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How many countries are there in the world?

The short answer is 195: the 193 member states of the United Nations plus its 2 observer states, Vatican City and Palestine.

The count depends on who you ask. A few places govern themselves and are recognised by some countries but arenโ€™t UN members, such as Taiwan and Kosovo. Travellers often include them. VisitedAtlas counts 198 countries: Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan, Vatican, Western Sahara, on top of the 193 UN members.

There are also 41 territories that belong to another country, like Greenland (Denmark), Puerto Rico (United States) and Hong Kong (China). They have their own flags and borders on the map, but they arenโ€™t independent countries.

Countries by continent

ContinentUN membersAll countries
Africa5455
Asia4749
Europe4345
North America2323
South America1212
Oceania1414
Total193198
Count the countries youโ€™ve visited

List of all 198 countries in the world

Africa55 countries

Asia49 countries

Europe45 countries

North America23 countries

South America12 countries

  • ArgentinaBuenos Aires
  • BoliviaSucre (constitutional)
  • BrazilBrasรญlia
  • ChileSantiago
  • ColombiaBogotรก
  • EcuadorQuito
  • GuyanaGeorgetown
  • ParaguayAsunciรณn
  • PeruLima
  • SurinameParamaribo
  • UruguayMontevideo
  • VenezuelaCaracas

Oceania14 countries

* Not a UN member: observer or partially recognised state.

Questions and answers

How many countries are in the UN?
193. South Sudan was the most recent to join, in 2011.
Why do some lists say 198 countries?
Because they add Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan, Vatican, Western Sahara to the 193 UN members. Many travellers count all of them, which gives 198.
Is Taiwan a country?
Taiwan governs itself and has its own government, currency and passport, but it isnโ€™t a UN member and only a handful of countries recognise it officially. Many travellers count it as a country.
Is Greenland a country?
Greenland is a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, not an independent country.
Which continent has the most countries?
Africa, with 54 UN member states.