Countries of the World
The complete, authoritative list of all 195 sovereign countries on Earth — with flags, capitals, populations, areas, and continents. Browse, search, and filter every country in the world. Updated 2025.
How Many Countries Are There in the World?
There are
countries in the world as of 2025
The answer to “how many countries are there in the world” depends on who you ask — and what definition of “country” you use.
The most widely accepted answer is 195 countries: 193 member states of the United Nations, plus Vatican City and Palestine, which hold permanent observer status at the UN and are widely treated as sovereign states for educational reference.
All 195 Countries — Complete List
Every sovereign country in the world with flag, capital, population, area, and continent. Click any country to explore its full profile.
| # | Flag | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇫 | Afghanistan Kabul | 43.8M |
| 2 | 🇦🇱 | Albania Tirana | 2.4M |
| 3 | 🇩🇿 | Algeria Algiers | 47.4M |
| 4 | 🇦🇩 | Andorra Andorra la Vella | 88K |
| 5 | 🇦🇴 | Angola Luanda | 36.2M |
| 6 | 🇦🇬 | Antigua and Barbuda Saint John's | 104K |
| 7 | 🇦🇷 | Argentina Buenos Aires | 46.7M |
| 8 | 🇦🇲 | Armenia Yerevan | 3.1M |
| 9 | 🇦🇺 | Australia Canberra | 27.5M |
| 10 | 🇦🇹 | Austria Vienna | 9.2M |
| 11 | 🇦🇿 | Azerbaijan Baku | 10.2M |
| 12 | 🇧🇸 | Bahamas Nassau | 398K |
| 13 | 🇧🇭 | Bahrain Manama | 1.6M |
| 14 | 🇧🇩 | Bangladesh Dhaka | 170M |
| 15 | 🇧🇧 | Barbados Bridgetown | 268K |
| 16 | 🇧🇾 | Belarus Minsk | 9.1M |
| 17 | 🇧🇪 | Belgium Brussels | 11.8M |
| 18 | 🇧🇿 | Belize Belmopan | 418K |
| 19 | 🇧🇯 | Benin Porto-Novo | 13.2M |
| 20 | 🇧🇹 | Bhutan Thimphu | 784K |
| 21 | 🇧🇴 | Bolivia Sucre | 11.4M |
| 22 | 🇧🇦 | Bosnia & Herzegovina Sarajevo | 3.4M |
| 23 | 🇧🇼 | Botswana Gaborone | 2.4M |
| 24 | 🇧🇷 | Brazil Brasília | 213M |
| 25 | 🇧🇳 | Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan | 456K |
Countries by Continent
195 countries across 6 continents — each with its own geographic and cultural character.
Africa
54 countriesAfrica is the world's second-largest continent and has the most countries of any continent — 54 sovereign nations, from Nigeria to Seychelles.
Asia
48 countriesAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent — home to 48 countries and over 4.7 billion people across unmatched geographic diversity.
Europe
44 countriesEurope has 44 countries packed into a relatively small area, including some of the world's oldest democracies and Vatican City.
North America
23 countriesNorth America's 23 countries span Arctic Canada, Central America's land bridge, and 13 Caribbean island nations.
South America
12 countriesSouth America has 12 countries and extraordinary geographic contrasts: the Amazon, Andes, Atacama, and vast Atlantic coasts.
Oceania
14 countriesOceania's 14 countries are scattered across the Pacific, ranging from continental Australia to tiny Nauru.
Countries by Population
The world’s most and least populous countries — the gap is almost incomprehensible.
Least populous countries: 🇻🇦 Vatican City: 882 · 🇹🇻 Tuvalu: 11K · 🇳🇷 Nauru: 12K · 🇵🇼 Palau: 17K · 🇸🇲 San Marino: 34K
Countries by Area
From Russia’s 17 million km² to Vatican City’s 0.44 km² — the scale of the world’s countries defies imagination.
Smallest countries by area: 🇻🇦 Vatican City: 0.49 km² · 🇲🇨 Monaco: 2 km² · 🇳🇷 Nauru: 21 km² · 🇹🇻 Tuvalu: 26 km² · 🇸🇲 San Marino: 61 km²
The Newest Countries in the World
The world map keeps changing. These are the most recently independent sovereign nations.
🇸🇸 South Sudan
South Sudan is the world's newest universally recognized sovereign country, gaining independence after a referendum in which 98.83% of voters chose independence.
🇽🇰 Kosovo
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. It is recognized by many UN members, but its international status remains contested.
🇲🇪 Montenegro
Montenegro voted for independence in a 2006 referendum and became a UN member state shortly afterward.
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century after a UN-supervised transition.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇪🇷 Eritrea
The Velvet Divorce peacefully created Czech Republic and Slovakia, while Eritrea gained independence after a long liberation struggle.
15 countries from the dissolution of the USSR
The Soviet Union's dissolution reshaped the world map and created 15 independent countries in a single historical moment.
What Makes a Country a Country?
Permanent Population
People live there as their primary residence; Vatican City meets this criterion despite its tiny population.
Defined Territory
A country controls a geographic area, even if some borders remain disputed.
Effective Government
A functioning government can maintain order and represent the state.
Capacity for Relations
A sovereign state can enter relations with other states and conduct foreign policy.
The question sounds simple, but it has occupied international lawyers, political scientists, and diplomats for over a century. The most widely used legal definition comes from the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, which established the four criteria above.
Those criteria are necessary, but recognition is the decisive modern pressure point. Taiwan meets the classic criteria for statehood, yet is recognized by only a small number of UN member states because China claims Taiwan and blocks UN membership. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by many countries, but it is not a UN member because Serbia, Russia, China, and others object.
This is why the question “how many countries are there in the world?” has multiple answers. The 195-country count used on this countries of the world page represents the most widely accepted standard for general educational and reference purposes: 193 UN member states plus Vatican City and Palestine.
The world map is not fixed. South Sudan became independent in 2011. Montenegro separated in 2006. The Soviet Union dissolved into 15 countries in 1991. Every generation sees the map change, and every change reflects the same fundamental human question: who has the right to govern whom?
The UN Standard
The United Nations has 193 member states — the closest thing to an international certificate of sovereignty.
Disputed Territories
Western Sahara, Taiwan, Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, and Crimea show that borders are political documents.
The Changing Map
In 1900 there were fewer than 60 independent countries; today the standard reference count is 195.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything about the countries of the world.
Explore More Geography Tools
Browse by continent, discover by theme, or let randomness take you somewhere new.
Random Country Generator
Pick any of 195 countries at random with flags and facts.
Random Country Quiz
Test your knowledge of all 195 countries with quiz modes.
Random Country Flag
Generate a random national flag and learn its meaning.
Random Country Capital
Pick a random capital city with context and facts.
Random Island Country
Explore island nations with ocean and climate facts.
Browse by Continent
Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Oceania.