This is a list of sovereign states, giving an overview of states around the world with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty.

The list is divided into three parts. It is arranged alphabetically, and contains 203 entries, as of 2010:

  1. The United Nation member states section lists all 192 member states of the United Nations.[1]
  2. The Members of a United Nations specialized agency section lists two states which, while not member states of the UN, are member states of at least one of the UN's specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or are a party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice. These are referred to as the Vienna formula organizations.
  3. The No United Nations membership section lists nine states which are neither member states of the United Nations or any of the Vienna formula organizations listed above.

Compiling a list such as this can be a difficult and controversial process, as there is no definition that is binding on all the members of the community of nations concerning the criteria for statehood. For more information on the criteria used to determine the contents and sorting of this list, please see the "criteria for inclusion" section below.


States

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Name in English, and the official, national, and other important languages of the state [2] Information on status and recognition of sovereignty [3]
United Nation Member States:
A
AbkhaziaNo United Nations Membership
  Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
  • Dari/Persian: افغانستان – جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان Afgānestān – Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Afgānestān
  • Pashto: افغانستان – د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت Afghānistān – Afghānistān Islāmī Jumhūrīyat
UN member.
  Albania – Republic of Albania
  • Albanian: Shqipëria – Republika e Shqipërisë
UN member.
B
  Bahamas – Commonwealth of The Bahamas
  • English: The Bahamas – Commonwealth of The Bahamas
UN member. The Bahamas is a Commonwealth realm.[4]
  Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain
  • Arabic: البحرين – مملكة البحرين Al Baḩrayn – Mamlakat al Baḩrayn
UN member.
  Burma – Union of Myanmar
  • Burmese: မန္မာ – ပည္ေထာင္စုမန္မာနုိင္ငံေတာ္ Myanma – Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw
UN member.
C
  Côte d'Ivoire – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
  • French: Côte d'Ivoire – République de Côte d'Ivoire
UN member.
G
  Gabon – Gabonese Republic
  • French: Gabon – République gabonaise
UN member.
  Gambia, The – Republic of The Gambia
  • English: The Gambia – Republic of The Gambia
UN member.
I
  Italy – Italian Republic
  • Italian: Italia – Repubblica Italiana
UN and EU member.[5] Italy has 5 autonomous regions: Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.[6]
Ivory Coast → Côte d'Ivoire
K
  Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  • Korean: 조선 – 조선민주주의인민공화국 Chosŏn – Chosŏn-minjujuŭi-inmin-konghwaguk
UN member.

North Korea is not recognised by two UN members: Japan and South Korea.[7][8]

  Korea, South – Republic of Korea
  • Korean: 한국 – 대한민국 Han’guk – Taehan Min’guk
Member of the UN.

South Korea has one special autonomous province: Jeju-do.[6] South Korea is not recognised by one UN member: North Korea.[7]

KosovoAgency Members
M
  Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
  • Portuguese: Moçambique – República de Moçambique
UN member.
Myanmar → Burma
N
Nagorno-KarabakhNo United Nations Membership
  Namibia – Republic of Namibia
  • English: Namibia – Republic of Namibia
UN member.
NiueAgency Members
North Korea → Korea, North
Northern CyprusNo United Nations Membership
  Norway – Kingdom of Norway
  • Bokmål: Norge – Kongeriket Norge
  • Nynorsk: Noreg – Kongeriket Noreg
UN member. Svalbard is an integral part of Norway, but has a special status due to the Spitsbergen Treaty. The overseas uninhabited possessions of Bouvet Island and Jan Mayen are integral parts of Norway. Norway claims Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land as dependent territories of Norway, as part of the Norwegian Antarctic Territory.[9]
O
  Oman – Sultanate of Oman
  • Arabic: عُمان – سلطنة عُمان ʿUmān – Salţanat ʿUmān
UN member.
P
  Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  • Urdu: پَاکِسْتَان – جَمْهُورْيَة إِسْلامِی پَاکِسْتَان Pākistān – Jamhūryat Islāmī Pākistān
  • English: Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
UN member. Pakistan is a federation [10] composed of provinces and territories. Pakistan claims sovereignty over Kashmir (except the parts it has ceded to the People's Republic of China by treaty), and exercises control over parts of it, which have not been incorporated into Pakistan proper. These portions are divided into two polities, each of which is administered separately and possesses a local government of its own:[11]
PalestineNo United Nations Membership
R
  Romania UN and EU member.[5]
S
Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicNo United Nations Membership
  Saint Lucia UN member. Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth realm.[4]
SomalilandNo United Nations Membership
South Korea → Korea, South
South OssetiaNo United Nations Membership
  Syria – Syrian Arab Republic
  • Arabic: سورية – الجمهوريّة العربيّة السّوريّة Sūrīyah – Al Jumhūrīyah al ‘Arabīyah as Sūrīyah
UN member. The Golan Heights are annexed by Israel. Syria disputed the Turkish sovereignty over Hatay Province.[12]
T
TaiwanNo United Nations Membership
  Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan
  • Tajik: Тоҷикистон – Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон Tojikiston – Jumhurii Tojikiston
UN member. Tajikistan also has the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province.[6]
TransnistriaNo United Nations Membership
U
  United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • English: United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann
  • Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Great Breetain an Northren Ireland
  • Scottish Gaelic: Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mòire agus Èireann a Tuath
  • Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon [13]
Member of the UN and the EU.[5] The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm[4] consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom has the following overseas territories:

The British monarch has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:

  United States – United States of America
  • English: United States – United States of America
  • French: États-Unis – États-Unis d'Amérique
  • Hawaiian: ʻAmelika Hui – ‘Amelika Huipū‘ia [14]
  • Spanish: Estados Unidos – Estados Unidos de América
Member of the UN. The United States is a federation [10] composed of 50 states, 1 federal district, and the incorporated territory of Palmyra Atoll. The United States has sovereignty over the following inhabited possessions and commonwealths:

In addition, there are uninhabited possessions of the United States in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island (disputed by Haiti), and Wake Island (disputed by the Marshall Islands). According to some sources, the United States also claims Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank as territories.[12]

V
Vatican CityAgency Members
Members of a United Nations specialized agency:
  Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo
  • Albanian: Kosova – Republika e Kosovës
  • Serbian: Косово – Република Косово Kosovo – Republika Kosovo
Not a UN member, but a member of the IMF and WBG. Recognised by 114 UN member states and by Taiwan (Republic of China). Claimed in whole by the Republic of Serbia as part of its Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Republic of Kosovo has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo.
  Niue – Niue Not a UN member, but a member of UNESCO, WHO, and the FAO.[15] Niue is an associated state of New Zealand, and citizens of Niue hold New Zealand Passports. However, Niue is fully self-governing and conducts its own independent diplomatic and foreign relations, with New Zealand acting on Niue's behalf, for issues like defense, only at the request of the Niuean government.
  Vatican City – State of the Vatican City
  • Latin: Civitas Vaticana – Status Civitatis Vaticanæ
  • Italian: Città del Vaticano – Stato della Città del Vaticano
  • French: État de la Cité du Vatican [16]
Administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity with diplomatic ties to 178 states. The Holy See is a permanent observer of the UN in the category of "Non-member State"[17] and a member of ITU, UPU, WIPO and IAEA. Vatican City is governed by officials appointed by the Pope, who is the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Rome and therefore ex officio sovereign of Vatican City. The Holy See also administers a number of extraterritorial properties in Italy and in many other countries (Apostolic Nunciatures).
No United Nations Membership:
  Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia
  • Abkhaz: Аҧсны – Аҧсны АҳәынҭқарраApsny – Apsny Akheyntkarra
  • Russian: Aбхазия – Республика АбхазияAbkhaziya – Respublika Abkhaziya
Not a UN member. Recognised by Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Ossetia and Transnistria.[18][19] Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
  Nagorno-Karabakh – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
  • Armenian: Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ – Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի ՀանրապետությունLeṙnalin Ġarabaġ – Leṙnayin Ġarabaġi Hanrapetut‘yun
Not a UN member. Recognised only by Transnistria. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Azerbaijan.[20]
  Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
  • Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs – Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti
Not a UN member. Recognised only by Turkey. It was accepted as an observer state of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference under the name of the Turkish Cypriot State since 1979. In addition, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic regards TRNC as sovereign but Azerbaijan (the sovereign state that Nakhichevan belongs to) has not followed suit. Northern Cyprus is claimed in whole by the Republic of Cyprus.[21]
  Palestine – Palestine
  • Arabic: فلسطين Filastīn
Palestine, categorized under "other entities",[17] has observer status at United Nations General Assembly and maintains a permanent observer mission at the UN Headquarters. The unilaterally declared State of Palestine received diplomatic recognition from around 100 countries (exact number unknown due to the equivocal nature of many declarations of acknowledgment[22][23][24]). The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, nor effective control on the territory which it proclaimed (unless considering the partially autonomous Palestinian Authority as a realization of the 1988 proclamation). In foreign relations, the State of Palestine is represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative body formed as a result of the Oslo Accords that exercises limited jurisdiction over parts of the West Bank, while the Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas.
  SADR – Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
  • Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية Al-Jumhūrīya al-`Arabīya as-Sahrāwīya ad-Dīmuqrātīya
Not a UN member. Recognized by 81 other states. It is a founding member of the African Union and the Asian-African Strategic Partnership formed at the 2005 Asian-African Conference. The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone, are claimed in whole by Morocco as part of its Southern Provinces. In turn, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims the part of the Western Sahara to the west of the Moroccan Wall controlled by Morocco. Its government resides in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.
  Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland
  • Somali: Soomaaliland – Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliland
  • Arabic: ارض الصومال – جمهورية ارض الصومال Ard as-Sūmāl – Jumhūrīyat Ard as-Sūmāl
Not a UN member. Not diplomatically recognized by any other state, claimed in whole by the Somali Republic.[25]
  South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia
  • Ossetian: Хуссар Ирыстон – Республикæ Хуссар ИрыстонKhussar Iryston – Respublikæ Khussar Iryston
  • Russian: Южная Осетия – Республика Южная ОсетияYuzhnaya Osetiya – Respublika Yuzhnaya Osetiya
Not a UN member. Recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Venezuela, Abkhazia and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia.[18]
  Taiwan – Republic of China[26] Not a UN member. UN member prior to 25 October 1971. A state competing for recognition with the People's Republic of China as the government of China since 1949. The Republic of China controls the island of Taiwan and associated islands, Quemoy, Matsu, the Pratas and part of the Spratly Islands,[28] and has not renounced claims over the territory of the PRC and Mongolia.[29] The Republic of China is currently recognised by including the Holy See. The territory of the Republic of China is claimed in whole by the People's Republic of China.[30] The Republic of China participates in the World Health Organization and a number of non-UN international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, International Olympic Committee and others under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly Chinese Taipei.
  Transnistria – Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (Pridnestrovie, Trans-Dniester)
  • Russian: Приднестровье: Приднестровская Молдавская РеспубликаPridnestrovye – Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublika
  • Ukrainian: Придністров'я: Придністровська Молдавська РеспублікаPridnistrov'ya – Pridnistrovs'ka Moldavs'ka Respublika
  • Moldovan: Транснистрия – Република Молдовеняскэ НистрянэTransnistria – Republica Moldovenească Nistreană
Not a UN member. Not recognized by any UN-member, but by Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Moldova as the Territorial Unit of Transnistria.[31]

Criteria for inclusion

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This list derives its definition of a state from Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention of 1933. According to the Convention, a state should possess the following qualifications:

  • (a) a permanent population
  • (b) a defined territory
  • (c) government
  • (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.

In respect of the last qualification, the role of recognition by other states can often be crucial since it implies acceptance into the international community.[32] The list includes all states which are often regarded as satisfying these criteria[original research?] and claim to be sovereign and independent. However, in many cases, whether an entity satisfies the Montevideo Convention criteria is disputed. It is also important to note that there is a divergence of opinion in international law on whether the Montevideo Convention criteria alone are sufficient qualities of statehood. Links to different theories on this question are provided below.

On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 203 entities:

Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities that do not satisfy all the qualifications in the Montevideo Convention or which do not claim to be sovereign and independent:

  • Antarctica as a whole has no government and no permanent population. Seven states claim portions of Antarctica and five of these have reciprocally recognised one another's claims.[33] These claims, which are regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System, are neither recognised nor disputed by any other signatory state.[34]
  • The European Union, a sui generis supranational organisation which currently has 27 member states. The member states have transferred a measure of their legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU, and as such the EU has some elements of sovereignty, without generally being considered a sovereign state. The European Union does not claim to be a sovereign state and has only limited capacity for relations with other states.
  • The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a United Nations observer in the category "Other entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters."[35] The order has bi-lateral diplomatic relations with 104 states, but has no territory other than extraterritorial areas within Rome.[36] Its website asserts that "it has always been recognised by nations as an independent subject of international law."[37] The order's Constitution states: "The Order is a subject of international law and exercises sovereign functions." [38] Although the order frequently asserts its sovereignty, including in its name, it does not claim to be a sovereign state. It lacks a defined territory. As with other embassies, Italy could theoretically break diplomatic relations with the order and oblige the non-Italian members to leave Italian territory. Since all its members are citizens of other states, almost all of them live in their native countries, and those who reside in the order's extraterritorial properites in Rome do so only in connection with their official duties, the order lacks the characteristic of having a permanent population.
  • States forming part of a federal union, for which, see: federated state. Such entities do not claim to be independent, as their respective governments have surrendered sovereignty to a federal government.
  • Dependent territories that are under the sovereignty of states from the above lists.
  • The International Committee of the Red Cross is a nongovernmental organization incorporated under Swiss law with a unique status. Although not a subject of international law, it plays a formal role under the Geneva Conventions as an impartial humanitarian body, and may serve in the same role as a protecting power in times of war.[39]
  • Uncontacted peoples who exercise varying degrees of de facto sovereignty over the areas under their control, but either live in societies that cannot be defined as states or whose statuses as such are currently too data deficient to be definitively known.
  • Entities considered to be micronations are not included, even though they generally claim to be sovereign and independent, and try to enter into diplomatic relations with states that are listed. It is often up to debate whether a micronation truly controls its claimed territory. The permanent populations of micronations are generally small.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "United Nations Member States". United Nations. 3 July 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  2. ^ The names of the items in the list are given in English, as well as in the official, national, major minority, and historically important languages of the state. Where applicable, names in other languages are included in their original script, along with a transliteration in Roman characters. Except where mentioned, the source for the names in their official languages is the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN, retrieved 16 July 2010), which uses romanisation systems approved by the United Nations. The sources for flags are the main articles on these states. When other sources are used, these sources are mentioned. For a gallery of flags, see Gallery of sovereign-state flags.
  3. ^ Information is included on
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference realm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference EU was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference autonomous was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Both North Korea and South Korea claim to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. See also Foreign relations of North Korea and Foreign relations of South Korea.
  8. ^ "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea". Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ANT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference federal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kashmir was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference dis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Source for the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh is Geonames. "United Kingdom". Fröhlich, Werner. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  14. ^ Source for the Hawaiian is Geonames. "United States". Fröhlich, Werner. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  15. ^ http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt/2649/t390540.htm
  16. ^ Source for name in official languages is the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (see references)
  17. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference unnms was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ a b "Russia condemned for recognizing rebel regions". CNN.com. 2008-08-26. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  19. ^ Harding, Luke (14 December 2009). "Tiny Nauru struts world stage by recognising breakaway republics". London: Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  20. ^ See Regions and territories: Nagorno-Karabakh (17 January 2006). BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2006.
  21. ^ See The World Factbook|Cyprus (10 January 2006). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved January 17, 2006.
  22. ^ See Crawford, James (1999). "Israel (1948–1949) and Paletine (1998–1999): Two Studies in the Creation of States", in Goodwin-Gil G.S. and S. Talmon, The Reality of International Law: Essays in Honour of Ian Brownlie, Oxford University Press Inc., New York, pp. 110–115; In an interview to Uri Avneri (14 April 2010), the PA Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad said: "Dozens of countries recognized this state [of Palestine], and the PLO representatives there enjoy the official status of ambassadors. But did this improve the situation of the Palestinians?"; The Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki alleged that 67 states in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe have legally recognized the State of Palestine. See ICC prosecutor considers "Gaza war crimes" probe
  23. ^ Kurz, Anat N. (2005) Fatah and the Politics of Violence: the institutionalization of a popular Struggle. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press ISBN 1-84519-032-7, ISBN 978-1-84519-032-3 p. 123
  24. ^ Boyle, Francis A., "Palestine, Palestinians and International Law", Clarity Press, September 1, 2009, ISBN 093286337X, page 19
  25. ^ See Regions and territories: Somaliland (30 December 2005). BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2006.
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference ChinaTaiwan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Romanization in Pinyin.
  28. ^ Cite error: The named reference Spratly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  29. ^ "Ma refers to China as ROC territory in magazine interview". Taipei Times. 2008-10-08.
  30. ^ In 1949, the Republic of China government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communist Party of China (CPC) and set up a provisional capital in Taipei. The CPC established the PRC. As such, the political status of the ROC and the legal status of Taiwan (alongside the territories currently under ROC jurisdiction) are in dispute. In 1971, the United Nations gave the China seat to the PRC and the ROC withdrew from the UN. Most states recognize the PRC to be the sole legitimate representative of all China, and the UN classifies Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". The ROC has de facto relations with most sovereign states. A significant political movement within Taiwan advocates Taiwan independence.
  31. ^ 'See Regions and territories: Trans-Dniester (13 December 2005). BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2006.
  32. ^ "State", pp. 512–3 in Penguin Dictionary of International Relations. Evans, Graham & Newnham, Jeffrey. 1998. (ISBN 0-14-051397-3). London: Penguin Books Ltd.
  33. ^ Rogan-Finnemore, Michelle (2005). "What Bioprospecting Means for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean". In Von Tigerstrom, Barbara (ed.). International Law Issues in the South Pacific. Ashgate Publishing. p. 204. ISBN 0754644197. "Australia, New Zealand, France, Norway and the United Kingdom reciprocally recognize the validity of each other's claims."
  34. ^ CIA – the World Factbook – Antarctica – accessed 19 January 2008
  35. ^ "Other entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters". Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  36. ^ Bilateral relations with countries, Retrieved 2009-12-22
  37. ^ "What is the Order of Malta?". Retrieved 2009-12-22. [dead link]
  38. ^ Chapter General of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (1998-01-12). Constitutional Charter and Code of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, promulgated 27 June 1961, revised by the Extraordinary Chapter General 28–30 April 1997, Article 3 "Sovereignty," Paragraph 1 (PDF). Rome: Tipografia Arte della Stampa. p. 11. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  39. ^ Boczek, Boleslaw Adam (2005). International law: a dictionary. Lanham, United States: Scarecrow Press. p. 76. ISBN 9780810850781.

References

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τ *Sovereign states Sovereign states