The Complete List of All Countries in the World (2024 Edition)
Introduction
The world is a diverse mosaic of cultures, languages, and histories. This diversity is reflected by the number of recognized sovereign states that define our global community. As of 2024, the United Nations recognizes 193 member states and 2 observer states, though the precise number of countries may differ according to varying political and diplomatic perspectives.
This article offers an informative overview and complete list of all countries in the world, their official names, regions, and certain additional details. Tables are included for structured viewing.
What Defines a Country?
A "country" is typically considered a distinct territorial body or political entity that is recognized as an independent nation. According to the Montevideo Convention (1933), a country should:
- Possess a permanent population
- Have a defined territory
- Operate under a government
- Have the capacity to enter relations with other states
Note: Some entities claim independence and function as de facto countries but lack broad international recognition (e.g., Taiwan, Palestine, Kosovo, etc.).
Total Number of Countries
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| UN Member States | 193 |
| UN Observer States | 2 |
| Partial/Unrecognized States* | Varies |
| Total (widely recognized) | 195 |
*Partial/Unrecognized States (e.g., Taiwan, Kosovo, Palestine) may or may not be included in various lists depending on the criteria.
Table 1: All Countries in the World by Region
Below is a comprehensive list of all widely recognized countries, sorted by continent/region.
Africa (54 countries)
| Country | Official Name |
|---|---|
| Algeria | People's Democratic Republic of Algeria |
| Angola | Republic of Angola |
| Benin | Republic of Benin |
| Botswana | Republic of Botswana |
| Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso |
| Burundi | Republic of Burundi |
| Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) | Republic of Cabo Verde |
| Cameroon | Republic of Cameroon |
| Central African Republic | Central African Republic |
| Chad | Republic of Chad |
| Comoros | Union of the Comoros |
| Congo (Brazzaville) | Republic of the Congo |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Djibouti | Republic of Djibouti |
| Egypt | Arab Republic of Egypt |
| Equatorial Guinea | Republic of Equatorial Guinea |
| Eritrea | State of Eritrea |
| Eswatini | Kingdom of Eswatini |
| Ethiopia | Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia |
| Gabon | Gabonese Republic |
| Gambia | Republic of the Gambia |
| Ghana | Republic of Ghana |
| Guinea | Republic of Guinea |
| Guinea-Bissau | Republic of Guinea-Bissau |
| Ivory Coast | Republic of Côte d'Ivoire |
| Kenya | Republic of Kenya |
| Lesotho | Kingdom of Lesotho |
| Liberia | Republic of Liberia |
| Libya | State of Libya |
| Madagascar | Republic of Madagascar |
| Malawi | Republic of Malawi |
| Mali | Republic of Mali |
| Mauritania | Islamic Republic of Mauritania |
| Mauritius | Republic of Mauritius |
| Morocco | Kingdom of Morocco |
| Mozambique | Republic of Mozambique |
| Namibia | Republic of Namibia |
| Niger | Republic of Niger |
| Nigeria | Federal Republic of Nigeria |
| Rwanda | Republic of Rwanda |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe |
| Senegal | Republic of Senegal |
| Seychelles | Republic of Seychelles |
| Sierra Leone | Republic of Sierra Leone |
| Somalia | Federal Republic of Somalia |
| South Africa | Republic of South Africa |
| South Sudan | Republic of South Sudan |
| Sudan | Republic of the Sudan |
| Tanzania | United Republic of Tanzania |
| Togo | Togolese Republic |
| Tunisia | Republic of Tunisia |
| Uganda | Republic of Uganda |
| Zambia | Republic of Zambia |
| Zimbabwe | Republic of Zimbabwe |
Asia (49 countries)
| Country | Official Name |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Islamic Republic of Afghanistan |
| Armenia | Republic of Armenia |
| Azerbaijan | Republic of Azerbaijan |
| Bahrain | Kingdom of Bahrain |
| Bangladesh | People's Republic of Bangladesh |
| Bhutan | Kingdom of Bhutan |
| Brunei | Nation of Brunei, Abode of Peace |
| Cambodia | Kingdom of Cambodia |
| China | People's Republic of China |
| Cyprus | Republic of Cyprus |
| Georgia | Georgia |
| India | Republic of India |
| Indonesia | Republic of Indonesia |
| Iran | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Iraq | Republic of Iraq |
| Israel | State of Israel |
| Japan | Japan |
| Jordan | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
| Kazakhstan | Republic of Kazakhstan |
| Kuwait | State of Kuwait |
| Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyz Republic |
| Laos | Lao People's Democratic Republic |
| Lebanon | Lebanese Republic |
| Malaysia | Malaysia |
| Maldives | Republic of Maldives |
| Mongolia | Mongolia |
| Myanmar | Republic of the Union of Myanmar |
| Nepal | Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal |
| North Korea | Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Oman | Sultanate of Oman |
| Pakistan | Islamic Republic of Pakistan |
| Palestine* | State of Palestine |
| Philippines | Republic of the Philippines |
| Qatar | State of Qatar |
| Saudi Arabia | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Singapore | Republic of Singapore |
| South Korea | Republic of Korea |
| Sri Lanka | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
| Syria | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Taiwan* | Republic of China |
| Tajikistan | Republic of Tajikistan |
| Thailand | Kingdom of Thailand |
| Timor-Leste | Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste |
| Turkey | Republic of Turkey |
| Turkmenistan | Turkmenistan |
| United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates |
| Uzbekistan | Republic of Uzbekistan |
| Vietnam | Socialist Republic of Vietnam |
| Yemen | Republic of Yemen |
*Palestine and Taiwan are recognized as countries by some entities but their global status is disputed.
Europe (44 countries)
| Country | Official Name |
|---|---|
| Albania | Republic of Albania |
| Andorra | Principality of Andorra |
| Austria | Republic of Austria |
| Belarus | Republic of Belarus |
| Belgium | Kingdom of Belgium |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Bulgaria | Republic of Bulgaria |
| Croatia | Republic of Croatia |
| Czechia (Czech Republic) | Czech Republic |
| Denmark | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Estonia | Republic of Estonia |
| Finland | Republic of Finland |
| France | French Republic |
| Germany | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Greece | Hellenic Republic |
| Hungary | Hungary |
| Iceland | Republic of Iceland |
| Ireland | Ireland |
| Italy | Italian Republic |
| Kosovo* | Republic of Kosovo |
| Latvia | Republic of Latvia |
| Liechtenstein | Principality of Liechtenstein |
| Lithuania | Republic of Lithuania |
| Luxembourg | Grand Duchy of Luxembourg |
| Malta | Republic of Malta |
| Moldova | Republic of Moldova |
| Monaco | Principality of Monaco |
| Montenegro | Montenegro |
| Netherlands | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| North Macedonia | Republic of North Macedonia |
| Norway | Kingdom of Norway |
| Poland | Republic of Poland |
| Portugal | Portuguese Republic |
| Romania | Romania |
| Russia | Russian Federation |
| San Marino | Republic of San Marino |
| Serbia | Republic of Serbia |
| Slovakia | Slovak Republic |
| Slovenia | Republic of Slovenia |
| Spain | Kingdom of Spain |
| Sweden | Kingdom of Sweden |
| Switzerland | Swiss Confederation |
| Ukraine | Ukraine |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| Vatican City (Holy See) | Vatican City State |
*Kosovo’s status is disputed and not universally recognized.
North America (23 countries)
| Country | Official Name |
|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Antigua and Barbuda |
| Bahamas | Commonwealth of the Bahamas |
| Barbados | Barbados |
| Belize | Belize |
| Canada | Canada |
| Costa Rica | Republic of Costa Rica |
| Cuba | Republic of Cuba |
| Dominica | Commonwealth of Dominica |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic |
| El Salvador | Republic of El Salvador |
| Grenada | Grenada |
| Guatemala | Republic of Guatemala |
| Haiti | Republic of Haiti |
| Honduras | Republic of Honduras |
| Jamaica | Jamaica |
| Mexico | United Mexican States |
| Nicaragua | Republic of Nicaragua |
| Panama | Republic of Panama |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| Saint Lucia | Saint Lucia |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Republic of Trinidad and Tobago |
| United States | United States of America |
Oceania (14 countries)
| Country | Official Name |
|---|---|
| Australia | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Fiji | Republic of Fiji |
| Kiribati | Republic of Kiribati |
| Marshall Islands | Republic of the Marshall Islands |
| Micronesia | Federated States of Micronesia |
| Nauru | Republic of Nauru |
| New Zealand | New Zealand |
| Palau | Republic of Palau |
| Papua New Guinea | Independent State of Papua New Guinea |
| Samoa | Independent State of Samoa |
| Solomon Islands | Solomon Islands |
| Tonga | Kingdom of Tonga |
| Tuvalu | Tuvalu |
| Vanuatu | Republic of Vanuatu |
South America (12 countries)
| Country | Official Name |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Argentine Republic |
| Bolivia | Plurinational State of Bolivia |
| Brazil | Federative Republic of Brazil |
| Chile | Republic of Chile |
| Colombia | Republic of Colombia |
| Ecuador | Republic of Ecuador |
| Guyana | Co-operative Republic of Guyana |
| Paraguay | Republic of Paraguay |
| Peru | Republic of Peru |
| Suriname | Republic of Suriname |
| Uruguay | Oriental Republic of Uruguay |
| Venezuela | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela |
Table 2: UN Observer States
| Entity | Official Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vatican City | Vatican City State | Sovereign city-state, Holy See |
| Palestine | State of Palestine | Recognized by over 130 UN members |
Table 3: Notable States with Limited/Disputed Recognition
| Entity | Official Name | Recognition Status |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | Republic of China | Recognized by a few UN members, not in UN |
| Kosovo | Republic of Kosovo | Partially recognized, not a UN member |
| Western Sahara | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | Limited recognition |
| Northern Cyprus | Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus | Recognized only by Turkey |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Taiwan a country?
While Taiwan operates like a sovereign nation, it's not recognized as a member state by the United Nations due to political complexities with China. Some countries maintain formal diplomatic relations; others do not.
2. How about Kosovo, Palestine, and Western Sahara?
Kosovo and Palestine have partial recognition. Western Sahara's status is highly disputed, with Morocco controlling most of the territory.
3. Why do some lists differ on the number of countries?
The variation stems from disputes over the sovereignty status of some states and differences in recognition by international organizations and countries.
Conclusion
The globe consists of a complex fabric of 195 widely recognized countries, spread across six inhabited continents and numerous islands. Besides the recognized UN member and observer states, several territories and self-declared republics operate de facto as independent, notwithstanding their limited recognition.
This comprehensive list serves as a foundation for global awareness, education, and further exploration of our world's political geography.
Reference Tables: Downloadable Versions
For an updated downloadable Excel/CSV version of the list of all countries in the world, consult the United Nations Member States List and for geopolitical updates, see the CIA World Factbook.
Disclaimer: As international recognition and geopolitical situations change, refer to reputable organizations for the most current data.