6] United States Unincorporated unorganized territory
Puerto Rico United States Unincorporated organized territory
Saba Netherlands Special municipality
Saint Barthélemy France Overseas collectivity
Saint Martin France Overseas collectivity
Saint Pierre and Miquelon France Overseas collectivity
Sint Eustatius Netherlands Special municipality
Sint Maarten Netherlands Constituent country
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands [Note 7] United Kingdom Overseas territory
Turks and Caicos Islands United Kingdom Overseas territory
U.S. Virgin Islands United States Unincorporated organized territory

Observer states

The observer states are: [13]

Footnotes

  1. Suspended between 2009–2011. [4]
  2. On 28 April 2017, Venezuela notified the OAS of its denounciation of the Charter of the OAS, which as per Article 143 would lead to the withdraw of Venezuela from the OAS effective two years from the date of notification. [5] During the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, who was recognized by the National Assembly as the acting president, sent a letter to the OAS Secretary General annuling the previous denuncation of the OAS Charter, and expressing his desire for Venezuela to remain a member of the OAS. [5] The National Assembly designated a special envoy as representative to the OAS, who the OAS voted to recognize as Venezuela's delegate in April. [6] [7]
  3. Suspended between 1962–2009. [9] However, following the lifting of their suspension, a Declaration of the Revolutionary Government stated that while Cuba welcomed the Assembly's gesture, in light of the Organization's historical record "Cuba will not return to the OAS". [10] See: Cuba–OAS relations.
  4. In November 2021, Nicaragua submitted a formal request to leave the OAS, following the OAS condemnation of the outcome of the 2021 election. [11] The withdrawal was completed in November 2023. [12]
  5. Claimed by Argentina as the Islas Malvinas. See: Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute.
  6. Claimed by Haiti.
  7. Claimed by Argentina as a part of the Islas Malvinas. See: Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute.

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References

  1. OAS (2009-08-01). "OAS - Organization of American States: Democracy for peace, security, and development". www.oas.org. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  2. 1 2 "World Bank".
  3. 1 2 "2018 Human Development Report" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  4. "OAS readmits Honduras to its ranks". CNN. 2011-06-01. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  5. 1 2 "CHARTER OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (A-41)". Organization of American States. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  6. "Resolution on the Situation in Venezuela". Organization of American States. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  7. "OAS recognises Guaido's envoy until new Venezuela elections held". Al Jazeera. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  8. "GDP per capita, current prices". www.imf.org. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  9. "Member States". Organization of American States. August 2009. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  10. "Declaration of the Revolutionary Government". Granma . 2009-06-08. Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  11. "Nicaragua decides to leave OAS". DW. 19 November 2021.
  12. "A partir de este domingo Nicaragua está oficialmente fuera de la OEA" (in Spanish). La Prensa. 19 November 2023.
  13. Permanent Observers
  14. "Organization of American States suspends Russia's permanent observer status". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-04-22.