If you inquire as to the number of nations in the world in 2022. Technically speaking, there are 195 nations in the world, so that’s the answer. You could argue that there are 215 countries from the standpoint of travel. Even though it’s fairly complicated, let’s look.
Today, there are 195 nations in the world. This total includes the Holy See and the State of Palestine, two non-member observer states, along with the 193 United Nations member states.
Around 200 nations make up the entire world. But if you want to be one of the select few to do it formally, “generally” won’t do it! And somewhere between the United Nations list (193 recognized nations) and the FIFA football list, the answer to the question of how many nations there are in the world was discovered (211 members). But how can you assign it a formal number?
What is a country?
We must first consider what defines a country as a country. Does it need to have a passport, a flag, a government, and its own currency? Making a decision is so difficult.
Let’s put it this way: an independent country is not just a country that is self-governing and has its own authorities. Additionally, for it to maintain its status, at least a few other sovereign nations must recognize its sovereignty through international diplomacy. To have other nations recognize that you are a country, you must both manage all of your own affairs.
What location are they in?
In total there are 195 official nations in the world. A number of all the Countries in all 8 continents are listed below:
54 countries in Africa
48 countries in Asia
44 countries in Europe
33 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America
14 countries in Antarctica
2 countries in North America
Why United Nations says there are 193 countries in the world?
The list provided by the UN is probably the most useful. It’s quite substantial. It isn’t OVERLY political (more on that in a second). Furthermore, if you are acknowledged by the UN, you are essentially a country. They, therefore, claim to have 193 members. That implies that there are 193 nations in the world, correct? Not exactly. Kosovo, Palestine, Vatican City, and Taiwan are not on the list of the 193 United Nations member states.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- The Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- The central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo, Republic of the
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Costa Rica
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Territories in dispute all over the world
When defining what makes a country, nothing is straightforward. There are many disputed territories in the world as a result. Although Catalonia may frequently fight for independence, it is still very much a part of Spain, so it is impossible to count them. Scotland within the United Kingdom is the same. This is just a simple fact; it is not a political endorsement.
However, the following territories have formally proclaimed their independence (even though most countries haven’t ratified them), and as a result, they are not yet acknowledged by the majority of the rest of the world:
Somaliland
In 1991, Somaliland proclaimed its independence from Somalia. No other nation recognizes it as a separate entity; it is still formally a part of Somalia.
Nagorno-Karabakh
It issued a 1991 declaration of independence. Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria are the only UN non-members who do not recognize it. formally a component of Azerbaijan.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus formally proclaimed its independence. Turkey is the only UN member state to recognize it. Officially, it is still a part of Cyprus.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara
Western Sahara declared its independence in 1976 under the name Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Along with South Ossetia, it is recognized by 47 UN members (plus an additional 37 members who previously recognized it). Officially, it is still a part of Morocco.
Transnistria/Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic
In 1990, the Republic of Transnistria/Pridnestrovian Moldavia proclaimed its independence. Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh are the only three UN non-members who do not recognize it. formally a component of Moldova.
South Ossetia
In 1991, South Ossetia proclaimed its independence. Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru are among the four UN members that recognize it, and four other UN members do not (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Transnistria). officially a part of the state of Georgia.
Abkhazia
In 1999, Abkhazia proclaimed its independence. It is acknowledged by 3 UN non-member states and 4 UN member states (Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru) (South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Nagorno-Karabakh). officially a part of the state of Georgia.
Locations that are not countries
In addition, there are other areas that many people mistakenly regard as countries but which are all actually members of a sovereign state.
- Hong Kong (rightly or wrongly, China)
- Macau (China)
- Tibet (China)
- Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales (the UK)
- French Guiana (France)
- Puerto Rico (US)
- Lots of the Caribbean (BVI, Guadeloupe, Aruba, USVI, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Saint Martin, and more)
- Reunion Island (France)
- French Polynesia (France) – NOTE: On a personal level, Bora Bora is where I proposed to my long-suffering partner!
- American Samoa (US)
- Canary Islands (Spain)
- Madeira (Portugal)
- Faroe Islands (part of Denmark, visit the Faroe Islands if you get the chance, like Iceland without the tourists)
- Gibraltar (part of the UK)
- Greenland (part of Denmark, but please consider to Travel Greenland, a brilliant destination)
- The Arctic (belongs partly to Norway, Denmark, Canada, the US, and Russia)
- The Falklands (part of the UK)
- Guam (US)
Facts about Countries
1. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, measuring just 0.44 square kilometers.
2. Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world, with an average of 16,150 people per square kilometer.
3. In terms of land area, the largest country in the world is Russia, which covers more than 17 million square kilometers.
4. The country with the highest population density in Bangladesh, with an average of 1,252 people per square kilometer.
5. The country with the lowest population density is Mongolia, with an average of just 2.8 people per square kilometer.
6. The country with the highest population is China, with more than 1.3 billion people.
7. The country with the lowest population is Vatican City, with just 801 people.
8. The country with the highest life expectancy is Monaco, where residents have an average lifespan of 89.7 years.
9. The country with the lowest life expectancy in Sierra Leone, where residents have an average lifespan of just 45.5 years.
10. The country with the highest literacy rate in Cuba, where more than 96% of the population
11. India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of over 1.2 billion.
12. Canada has the largest number of lakes present.
13. Bolivia is the flattest country in the world. Other records are also held by it, such as having the longest salt flat. The world’s largest lithium reserve is located in the Uyuni salt flats.
14. San Marino holds the distinction of being the oldest nation in the world. A tiny nation that is only 62 square kilometers in size and was founded in 301 AD.
15. Brazil is home to France’s longest land border. French Guiana provides a 673-kilometer border between Brazil and France.
16. According to statistics, the Republic of Nauru, a small island nation in Oceania, has the world’s highest rate of overweight people. In Nauru, 97% of men and 93% of women are obese. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it used to be known as “Pleasant Island” before it was given the name the Republic of Nauru.
17. China has a single time zone that extends over 4800 kilometers and is known as China Standard Time. That is roughly the same width as the American continent. The Chinese people are affected in a variety of ways by this. For instance, if the sun rises at 6am on the country’s far east side, those in the west must wait until 10am before the sun rises. The same is true of sunset.
