From Justapedia - Reading time: 44 min
The following is a list providing an overview of sovereign states around the world with information on their status and recognition of their sovereignty.
The 206 listed states can be divided into three categories based on membership within the United Nations System: 193 UN member states,[1] 2 UN General Assembly non-member observer states, and 11 other states. The sovereignty dispute column indicates states having undisputed sovereignty (188 states, of which there are 187 UN member states and 1 UN General Assembly non-member observer state), states having disputed sovereignty (16 states, of which there are 6 UN member states, 1 UN General Assembly non-member observer state, and 9 de facto states), and states having a special political status (2 states, both in free association with New Zealand).
Compiling a list such as this can be a complicated 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 of this list, please see the criteria for inclusion section below. The list is intended to include entities that have been recognised as having de facto status as sovereign states, and inclusion should not be seen as an endorsement of any specific claim to statehood in legal terms.
The dominant customary international law standard of statehood is the declarative theory of statehood, which was codified by the Montevideo Convention of 1933. The Convention defines the state as a person of international law if it "possess[es] the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) a capacity to enter into relations with the other states" so long as it was not "obtained by force whether this consists in the employment of arms, in threatening diplomatic representations, or in any other effective coercive measure".[2][failed verification][better source needed]
Debate exists on the degree to which recognition should be included as a criterion of statehood. The declarative theory of statehood argues that statehood is purely objective and recognition of a state by other states is irrelevant. On the other end of the spectrum, the constitutive theory of statehood defines a state as a person under international law only if it is recognised as sovereign by other states. For the purposes of this list, included are all polities that consider themselves sovereign states (through a declaration of independence or some other means) and either:
Note that in some cases, there is a divergence of opinion over the interpretation of the first point, and whether an entity satisfies it is disputed. Unique political entities which fail to meet the classification of a sovereign state are considered proto-states.[3][4]
On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 206 entities:[5][a]
The table includes bullets in the right-hand column representing entities that are either not sovereign states or have a close association to another sovereign state. It also includes subnational areas where the sovereignty of the titular state is limited by an international agreement. Taken together, these include:
| Common and formal names | Membership within the UN System[b] | Sovereignty dispute[c] | Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty[e] |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ UN member states and General Assembly observer states ↓ | |||
| Abkhazia → See Abkhazia listing | |||
| Afghanistan | UN member state | None | The de facto ruling government, the File:Flag of the Taliban.svg Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has not been recognised by any state. The United Nations continues to recognise the File:Flag of Afghanistan (2004–2021).svg Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the government of Afghanistan.[6][7] |
| File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania – Republic of Albania | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra – Principality of Andorra | UN member state | None | Andorra is a co-principality in which the office of head of state is jointly held ex officio by the French president and the bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Urgell,[8] who himself is appointed with approval from the Holy See. |
| File:Flag of Angola.svg Angola – Republic of Angola | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda | UN member state | None | Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth realm[f] with one autonomous region, Barbuda.[g] |
| File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina – Argentine Republic[h] | UN member state | None | Argentina is a federation of 23 provinces and one autonomous city.[i] |
| File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia – Republic of Armenia | UN member state | Not recognised by Pakistan. | Armenia is not recognised by Pakistan due to the dispute over Artsakh.[11][12][13] |
| Artsakh → See Artsakh listing | |||
| UN member state | None | Australia is a Commonwealth realm[f] and a federation of both states and territories. There are six states, three internal territories, six external territories and one claimed Antarctic external territory. The external territories of Australia are: | |
| File:Flag of Austria.svg Austria – Republic of Austria | UN member state | None | Member of the European Union.[d] Austria is a federation of nine states. |
| File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan | UN member state | None | Azerbaijan contains one autonomous region, Nakhchivan [g] The de facto state of Artsakh has been established in the southwest of Azerbaijan. |
| File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas[15] | UN member state | None | The Bahamas is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus – Republic of Belarus | UN member state | None | Many states rescinded their recognition of President Alexander Lukashenko following the disputed 2020 election. Lithuania currently recognizes Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Coordination Council as the legitimate government of Belarus.[16] |
| File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] Belgium is a federation of three linguistic communities and three regions. |
| File:Flag of Belize.svg Belize | UN member state | None | Belize is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Benin.svg Benin – Republic of Benin | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan | UN member state | None | |
| File:Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg Bolivia – Plurinational State of Bolivia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina | UN member state | None | Bosnia and Herzegovina has two constituent entities:
and Brčko District, a self-governing administrative district.[17] |
| File:Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana – Republic of Botswana | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil | UN member state | None | Brazil is a federation of 26 states and one federal district. |
| File:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei – Brunei Darussalam | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso | UN member state | None | |
| Burma → See Myanmar listing | |||
| File:Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi – Republic of Burundi | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada[j] | UN member state | None | Canada is a Commonwealth realm[f] and a federation of ten provinces and three territories. |
| File:Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde – Republic of Cabo Verde[k] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Chad.svg Chad – Republic of Chad | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Chile.svg Chile – Republic of Chile | UN member state | None | Chile has one special territory, Easter Island. [l] |
| File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China – People's Republic of China[m] | UN member state | Partially unrecognised. Claimed by the Republic of China | China contains five autonomous regions, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, and Xinjiang.[g] Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of:
China claims, but does not control Taiwan, which is governed by a rival administration (the Republic of China) that claims all of China as its territory.[n] China is not recognised by 14 UN member states and Vatican City, which, with the exception of Bhutan, all recognise the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead.[o] |
| China, Republic of → See Taiwan listing | |||
| UN member state | None | ||
| File:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros – Union of the Comoros | UN member state | None | Comoros is a federation of three islands.[p] |
| File:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Congo, Democratic Republic of the[q] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo, Republic of the[r] | UN member state | None | |
| Cook Islands → See Cook Islands listing | |||
| File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica | UN member state | None | |
| Côte d'Ivoire → See Ivory Coast listing | |||
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] | |
| File:Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba – Republic of Cuba | UN member state | None | |
| UN member state | Not recognised by Turkey[20] | Member of the EU.[d] The northeastern part of the island is the de facto state of Northern Cyprus.
Cyprus is not recognised by Turkey due to the Cyprus dispute, with Turkey recognising Northern Cyprus. | |
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] | |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea → See Korea, North listing | |||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo → See Congo, Democratic Republic of the listing | |||
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] The Kingdom of Denmark includes 2 self-governing territories:
The metropolitan territory of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland form the three constituent countries of the Kingdom.[t] The Kingdom of Denmark as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law (in most cases) does not apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland. See Greenland and the European Union, and Faroe Islands and the European Union for more information.[21][22] | |
| File:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of East Timor.svg East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste[u] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea – State of Eritrea | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia – Republic of Estonia | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Eswatini.svg Eswatini – Kingdom of Eswatini[v] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | UN member state | None | Ethiopia is a federation of eleven regions and two chartered cities. |
| File:Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji – Republic of Fiji | UN member state | None | Fiji contains one autonomous region, Rotuma.[g][23][24] |
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d]
| |
| File:Flag of France.svg France – French Republic | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] France contains five overseas regions/departments; French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion. France also includes the overseas territories of: |
| File:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon – Gabonese Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia, The – Republic of The Gambia[25] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia | UN member state | None | Georgia contains two autonomous republics, Adjara and Abkhazia.[g] In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto states have been formed. |
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] Germany is a federation of 16 states. | |
| File:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana – Republic of Ghana | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece – Hellenic Republic | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] Greece contains one autonomous area, Mount Athos.[26] |
| File:Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada | UN member state | None | Grenada is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea – Republic of Guinea[y] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti – Republic of Haiti | UN member state | None | |
| Holland → See the Netherlands listing | |||
| Holy See → See Vatican City listing | |||
| File:Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras – Republic of Honduras | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland[z] – Republic of Iceland | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of India.svg India – Republic of India | UN member state | None | India is a federation of 28 states and eight union territories. |
| File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia | UN member state | None | Indonesia has eight autonomous provinces, Aceh, Jakarta, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, West Papua, and Yogyakarta.[g] |
| UN member state | None | ||
| File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq – Republic of Iraq | UN member state | None | Iraq is a federation[p][30] of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region.[g] |
| File:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland[aa] | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel – State of Israel | UN member state | Partially unrecognised | Israel exerts strong control over the territory claimed by Palestine. It has annexed East Jerusalem,[32] an act not recognised by the international community.[33] Israel has varying levels of control over the rest of the West Bank, and although it ended its permanent civilian or military presence in the Gaza Strip, it is still considered to be the occupying power under international law.[34][35][36][37]
Israel is not recognised as a state by 28 UN members and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The Palestine Liberation Organization, recognised by a majority of UN member states as the representative of the Palestinian people, recognised Israel in 1993. |
| File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy – Italian Republic | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] Italy has 5 autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.[g] |
| File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire[ab] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | UN member state | None | Jamaica is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| UN member state | None | ||
| File:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | UN member state | None | |
| UN member state | None | ||
| File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya – Republic of Kenya | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of North Korea.svg Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea | UN member state | Claimed by South Korea | North Korea is not recognised by three UN members, France, Japan, and South Korea, the last of which claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.[38] |
| File:Flag of South Korea.svg Korea, South – Republic of Korea | UN member state | Claimed by North Korea | South Korea has one autonomous region, Jejudo.[g][39]
South Korea is not recognised by North Korea, which claims to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. |
| Kosovo → See Kosovo listing | |||
| File:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait – State of Kuwait | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Laos.svg Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia – Republic of Latvia | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon – Lebanese Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia – Republic of Liberia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Libya.svg Libya – State of Libya | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] | |
| Macedonia → See North Macedonia listing | |||
| File:Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi – Republic of Malawi | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia | UN member state | None | Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories. |
| File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives – Republic of Maldives | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Mali.svg Mali – Republic of Mali | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Malta.svg Malta – Republic of Malta | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands | UN member state | None | Under Compact of Free Association with the United States. |
| File:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius | UN member state | None | Mauritius has an autonomous island, Rodrigues.[g] |
| File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico – United Mexican States | UN member state | None | Mexico is a federation of 31 states and one autonomous city.
The Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities have de facto autonomy. |
| File:Flag of Federated States of Micronesia.svg Micronesia, Federated States of | UN member state | None | Under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Federated States of Micronesia is a federation of four states. |
| File:Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova – Republic of Moldova | UN member state | None | Moldova has the autonomous regions of Gagauzia and the Left Bank of the Dniester. The latter and a city Bender (Tighina), is under the de facto control of Transnistria. |
| File:Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco – Principality of Monaco | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco | UN member state | None | Part of the Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara is controlled by the partially recognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. |
| File:Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar – Republic of the Union of Myanmar[ac] | UN member state | None | Wa State is a de facto autonomous state within Myanmar. The United Nations has not recognized the de facto ruling government of Myanmar, the State Administration Council.[7] |
| Nagorno-Karabakh → See Artsakh listing | |||
| File:Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia – Republic of Namibia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru – Republic of Nauru | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | UN member state | None | Nepal is a federation composed of 7 provinces. |
| File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes four areas with substantial autonomy:
Metropolitan Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten form the four constituent countries of the Kingdom. Three overseas parts of the Netherlands (Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius) are special municipalities of metropolitan Netherlands.[ad] The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law only wholly applies to parts within Europe. |
| File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand | UN member state | None | New Zealand is a Commonwealth realm,[f] and has one dependent territory and one claimed Antarctic dependent territory:
The New Zealand Government acts for the entire Realm of New Zealand in all international contexts, which has responsibilities for (but no rights of control over) two freely associated states: The Cook Islands and Niue have diplomatic relations with 49 and 18 UN members respectively.[40][41] They have full treaty-making capacity in the UN,[42] and are members of some UN specialized agencies. |
| File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua | UN member state | None | Nicaragua contains two autonomous regions, Atlántico Sur and Atlántico Norte.[g] |
| File:Flag of Niger.svg Niger – Republic of the Niger | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria | UN member state | None | Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and one federal territory. |
| Niue → See Niue listing | |||
| North Korea → See Korea, North listing | |||
| File:Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia – Republic of North Macedonia[ae] | UN member state | None | |
| Northern Cyprus → See Northern Cyprus listing | |||
| File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway – Kingdom of Norway | UN member state | None | Norway has two unincorporated areas in Europe:
Norway has one dependent territory and two claimed Antarctic dependent territories in the Southern Hemisphere: |
| File:Flag of Oman.svg Oman – Sultanate of Oman | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan | UN member state | None | Pakistan is a federation of four provinces and one capital territory. Pakistan exercises control over certain portions of Kashmir, but has not officially annexed any of it,[43][44] instead regarding it as a disputed territory.[45][46] The portions that it controls are divided into two territories, administered separately from Pakistan proper:
Azad Kashmir describes itself as a "self-governing state under Pakistani control", while Gilgit-Baltistan is described in its governance order as a group of "areas" with self-government.[47][48][49] These territories are not usually regarded as sovereign, as they do not fulfil the criteria set out by the declarative theory of statehood (for example, their current laws do not allow them to engage independently in relations with other states). Several state functions of these territories (such as foreign affairs and defence) are performed by Pakistan.[48][50][51] |
| File:Flag of Palau.svg Palau – Republic of Palau | UN member state | None | Under Compact of Free Association with the United States. |
| File:Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine – State of Palestine | UN General Assembly observer state; member of two UN specialized agencies | Partially unrecognised. | The State of Palestine, declared in 1988, is not recognised as a state by Israel but has received diplomatic recognition from 138 states.[52] The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, or effective control over much of the territory that it proclaimed.[53] The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative body formed as a result of the Oslo Accords that exercises limited autonomous jurisdiction within the Palestinian territories. In foreign relations, Palestine is represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization.[54] The State of Palestine is a member state of UNESCO,[55] UNIDO and other international organizations.[56] |
| File:Flag of Panama.svg Panama – Republic of Panama | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea | UN member state | None | Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth realm[f] with one autonomous region, Bougainville.[g] |
| File:Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay | UN member state | None | |
| UN member state | None | ||
| File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines – Republic of the Philippines | UN member state | None | The Philippines contains one autonomous region, Bangsamoro.[g] |
| File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland – Republic of Poland | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal – Portuguese Republic | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] Portugal contains two autonomous regions, the Azores and Madeira.[g] |
| Pridnestrovie → See Transnistria listing | |||
| File:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar – State of Qatar | UN member state | None | |
| Republic of Korea → See Korea, South listing | |||
| Republic of the Congo → See Congo, Republic of the listing | |||
| File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia – Russian Federation | UN member state | None | Russia is a federation of 83 internationally recognised federal subjects (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast). Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics.[g] |
| File:Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda | UN member state | None | |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic → See Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic listing | |||
| File:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis | UN member state | None | Saint Kitts and Nevis is a Commonwealth realm[f] and is a federation[p] of two islands, St. Kitts and Nevis. |
| File:Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia | UN member state | None | Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | UN member state | None | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa – Independent State of Samoa | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino – Republic of San Marino | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe | UN member state | None | São Tomé and Príncipe contains one autonomous province, Príncipe.[g] |
| File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal – Republic of Senegal | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia – Republic of Serbia | UN member state | None | Serbia contains two autonomous regions, Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija.[g] The latter is under the de facto control of Kosovo. |
| File:Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore – Republic of Singapore | UN member state | None | |
| UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] | |
| File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands | UN member state | None | Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia | UN member state | None | Somalia is a federation of six states. Two, Puntland and Galmudug, have self-declared autonomy, while one, Somaliland, is de facto independent. |
| Somaliland → See Somaliland listing | |||
| File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa – Republic of South Africa | UN member state | None | |
| South Korea → See Korea, South listing | |||
| South Ossetia → See South Ossetia listing | |||
| File:Flag of South Sudan.svg South Sudan – Republic of South Sudan | UN member state | None | South Sudan is a federation of 10 states and three administrative areas.
|
| File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain – Kingdom of Spain | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and two special autonomous cities.[g][af] |
| File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka[ag] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan – Republic of the Sudan | UN member state | None | Sudan is a federation of 18 states.
|
| Sudan, South → See South Sudan listing | |||
| File:Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname – Republic of Suriname | UN member state | None | |
| Swaziland → See Eswatini listing | |||
| File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden | UN member state | None | Member of the EU.[d] |
| File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland – Swiss Confederation | UN member state | None | Switzerland is a federation of 26 cantons. |
| File:Flag of Syria.svg Syria – Syrian Arab Republic | UN member state | None | The Syrian National Coalition, which is recognised as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people by 20 UN members, has established an interim government to rule rebel controlled territory during the Syrian civil war.
Syria has one self-declared autonomous region: Rojava. |
| Taiwan (Republic of China) → See Taiwan listing | |||
| File:Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan | UN member state | None | Tajikistan contains one autonomous region, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province.[g] |
| File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania | UN member state | None | Tanzania contains one autonomous region, Zanzibar.[g] |
| UN member state | None | ||
| The Bahamas → See Bahamas, The listing | |||
| The Gambia → See Gambia, The listing | |||
| Timor-Leste → See East Timor listing | |||
| File:Flag of Togo.svg Togo – Togolese Republic | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga | UN member state | None | |
| Transnistria → See Transnistria listing | |||
| File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | UN member state | None | Trinidad and Tobago contains one autonomous region, Tobago.[g] |
| File:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey – Republic of Türkiye[ah] | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu | UN member state | None | Tuvalu is a Commonwealth realm.[f] |
| File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda – Republic of Uganda | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine | UN member state | None | Ukraine contains one autonomous region, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,[g] which is under the control of Russia. Five other areas of Ukraine are under full or partial Russian control, including Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Sevastopol, and Zaporizhzhia. |
| File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates | UN member state | None | The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates. |
| File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | UN member state | None | The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm[f] consisting of four constituent countries; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom has the following 13 overseas territories and one claimed Antarctic dependent territory:
The British monarch also has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown Dependencies: |
| File:Flag of the United States.svg United States – United States of America | UN member state | None | The United States is a federation of 50 states, one federal district, and one incorporated territory. Additionally, the Federal government of the United States has sovereignty over 13 unincorporated territories. Of these territories, the following five are inhabited possessions:
It also has sovereignty over several uninhabited territories:
It also disputes sovereignty over the following two territories: Three sovereign states have become associated states of the United States under the Compact of Free Association:
|
| File:Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay – Oriental Republic of Uruguay | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan | UN member state | None | Uzbekistan contains one autonomous region, Karakalpakstan.[g] |
| File:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of the Vatican City.svg Vatican City – Vatican City State | UN General Assembly observer state under the designation of "Holy See"; member of three UN specialized agencies | None | Administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity with diplomatic relations to 183 states. This figure consists of 180 UN member states, the Cook Islands, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the State of Palestine.[59] In addition, the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta maintain diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The Holy See is a member of three UN specialized agencies (ITU, UPU, and WIPO) and the IAEA, as well as being a permanent observer of the UN (in the category of "Non-member State")[54] and multiple other UN System organizations. The Vatican City is governed by officials appointed by the Pope, who is the Bishop of the Diocese of Rome and ex officio sovereign of Vatican City. |
| File:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela | UN member state | None | Venezuela is a federation of 23 states, one capital district, and federal dependencies. |
| File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam | UN member state | None | |
| Western Sahara → See Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic listing | |||
| File:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen – Republic of Yemen | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia – Republic of Zambia | UN member state | None | |
| File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe | UN member state | None | |
| ↑ UN member states and General Assembly observer states ↑ | |||
| ↓ Other states ↓ | |||
| File:Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.svg Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia | No membership | Claimed by Georgia | Recognised by Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Syria, Venezuela, Artsakh, South Ossetia and Transnistria.[60] Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. |
| File:Flag of Artsakh.svg Artsakh – Republic of Artsakh[ai] | No membership | Claimed by Azerbaijan | A de facto independent state,[61][62][63] recognised only by Abkhazia,[64] South Ossetia[64] and Transnistria.[64][65] Claimed in whole by Azerbaijan.[66] |
| File:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands | Member of eight UN specialized agencies | None (See political status) |
A state in free association with New Zealand, the Cook Islands maintains diplomatic relations with 52 other states. The Cook Islands is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity.[42] It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship. |
| File:Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo | Member of two UN specialized agencies | Claimed by Serbia | Pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, Kosovo was placed under the administration of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in 1999.[67] Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and it has received diplomatic recognition from 113 UN member states and the Republic of China, while 18 states have recognized Kosovo only to later withdraw their recognition.[68] Serbia continues to maintain its sovereignty claim over Kosovo. Other UN member states and non UN member states continue to recognise Serbian sovereignty or have taken no position on the question. Kosovo is a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. The Republic of Kosovo has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo. |
| File:Flag of Niue.svg Niue | Member of five UN specialized agencies | None (See political status) |
A state in free association with New Zealand, Niue maintains diplomatic relations with 20 other states. Niue is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity.[42] It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship. |
| File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus | No membership | Claimed by the Republic of Cyprus | Recognised only by Turkey. Under the name "Turkish Cypriot State", it is an observer state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Northern Cyprus is claimed in whole by the Republic of Cyprus.[69] |
| File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | No membership | Claimed by Morocco | Recognised at some stage by 84 UN member states, 39 of which have since withdrawn or frozen their recognition. 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 Western Sahara to the west of the Moroccan Wall controlled by Morocco. Its government resides in exile in Tindouf, Algeria. |
| File:Flag of Somaliland.svg Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland | No membership | Claimed by Somalia | A de facto independent state,[61][70][71][72][73] not diplomatically recognised by any other state, claimed in whole by the Federal Republic of Somalia.[74] |
| File:Flag of South Ossetia.svg South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania | No membership | Claimed by Georgia | A de facto independent state,[75] recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Syria, Venezuela, Abkhazia, Artsakh, and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Provisional Administration of South Ossetia.[76] |
| File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan – Republic of China[m] | No membership, former membership until 1971 | Partially unrecognised. Claimed by the People's Republic of China | A state competing (nominally) for recognition with the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the government of China since 1949. The Republic of China (ROC) controls the island of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, and Pratas Island, as well as Taiping Island and Zhongzhou Reef of the Spratly Islands, and has not renounced claims over its annexed territories on the mainland.[77] The ROC is recognised by 13 UN member states and the Holy See as of 9 December 2021, none of which recognise the PRC. Additionally, one UN member (Bhutan) has refrained from recognising either the ROC or the PRC.
In addition to these relations, the ROC also maintains unofficial relations[78] with 58 UN member states, one self-declared state (Somaliland), three territories (Guam, Hong Kong, and Macau), and the European Union via its representative offices and consulates under the One China principle. Taiwan has the 31st-largest diplomatic network in the world with 110 offices.[79] The territory of the ROC is claimed in whole by the PRC.[n] The ROC participates in international organizations under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly "Chinese Taipei" and in the WTO it has full membership under the designation of "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu". The ROC was a founding member of the UN and enjoyed membership from 1945 to 1971, with veto power in the UN Security Council. See China and the United Nations. |
| File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg Transnistria – Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic | No membership | Claimed by Moldova | A de facto independent state,[61] recognised only by Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia.[60] Claimed in whole by Moldova.[80] |
| ↑ Other states ↑ | |||
|
"Membership within the UN System" column legend UN member state
UN General Assembly observer state
Member state of a UN Specialized Agency
No membership
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"Sovereignty dispute" column legend Undisputed sovereignty
Disputed sovereignty
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We are the only country not recognizing Armenia as a state.
Turkey stands alone in violation of the will of the international community. It is the only country to recognize the "TRNC" and is the only country that does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its government.
It is this direct external control over Gaza and indirect control over life within Gaza that has led the United Nations, the UN General Assembly, the UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza, International human rights organisations, US Government websites, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a significant number of legal commentators, to reject the argument that Gaza is no longer occupied.
Even after the accession to power of Hamas, Israel's claim that it no longer occupies Gaza has not been accepted by UN bodies, most States, nor the majority of academic commentators because of its exclusive control of its border with Gaza and crossing points including the effective control it exerted over the Rafah crossing until at least May 2011, its control of Gaza's maritime zones and airspace which constitute what Aronson terms the 'security envelope' around Gaza, as well as its ability to intervene forcibly at will in Gaza.
In other words, while Israel maintained that its occupation of Gaza ended with its unilateral disengagement Palestinians – as well as many human right organizations and international bodies – argued that Gaza was by all intents and purposes still occupied.
In addition to the four cases of contested statehood described above, there are three other territories that have unilaterally declared independence and are generally regarded as having met the Montevideo criteria for statehood but have not been recognized by any states: Transnistria, Nagorny Karabakh, and Somaliland.
Considering each of these factors, Somaliland has a colorable argument that it meets the theoretical requirements of statehood. ... On these bases, Somaliland appears to have a strong claim to statehood.