You'd think a list of all countries in world would be a simple thing to find. Open a map, count the shapes, and you're done, right? Honestly, it’s a total mess. Depending on who you ask—the United Nations, the Olympic Committee, or a guy with a backpack and a dream—you’re going to get a completely different answer.
The "official" number most people throw around is 195. That covers the 193 member states of the UN and two permanent observers: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re a FIFA fan, there are 211 national teams. If you’re into the Olympics, you’ve got 206 committees. Basically, "country" is a vibe as much as it is a legal definition.
The big 195: The UN gold standard
The United Nations is the heavy hitter here. To get on this list, you need to be a sovereign state that the rest of the world mostly agrees is a real thing. It’s not just about having land; it's about having a seat at the table.
Africa (54 Countries)
Africa is the heavy lifting champion of the list. From the massive dunes of Algeria to the bustling tech hubs in Nigeria, it has more countries than any other continent.
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- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic (CAR)
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan (The world's newest country!)
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Asia (48 Countries)
Asia is where the numbers get tricky because of "who recognizes whom." China and India are the giants, but you’ve also got tiny spots like Maldives.
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine (Observer State)
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Europe (44 Countries)
Europe is dense. You can drive through three countries before lunch if you’re in the right spot.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic (Czechia)
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia (Spans Asia too)
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City (Observer State)
Latin America and the Caribbean (33 Countries)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Oceania (14 Countries)
- Australia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Northern America (2 Countries)
- Canada
- United States of America
What about the "Kinda" countries?
This is where the list of all countries in world gets spicy. You've probably heard of Taiwan. It has its own government, its own money, and a massive economy. But because of geopolitics with China, only a handful of nations officially recognize it as a separate country. If you’re in Taiwan, it feels like a country. If you’re at the UN, it’s... complicated.
Then there’s Kosovo. Most of the West says "Yeah, that's a country," but Serbia and Russia say "Nope."
And don't even get started on places like Greenland. It’s huge. It has its own culture. But it’s actually an autonomous territory of Denmark. Same goes for Puerto Rico (USA) or French Guiana (France). They look like countries on a map, but legally, they aren't "sovereign."
Why the count keeps shifting
Politics is messy. In 2011, South Sudan became the newest member of the club after a long, brutal civil war. Before that, it was Montenegro in 2006.
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Sometimes names change, too. Turkey became Türkiye. Swaziland became Eswatini. It’s like the world is constantly rebranding. If you’re looking at an old globe from the 1980s, you’ll see the USSR and Yugoslavia—names that aren’t on any modern list of all countries in world.
How to actually use this information
If you're planning a "visit every country" trip, you need to decide which list you're following. Most "Country Collectors" use the UN list of 193+2. It's the most standard.
- Check Visas: Just because a place is on the list doesn't mean your passport gets you in.
- Watch the News: Border disputes can turn a "country" into a "no-go zone" overnight.
- Respect Local Sovereignty: Even if a place isn't "officially" a country at the UN (like the Cook Islands), treat them with the respect of a sovereign nation.
To stay updated, bookmark the United Nations Member States page or follow the ISO 3166 standards, which are the codes used by banks and shipping companies to define where stuff is actually going. Knowing the nuances of the list of all countries in world isn't just for trivia—it's about understanding how our planet is sliced up and who gets to make the rules in each slice.
Check your passport's power on the Henley Passport Index to see how many of these 195+ spots you can actually visit without a headache. Or, better yet, start looking into the "Autonomous Territories" that didn't make the big list—they often have the coolest stories.