List of sovereign states
2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography
This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged, gives an overview of states around the world with information on the extent of their sovereignty. It includes both states widely recognized ( de jure) to be sovereign and entities that claim sovereignty while exercising de facto control over (part of) their claimed territory.
Criteria for inclusion
This list derives its definition of a sovereign state from Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention of 1933. According to the Convention, a sovereign state should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population, (b) a defined territory, (c) government, and (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. The list includes all states that satisfy these criteria and claim independence; however, the aforementioned qualifications are not absolute and permit variations.
On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 203 entities:
- 193 sovereign states with general international recognition:
- 192 member states of the United Nations
- One state with general international recognition but not UN membership, governed by the Holy See (a UN permanent observer): Vatican City
- 10 sovereign states lacking general international recognition:
- Four entities lacking general international recognition, none of which are UN members, that may be defined as states in the body of customary international law: the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Kosovo, and the Palestinian territories.
- Six entities lacking general international recognition, none of which are UN members, that have declared independence and have limited or no international recognition: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (only recognized by Turkey), Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Somaliland, and South Ossetia.
Entities considered to be micronations that are not internationally recognized are not included. Unlisted are the following noteworthy entities that do not possess all the qualifications in the Montevideo Convention:
- two states, in free association with New Zealand and represented in most matters by that country: Niue and the Cook Islands.
- one entity, a UN observer member, recognized by 96 states, but with extraterritorial areas within Rome is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
- one state, never a UN member, only ever briefly recognized by the Republic of Georgia, with all of its claimed territory under military occupation, the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
- The European Union, a sui generis supranational organization which currently has 27 member countries. The member countries transferred part of their legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU; therefore, it has some characteristics of a sovereign state, without generally being considered a sovereign state.
- Parts of Antarctica are claimed by a few nations.
The listing or placement of any entity in this article is not meant to imply an official position in any naming dispute.
Internationally recognized sovereign states
- This list is complete and up-to-date as of June 8, 2008.
Name in English and the official languages of the state | Information on the extent of the sovereignty | |||
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Abkhazia ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. A separatist government in exile claims independence for Cabinda | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth Realm and has a division (dependency), Barbuda, with a autonomous status. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Argentina is a federation divided in provinces and one federal district. Argentine claims also sovereignty over the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Australia is a Commonwealth Realm and a federation of states and territories. Australia has sovereignty over:
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Austria is a federation divided in states (Bundesländer). | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Azerbaijan has one autonomous republic, ![]() |
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B |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Bahamas is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Barbados is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Belgium is a federation divided in linguistic communities and regions. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Belize is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. As a result of the Dayton Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two constituent entities, the ![]() ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Brasil is a federation divided in states and one federal district. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Brunei claims sovereignty over part of the Spratly Islands. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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C |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Canada is a Commonwealth Realm and a federation divided into provinces and territories. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Easter Island is an integral part of Chile. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Commonly known as China, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has five autonomous regions: Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet. Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of It claims sovereignty over Taiwan (Republic of China; ROC) (which claims sovereignty over the whole of China), the Paracel Islands (disputed by the ROC and Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the ROC, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei), and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Kashmir. Tibet and East Turkestan (Xinjiang) have separatist governments in exile. |
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China, Republic of ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Comoros is a federation with autonomous islands. The Comoros dispute the French sovereignty over Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Cook Islands ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay is as the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base under the permanent control (with no claim of sovereignty) of the United States which pays rent under terms of treaties with Cuba. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. See Northern Cyprus for the de facto state in the de jure territory of Cyprus. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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D |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. The Kingdom of Denmark includes also two autonomous provinces. For more information, see Rigsfællesskabet.
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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E |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Ethiopia is a federation divided in regions and chartered cities. | |||
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F |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Fiji has an autonomous region (dependency), Rotuma. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. The French overseas regions/departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion) are legally part of France and France possesses the uninhabited Clipperton Island. The French sovereignty includes also the overseas territories of
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G |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Georgia has three divisions with an autonomous status, ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Germany is a federation divided in states (Länder). | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Grenada is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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H |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Haiti claims the uninhabited United States possession of Navassa. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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I |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. India is a federation divided in states and union territories. The Indian sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh is disputed by the People's Republic of China. India claims sovereignty over and occupies part of Kashmir. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Indonesia has four provinces with special status, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Yogyakarta Special Region, Papua, and Jakarta Special Capital Region. Separatist governments in exile claim independence for the Republic of the South Moluccas and the Republic of West Papua | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Divided into provinces and counties | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Iraq's constitution labels the country as a federation divided in regions, governorates and the capital district. At present the only region is Iraqi Kurdistan. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Israel occupies the Syrian Golan Heights and parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It has supervision over the partially occupied Palestinian territories. These occupations are internationally not recognized. See for more information also Palestine. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Italy has autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. | |||
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Ivory Coast ![]() |
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J |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Jamaica is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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K |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Kosovo ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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L |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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M |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Madagascar claims the French possessions of the Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Malaysia is a federation divided in states and federal territories. Malaysia claims part of the Spratly Islands. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Marshall Islands claim the United States territory of Wake Island. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Mauritius has an autonomous island, Rodrigues. Mauritius claims the British Indian Ocean Territory and the French island of Tromelin. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Mexico is a federation divided in states and one federal district. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Micronesia is a federation divided in states. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Moldova has an autonomous region, Gagauzia. See Transnistria for the de facto state inside the de jure territory of Moldova. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Morocco claims sovereignty over the Western Sahara and controls most of it, which is disputed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco disputes the Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta, Isla de Alborán, Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas, Melilla and Peñón de Alhucemas. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Myanmar ![]() |
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N |
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Nagorno Karabakh ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Legally the Netherlands refers to the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with the latter consisting of one European country:
and the two overseas (associated) countries:
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Widely recognized member of the UN. New Zealand is a Commonwealth Realm and has sovereignty over the associated states of
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Nigeria is a federation divided in states and one federal district. | |||
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Niue ![]() |
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Northern Cyprus ![]() |
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North Korea ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Svalbard is an integral part of Norway, but has a special status due to the Svalbard Treaty. The overseas uninhabited possessions of Bouvet Island and Jan Mayen are integral part of Norway. The Norwegian claim of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land (Antarctica) as part of Norway is suspendend. | |||
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O |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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P |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Pakistan is a federation divided in provinces and territories. Pakistan claims sovereignty over and occupies part of Kashmir. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Palestine ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth Realm and has an autonomous province, Bougainville Province. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Philippines have has an autonomous region, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The Philippines claim the Spratly Islands. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Portugal has two autonomous regions, Azores and Madeira. | |||
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Pridnestrovie ![]() |
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Q |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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R |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Russia is a federation divided in Subjects of Russia (oblasts, republics, autonomous okrugs, krays, and federal cities). Several of the federal subjects are autonomous republics: |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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S |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a Commonwealth Realm and is a federation of the islands. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. São Tomé and Príncipe has an autonomous province, Príncipe. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Serbia has two autonomous provinces, Kosovo and Metohija and Vojvodina. The Serbian autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija is currently administered by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government under the supervision of the UN Interim Administration Mission. Kosovo Albanians have recently unilaterally declared independence which remains largely unrecognized. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Sechelles claim the British Indian Ocean Territory and the French Glorioso Islands and Tromelin. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Somalia is presently fragmented with its Transitional National Government. Somalia disputed the Yemenite sovereignty over Socotra. See Somaliland for the de facto country inside the de jure territory of Somalia. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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South Korea ![]() |
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South Ossetia ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. Spain has characteristics of a federation and is divided in autonomous communities and cities, of which Andalusia, Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia have a higher degree of autonomy. The sovereignty over Ceuta, Isla de Alborán, Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas, Melilla and Peñón de Alhucemas is disputed by Morocco. Spain disputes the British sovereignty over Gibraltar. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Tamil Eelam has a separatist government that controls part of Sri Lanka.(see source). It strives after an independent country but has not yet declared independence. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Sudan is a federation divided in states and it has one autonomous region, Southern Sudan, formed out of the Southern Sudanese states. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Switzerland is a federation divided in cantons. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Golan is occupied by Israel. Syria disputed the Turkish sovereignty over Hatay Province. | |||
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T |
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Taiwan ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Tajikistan has an autonomous province, Gorno-Badakhshan. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Tanzania is a federacy with an autonomous status for Zanzibar. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Timor-Leste ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Transnistria ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Trinidad and Tobago has an autonomous island, Tobago. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Turkish sovereignty over the Hatay Province is disputed by Syria | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Tuvalu is a Commonwealth Realm. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Ukraine has an autonomous republic, ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The United Arab Emirates is a federation divided into emirates. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth Realm and divided into constituent countries:
The United Kingdom has the following overseas territories:
The British Crown has sovereignty over
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The United States is a federation divided in states, a federal district, and one territory. The United States has sovereignty over the following (inhabited) territories and commonwealths
Besides these, there are uninhabited territories in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Wake Island (disputed by the Marshall Islands) as well as Navassa Island (disputed by Haiti). Of these only Palmyra Atoll is fully incorporated and considered a part of the US. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay is as the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base under the permanent control (with no claim of sovereignty) of the United States which pays rent under terms of treaties with Cuba. |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Uzbekistan has an autonomous republic, ![]() |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized country, observer state in the United Nations. Vatican City is administered by a President of the Government appointed by the Pope, with the latter being the head of the Holy See and that of the Vatican City concurrently. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Venezuela is a federation divided in states, one federal dependency and one federal district. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Vietnam claims sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Yemenite sovereignty over Socotra is disputed by Somalia. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |||
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Other states
This annex lists states that claim sovereignty and have control over (part of) its claimed territory, but due to disputes over their legitimacy, do not have normal diplomatic relations with the majority of sovereign states. Entities considered to be micronations are not included.
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De facto independent state, inside the de jure territory of Georgia (the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia), diplomatically recognized by no UN member states. |
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China, Republic of ![]() |
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Nagorno-Karabakh is a de facto independent state inside the de jure territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, diplomatically recognized by no UN member states. |
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De facto independent state recognized by 41 of 192 UN member states and not by the UN itself . Claimed in whole by the Republic of Serbia as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Previously administered by a United Nations mission ( UNMIK) and entered into the Central European Free Trade Agreement ( CEFTA) during this period. |
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De facto independent state, inside the de jure territory of the Republic of Cyprus, recognized by no UN member states except Turkey. Though without universal diplomatic recognition, it was accepted as an observer state of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in the name of Turkish Cypriot State since 1979. In addition, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic regards TRNC as sovereign but Azerbaijan (the sovereign state that Nakhichevan belongs to) has not followed suit. |
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The Palestinian territories are partially occupied by Israel and partially under control of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has gained control of the Gaza Strip, but has not declared independence. Palestine has received a standing invitation to participate as observer at United Nations General Assembly and maintains a permanent observer mission at the UN Headquarters The proposed State of Palestine is recognized by 103 countries. In diplomatic relations, the proposed State of Palestine is represented by the Palestinian Authority. |
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The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a government-in-exile that declared independence and claims sovereignty over the Western Sahara. This is disputed by Morocco, which controls most of it |
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De facto independent state inside the de jure territory of the Somali Republic, diplomatically recognized by no UN member states. |
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De facto independent state inside the de jure territory of Georgia (the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia), diplomatically recognized by no UN member states. |
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De facto state independent of Mainland China; de jure the Republic of China, a polity regarded by the People's Republic of China be its defunct (and no longer legitimate) predecessor state. In addition to the island Taiwan, the Republic of China (Taiwan) also governs part of the Spratly Islands and has not formally renounced claims over the territory of the PRC and Mongolia. The territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is claimed in whole by the People's Republic of China. Diplomatically recognized by 23 UN member states. Most other UN member states maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan. Taiwan participates in 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. |
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De facto independent state, inside the de jure territory of the Republic of Moldova (the Territorial Unit of Transnistria), diplomatically recognized by no UN member states. |
Other listings
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