How many countries are there? It sounds like a simple question, but the answer depends on who is counting. Let us look at the most common answer and at why other lists differ. This builds on The Continents Compared.
Key idea
The United Nations has 193 member states. Two more, the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine, are UN observer states. This course uses those 195 as its list of countries.
Why it works
There is no world office that decides what counts as a country. Each government decides which others it recognizes, and the UN admits new members only with the approval of its Security Council and General Assembly. So a place can govern itself, with its own leaders, money and passports, and still not be a UN member if some countries do not recognize it. The newest UN member, South Sudan, joined in 2011.
| Place | What is generally agreed |
|---|---|
| Taiwan | Governed by the Republic of China from Taipei. The People's Republic of China claims it. Not a UN member; a small number of countries recognize it, and many others keep unofficial ties. |
| Kosovo | Declared independence from Serbia in 2008, capital Pristina. More than 100 UN members recognize it; Serbia and many others do not. Not a UN member. |
| Western Sahara | Disputed. Morocco controls most of it and claims all of it; the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, controls the east and claims all of it. The UN lists it as a non-self-governing territory. |
Worked example: Counting
This course lists 193 UN members and 2 observer states. How many is that?
- 193 + 2 = 195.
Answer: 195.
Worked example: Largest and smallest
Which UN-listed country is the largest by area, and which is the smallest?
- Russia covers about 17 million km², the most of any country.
- The Holy See (Vatican City) covers less than half a square kilometer, inside the city of Rome.
Answer: Largest: Russia. Smallest: the Holy See (Vatican City).
Common mistake
Expecting one exact count that everyone agrees on. Other lists say 196, 197 or more, because they add places that some countries recognize and others do not. When you see a count, ask: whose list is it? On this site we say "193 UN members plus 2 observer states."