How many countries are there in the world? - Country List
by Krishika M | Updated Mar 09, 2023
How many countries are there in the world?
The number of recognized sovereign states in the world can vary based on different factors and perspectives. The commonly accepted number of 195 sovereign states includes the 193 member states of the United Nations, which are recognized as having full sovereign status by the international community. In addition to these member states, there are two observer states that are not members of the UN but have been granted some level of recognition by the international community: the Holy See (the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church) and Palestine. It is important to note that some countries are not universally recognized as sovereign states, which can lead to differing counts of the number of countries in the world. For example, Taiwan is a de facto independent state, but it is not recognized as such by the People's Republic of China, which considers it a part of its territory. Similarly, some territories, such as Kosovo, have declared independence but are not recognized as sovereign states by all countries.
Furthermore, political and territorial changes can also affect the number of recognized sovereign states in the world. In recent history, examples include the division of Sudan into Sudan and South Sudan in 2011, and the separation of East Timor from Indonesia in 2002.
List of Countries and Names
S.No.
Country
Capital
1
China
Beijing
2
India
New Delhi
3
United States
Washington DC
4
Indonesia
Jakarta
5
Pakistan
Islamabad
6
Brazil
Brasilia
7
Nigeria
Abuja
8
Bangladesh
Dhaka
9
Russia
Moscow
10
Mexico
Mexico City
11
Japan
Tokyo
12
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
13
Philippines
Manila
14
Egypt
Cairo
15
Vietnam
Hanoi
16
DR Congo
Kinshasa
17
Turkey
Ankara
18
Iran
Tehran
19
Germany
Berlin
20
Thailand
Bangkok
21
United Kingdom
London
22
France
Paris
23
Italy
Rome
24
Tanzania
Dodoma
25
South Africa
Pretoria
26
Myanmar
Naypyidaw
27
Kenya
Nairobi
28
South Korea
Seoul
29
Colombia
Bogota
30
Spain
Madrid
31
Uganda
Kampala
32
Argentina
Buenos Aires
33
Algeria
Algiers
34
Sudan
Khartoum
35
Ukraine
Kiev
36
Iraq
Baghdad
37
Afghanistan
Kabul
38
Poland
Warsaw
39
Canada
Ottawa
40
Morocco
Rabat
41
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh
42
Uzbekistan
Tashkent
43
Peru
Lima
44
Angola
Luanda
45
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
46
Mozambique
Maputo
47
Ghana
Accra
48
Yemen
Sana'a
49
Nepal
Kathmandu
50
Venezuela
Caracas
51
Madagascar
Antananarivo
52
Cameroon
Yaounde
53
Côte d'Ivoire
Yamoussoukro
54
North Korea
Pyongyang
55
Australia
Canberra
56
Niger
Niamey
57
Sri Lanka
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
58
Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou
59
Mali
Bamako
60
Romania
Bucharest
61
Malawi
Lilongwe
62
Chile
Santiago
63
Kazakhstan
Astana
64
Zambia
Lusaka
65
Guatemala
Guatemala City
66
Ecuador
Quito
67
Syria
Damascus
68
Netherlands
Amsterdam
69
Senegal
Dakar
70
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
71
Chad
N'Djamena
72
Somalia
Mogadishu
73
Zimbabwe
Harare
74
Guinea
Conakry
75
Rwanda
Kigali
76
Benin
Porto Novo
77
Burundi
Bujumbura
78
Tunisia
Tunis
79
Bolivia
Sucre
80
Belgium
Brussels
81
Haiti
Port-au-Prince
82
Cuba
Zagreb
83
South Sudan
Juba
84
Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo
85
Czech Republic (Czechia)
Prague
86
Greece
Athens
87
Jordan
Amman
88
Portugal
Lisbon
89
Azerbaijan
Baku
90
Sweden
Stockholm
91
Honduras
Tegucigalpa
92
United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
93
Hungary
Budapest
94
Tajikistan
Dushanbe
95
Belarus
Minsk
96
Austria
Vienna
97
Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby
98
Serbia
Belgrade
99
Israel
Jerusalem
100
Switzerland
Bern
101
Togo
Lome
102
Sierra Leone
Freetown
103
Laos
Vientiane
104
Paraguay
Asuncion
105
Bulgaria
Sofia
106
Libya
Tripoli
107
Lebanon
Beirut
108
Nicaragua
Managua
109
Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek
110
El Salvador
San Salvador
111
Turkmenistan
Ashgabat
112
Singapore
Singapore
113
Denmark
Copenhagen
114
Finland
Helsinki
115
Congo
Kinshasa
116
Slovakia
Bratislava
117
Norway
Oslo
118
Oman
Muscat
119
State of Palestine
East Jerusalem
120
Costa Rica
San Jose
121
Liberia
Monrovia
122
Ireland
Dublin
123
Central African Republic
Bangui
124
New Zealand
Wellington
125
Mauritania
Nouakchott
126
Panama
Panama City
127
Kuwait
Kuwait City
128
Croatia
Zagreb
129
Moldova
Chisinau
130
Georgia
Tbilisi
131
Eritrea
Asmara
132
Uruguay
Montevideo
133
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo
134
Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar
135
Armenia
Yerevan
136
Jamaica
Kingston
137
Qatar
Doha
138
Albania
Tirana
139
Lithuania
Vilnius
140
Namibia
Windhoek
141
The Gambia
Banjul
142
Botswana
Gaborone
143
Gabon
Libreville
144
Lesotho
Maseru
145
North Macedonia
Skopje
146
Slovenia
Ljubljana
147
Guinea-Bissau
Bissau
148
Latvia
Riga
149
Bahrain
Manama
150
Equatorial Guinea
Malabo
151
Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain
152
Estonia
Tallinn
153
Timor-Leste
Dili
154
Mauritius
Port Louis
155
Cyprus
Nicosia
156
Eswatini
Mbabane
157
Djibouti
Djibouti
158
Fiji
Suva
159
Comoros
Moroni
160
Guyana
Georgetown
161
Bhutan
Thimphu
162
Solomon Islands
Honiara
163
Montenegro
Podgorica
164
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
165
Suriname
Paramaribo
166
Cabo Verde
Praia
167
Micronesia
Palikir
168
Maldives
Male
169
Malta
Valletta
170
Brunei
Bandar Seri Begawan
171
Belize
Belmopan
172
Bahamas
Nassau
173
Iceland
Reykjavik
174
Vanuatu
Port Vila
175
Barbados
Bridgetown
176
Sao Tome & Principe
Sao Tome
177
Samoa
Apia
178
Saint Lucia
Castries
179
Kiribati
Tarawa
180
Grenada
St. George's
181
St. Vincent & Grenadines
Kingstown
182
Tonga
Nukualofa
183
Seychelles
Victoria
184
Antigua and Barbuda
St. John's
185
Andorra
Andorra la Vella
186
Dominica
Roseau
187
Marshall Islands
Majuro
188
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Basseterre
189
Monaco
Monaco
190
Liechtenstein
Vaduz
191
San Marino
San Marino
192
Palau
Melekeok
193
Tuvalu
Funafuti
194
Nauru
Yaren
195
Holy See
Vatican City
Which country is No 1 in world?
The ranking of Best Countries is a comprehensive analysis of global performance across a range of metrics, including political stability, economic strength, education, social welfare, and environmental quality. The ranking is compiled annually by US News & World Report, in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and global brand consultants BAV Group.
For the year 2022, Switzerland was ranked as the best country in the world based on these metrics. Switzerland is a small, landlocked country in Central Europe known for its high standard of living, political stability, and economic prosperity. It is home to a well-educated population and a diverse economy that is driven by banking, finance, and pharmaceuticals, among other industries.
The ranking takes into account a range of factors that contribute to a country's overall performance, including its economic stability, political freedom and democracy, social welfare and human development, and environmental quality. Other countries that ranked high in the 2022 ranking included Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
It is worth noting that the ranking is based on a specific set of criteria and may not reflect the overall subjective experience of individuals living in or visiting a particular country. Factors such as cultural diversity, quality of life, and personal preferences may also influence one's perception of a country's overall performance. Nonetheless, the ranking provides a useful tool for evaluating global trends and identifying areas of strength and weakness among countries around the world.
Which is the largest country in the world?
The largest country in the world by land area is Russia, which covers an area of 17,098,242 square kilometers (6,601,668 square miles). It is located in northern Eurasia and spans 11 time zones, stretching from Eastern Europe to Northern Asia. It shares borders with 14 countries, including Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and North Korea.
Russia is home to diverse landscapes, including vast forests, mountains, tundra, and deserts. It is rich in natural resources, including oil, natural gas, minerals, and timber. Its population of around 145 million people is concentrated primarily in urban areas, with Moscow being the country's capital and largest city.
Other large countries by land area include Canada, China, the United States, and Brazil.
How many countries are there in the world - FAQs
A sovereign state is a political entity that has the ability to govern itself independently, without interference from external forces. Sovereign states are typically recognized as having full legal and political authority over their territory, population, and government.
As of September 2021, there are 193 member states of the United Nations, which are recognized as independent and sovereign countries by the international community.
As of September 2021, China has the highest population in the world, with an estimated 1.4 billion people. India is a close second, with an estimated population of 1.3 billion people.
As of September 2021, the United States has the largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP. China is a close second, followed by Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The smallest country in the world by land area is Vatican City, which is an independent city-state located within Rome, Italy. It has a total area of just 0.44 square kilometers (0.17 square miles) and a population of around 800 people.