How Many Countries Are There In The World?

There are a total of 195 nations that are globally recognized (193 members of the UN plus two non-member observer states the Vatican and Palestine). Kosovo and Taiwan, for example, have only partial recognition, which raises the total number of recognized countries.

The State of Palestinians is often mentioned, yet it is only recognized by 138 members of the United Nations. Kosovo is also sometimes listed, however, it is only recognized by 97 members of the United Nations.

If you asked 10 individuals how many countries there are in the globe, they would most likely give you ten different numbers.

We include 195 nations is based on the 193 countries that are members of the United Nations (UN), plus the Holy See (Vatican) and the State of Palestine, both of which are non-member observer countries.

In contrast, only 138 out of 193 United Nations member nations recognize the State of Palestine, while countries such as the United States and Canada do not recognize the state of Palestine either.

Differing Opinions

The United States officially recognizes 195 nations as well; but, instead of recognizing the State of Palestine, the United States recognizes the Republic of Kosovo as a sovereign state.

Only 97 out of the 193 member states of the United Nations have recognized Kosovo. Because of its resistance to the Basque and Catalan independence movements in its own nation, Spain, in particular, is one of the most vocal opponents.

The overall number of nations in the globe is not always agreed upon among the many sources. According to other sources, there are 197 nations.

They recognize the Holy See and Palestine as UN observers, but they also recognize Taiwan and Kosovo as self-governing regions with significant economic resources of their own, as well.

The latter reality is due to the fact that Taiwan is regarded to be a part of Chinese territory, much as Kosovo is considered to be a part of Serbian territory. With all of the socio-economic, geographic, and political problems that exist, it is possible that this will all alter over the course of time.

In general, the United Nations seems to be a trustworthy source of information on the overall number of nations. For a nation to become a member of this organization, it must first apply for membership, then be appraised, and finally be voted into membership.

The nation must be authorized by the five permanent member countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) before it can join the Organization of American States.

Things are becoming more complicated.

The nations that make up the United Kingdom are shown on a map.

It might be difficult to agree on a final count because of the ongoing movement of politics and globalization. In addition to the above-stated causes, the following are some more facts to consider.

Switzerland did not become a member of the United Nations until 2002, and it was already a sovereign state at the time.

The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and plays an important role in global economics. Despite this, the United Kingdom is comprised of the countries of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

There is a convoluted political history in each of these cases – involving territorial conflicts. To this day, these activities are still going on.

Greenland is a sovereign state that is not a member of the United Nations and which manages most of its own internal affairs. But it is owned by Denmark, which is hundreds of miles away in Europe and has no authority over it. Denmark is also far smaller in size than Greenland!

Niue and the Cook Islands are not member nations of the United Nations. Their free affiliation with New Zealand is mutually beneficial to both of them.

New Zealand is a member of “a number of United Nations specialized agencies.” Their “complete treaty-making ability” is acknowledged by the international community.

In addition, there are 39 areas that are reliant on other territories: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Macao, Western Sahara, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Mayotte, Channel Islands, Guam, Curaçao, Aruba, United States Virgin Islands, Isle of Man, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Northern Mariana Islands, Greenland, American Samoa, Faeroe Islands, Sint

The Long-Term Outlook

According to some researchers, there might be even more nations in the future. East and West Libya are two such examples.

This is due to the fact that Libya has been in chaos for a long time, due to extremists battling for power there and many governments attempting to seize control since Gaddafi was deposed in 2011.

Catalonia is the country’s financial hub, with its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. Catalans have been clamoring for a separate state for many years, despite the fact that many are opposed to it.

As a part of Somalia, Somaliland claims to be an independent country with its own government, army, and currency.

It declared its own independence and maintains informal links with a number of other nations. Formal acknowledgment from the rest of the world, on the other hand, has not yet arrived.

No, Scotland is not a separate nation; rather, it is a constituent of the United Kingdom. Some Scots prefer to retain things as they are, while others want to separate from the United Kingdom.

The vote for Scottish independence in 2014 did not pass, and the vote for Brexit indicated that 62 percent of voters preferred the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union (EU).

States With Full International Recognition