This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories of the world by continent, displayed with their respective national flags, including the following entities:
By association within the UN system: The 193 United Nations (UN) member states. Vatican City (administered by the Holy See, a UN General Assembly observer state), which has diplomatic relations with . Palestine (a UN General Assembly observer state), which has diplomatic relations with . By other states: Generally, this contains states with limited recognition and associated states not members of the United Nations. Partially recognised de facto sovereign states with UN membership, such as the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of China (Taiwan). De facto sovereign states lacking general international recognition. Cook Islands and Niue, two states in free association with New Zealand without UN membership. By dependent territories of other UN member states: Generally, this contains non-sovereign territories that are recognised by the UN as part of some member state. Dependent territories. Other territories often regarded as separate geographical territories, even though they are integral parts of their mother countries (such as the overseas departments and regions of France).
This list divides the world using the seven-continent model, with islands grouped into adjacent continents.
Legend
"Membership within the UN System" column legend "Sovereignty dispute" column legend
Africa
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see Africa: territories and regions.
Geologically, Africa is connected to Eurasia by the Isthmus of Suez and forms part of Afro-Eurasia.
Common and formal names Membership within the UN System Sovereignty dispute Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty ↓ UN member states and General Assembly observer states ↓ – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria UN member state None – Republic of Angola UN member state None – Republic of Benin UN member state None – Republic of Botswana UN member state None UN member state None – Republic of Burundi UN member state None – Republic of Cameroon UN member state None – Republic of Cabo Verde UN member state None UN member state None – Republic of Chad UN member state None – Union of the Comoros UN member state None Comoros is a federation of three islands. UN member state None UN member state None – Republic of Djibouti UN member state None – Arab Republic of Egypt UN member state None – Republic of Equatorial Guinea UN member state None – State of Eritrea UN member state None – Kingdom of Eswatini UN member state None – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia UN member state None Ethiopia is a federation of twelve regions and two chartered cities. – Gabonese Republic UN member state None – Republic of the Gambia UN member state None – Republic of Ghana UN member state None – Republic of Guinea UN member state None – Republic of Guinea-Bissau UN member state None – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire UN member state None – Republic of Kenya UN member state None – Kingdom of Lesotho UN member state None – Republic of Liberia UN member state None – State of Libya UN member state None – Republic of Madagascar UN member state None – Republic of Malawi UN member state None – Republic of Mali UN member state None – Islamic Republic of Mauritania UN member state None – Republic of Mauritius UN member state None Mauritius has an autonomous island, Rodrigues. – Kingdom of Morocco UN member state None Part of the Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara is controlled by the partially recognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. – Republic of Mozambique UN member state None – Republic of Namibia UN member state None – Republic of the Niger UN member state None – Federal Republic of Nigeria UN member state None Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and one federal territory. Republic of the Congo → See Congo, Republic of the listing – Republic of Rwanda UN member state None Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic → See Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic listing – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe UN member state None São Tomé and Príncipe contains one autonomous province, Príncipe. – Republic of Senegal UN member state None – Republic of Seychelles UN member state None – Republic of Sierra Leone UN member state None – 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. – Republic of South Africa UN member state None – Republic of South Sudan UN member state None South Sudan is a federation of 10 states and three administrative areas.
The Abyei Area is a zone with "special administrative status" established by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. It is de jure a condominium of South Sudan and Sudan, but de facto administered by two competing administrations and the United Nations. – Republic of the Sudan UN member state None Sudan is a federation of 18 states. The Abyei Area is a zone with "special administrative status" established by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. It is de jure a condominium of South Sudan and Sudan, but de facto administered by two competing administrations and the United Nations. – United Republic of Tanzania UN member state None Tanzania contains one autonomous region, Zanzibar. – Togolese Republic UN member state None – Republic of Tunisia UN member state None – Republic of Uganda UN member state None – Republic of Zambia UN member state None – Republic of Zimbabwe UN member state None ↑ UN member states and General Assembly observer states ↑ ↓ Other states ↓ No membership Recognised at some stage by , 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. – Republic of Somaliland No membership A de facto independent state, diplomatically recognised by Israel, and maintaining unofficial relations with several UN member states and the Republic of China (Taiwan).; claimed in whole by the Federal Republic of Somalia. ↑ Other states ↑ ↓ Dependent Territories ↓ Norwegian Dependent Territory None British Overseas Territory French Overseas Territory None – Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Australian External Territory None – Department of Mayotte French Overseas Department and Region None – Department of Réunion French Overseas Department and Region None British Overseas Territory None ↑ Dependent Territories ↑
Transcontinental countries in Europe and Africa, classified as Southern European countries by the United Nations Statistics Division: (Pantelleria and the Pelagian Islands), , (Madeira [including the Savage Islands]), and (Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, Alboran Island, and Spain's plazas de soberanía). Transcontinental country in Europe and Africa, classified as a Western European country by the United Nations Statistics Division: (Mayotte, and Réunion). Transcontinental country in Asia and Africa, classified as a Western Asian country by the United Nations Statistics Division: (Socotra).
Asia
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see Asia: territories and regions.
Geologically, Asia is part of Eurasia and due to the Isthmus of Suez forms part of Afro-Eurasia.
Common and formal names Membership within the UN System Sovereignty dispute Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty ↓ UN member states and General Assembly observer states ↓ – Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan UN member state NoneThe ruling Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in power since 2021, has not been recognised by the United Nations or any other state. The defunct remains the recognised government. – Republic of Armenia UN member state None – Republic of Azerbaijan UN member state None Azerbaijan contains one autonomous region, Nakhchivan. – Kingdom of Bahrain UN member state None – People's Republic of Bangladesh UN member state None – Kingdom of Bhutan UN member state None – Brunei Darussalam UN member state None Burma → See Myanmar listing – Kingdom of Cambodia UN member state None – People's Republic of China UN member state Partially unrecognised. China contains five autonomous regions, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, and Xinjiang. 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.
China is not recognised by UN member states and the Holy See, which, with the exception of Bhutan, all recognise Taiwan instead. China, Republic of → See Taiwan listing – Republic of Cyprus UN member state Not recognised by Turkey Member of the EU. 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. Democratic People's Republic of Korea → See Korea, North listing – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste UN member state None – Arab Republic of Egypt UN member state None UN member state None Georgia contains two autonomous republics, Adjara and Abkhazia. In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto states have been formed. – Republic of India UN member state None India is a federation of 28 states and eight union territories. – 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. – Islamic Republic of Iran UN member state None – Republic of Iraq UN member state None Iraq is a federationIraqi constitution of 19 governorates, four of which make up the autonomous Kurdistan Region. – State of Israel UN member state Partially unrecognised Disputed by Palestine Israel exerts strong control over the territory claimed by Palestine. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, an annexation not recognised by the international community. Israel maintains varying levels of control over the rest of the West Bank, and although Israel no longer has a permanent civilian or military presence in the Gaza Strip, following its unilateral disengagement, it is still considered by some to be the occupying power under international law.* * 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 sole representative of the Palestinian people, recognised Israel in 1993. UN member state None – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan UN member state None – Republic of Kazakhstan UN member state None – Democratic People's Republic of Korea UN member state 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. – Republic of Korea UN member state South Korea has one autonomous region, Jejudo.