At CountryWatch, the criterion for coverage of a geopolitical area “as a country” is dependent upon whether or not it has been recognized by the United States’ Department of State (See Note # 1), with some consideration of sovereign recognition by the broader international community. Consequently, CountryWatch covers all the independent and sovereign nation states in the world, including the world’s newest officially-recognized countries.
Inclusion in the United Nations does not necessarily mean that one is an independent and sovereign state. For several years, Switzerland upheld its tenet of neutrality by holding only “observer” status at the United Nations (this has since changed). Yet despite its earlier decision to stay out of the United Nations, Switzerland was, nonetheless, an indepedendent and sovereign state. Meanwhile, there are several bodies represented at the United Nations, such as groupings for indigenous movements, which do not translate into independent sovereign status.
CountryWatch has been attentive to independence movements across the world. As such, when independence from Indonesia was declared, and when sovereign status as well as international recognition was achieved, CountryWatch was pleased to add East Timor to its list of countries covered, during the very week of official independence. Following its referendum on independence, official proclamation, international recognition and logisitical separation, Montengro became the newest country in the world. Meanwhile, the successor state of the former Serbia and Montenegro became Serbia. CountryWatch thusly added Montenegro to its list of sovereign and independent countries as well.
Other territories, such as Taiwan, have met many requirements of independent nation state status, but continue to be regarded as dependencies of sorts. For further information about this matter, see the section titled “
State or Nation” in "
Interesting Facts" located along the menu of featured items. In fact, until 1971, Taiwan was a member of the United Nations, but since then has been replaced by China. This occurred as a result of China's controversial "One China" policy which asserts sovereignty over Taiwan. (See Note # 3.)
At CountryWatch, certain territories are covered in special sections or appendices within an existing Country Review. Puerto Rico, for example is treated within the United States Country Review. Meanwhile, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are each treated in a similar manner within the China Country Review. West Bank and Gaza are treated within the Country Review for Israel, Kosovo is covered within the Country Review for Serbia, and Somaliland is covered within the Country Review for Somalia.
CountryWatch recognizes the imprecise and politicized nature of such cases. However, as has been illustrated in the cases of East Timor and Montenegro, the editor is vigilant about staying abreast of political developments, should sovereign and independent status become a reality at some point in the future.
CountryWatch acknowledges and understands that the United States Department of State’s recognition of a country is reflective of the particular political agenda of the United States and its allies. Use of the Department of State listing is not intended to be an explicit endorsement of any country’s political priorities and CountryWatch encourages users to consider the complex range of parameters included in designating any place or area to be a sovereign and independent country.
-- Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman
Editor-in-Chief and Executive Vice President
June, 2007Independent and Sovereign States of the World
Total count of Independent States: 193
* Diplomatic relations with the United States
+ Member of United Nations
! New change, since previous list
Short-form name
| Long-form name
| FIPS Code
See Note #2
| Capital
|
Afghanistan *+
| Islamic State of Afghanistan
| AF
| Kabul
|
Albania *+
| Republic of Albania
| AL
| Tirana
|
Algeria *+
| Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
| AG
| Algiers
|
Andorra *+
| Principality of Andorra
| AN
| Andorra la Vella
|
Angola *+
| Republic of Angola
| AO
| Luanda
|
Antigua and
Barbuda *+
| (no long-form name)
| AC
| Saint John's
|
Argentina *+
| Argentine Republic
| AR
| Buenos Aires
|
Armenia *+
| Republic of Armenia
| AM
| Yerevan
|
Australia *+
| Commonwealth of Australia
| AS
| Canberra
|
Austria *+
| Republic of Austria
| AU
| Vienna
|
Azerbaijan *+
| !Republic of Azerbaijan
| AJ
| Baku
|
Bahamas, The *+
| Commonwealth
of The Bahamas
| BF
| Nassau
|
Bahrain *+
| State of Bahrain
| BA
| Manama
|
Bangladesh *+
| People's Republic
of Bangladesh
| BG
| Dhaka
|
Barbados *+
| (no long-form name)
| BB
| Bridgetown
|
Belarus *+
| Republic of Belarus
| BO
| Minsk
|
Belgium *+
| Kingdom of Belgium
| BE
| Brussels
|
Belize *+
| (no long-form name)
| BH
| Belmopan
|
Benin *+
| Republic of Benin
| BN
| Porto-Novo
|
Bhutan +
| Kingdom of Bhutan
| BT
| Thimphu
|
Bolivia *+
| Republic of Bolivia
| BL
| La Paz (administrative)
Sucre (legislative/judiciary)
|
Bosnia and
Herzegovina *+
| (no long-form name)
| BK
| Sarajevo
|
Botswana *+
| Republic of Botswana
| BC
| Gaborone
|
Brazil *+
| Federative Republic of Brazil
| BR
| Brasília
|
Brunei *+
| Negara Brunei Darussalam
| BX
| Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Bulgaria *+
| Republic of Bulgaria
| BU
| Sofia
|
Burkina Faso *+
| Burkina Faso
| UV
| Ouagadougou
|
Burma *+
| Union of Burma
| BM
| Rangoon
|
Burundi *+
| Republic of Burundi
| BY
| Bujumbura
|
Cambodia *+
| Kingdom of Cambodia
| CB
| Phnom Penh
|
Cameroon *+
| Republic of Cameroon
| CM
| Yaoundé
|
Canada *+
| (no long-form name)
| CA
| Ottawa
|
Cape Verde *+
| Republic of Cape Verde
| CV
| Praia
|
Central
African Republic *+
| Central African Republic
| CT
| Bangui
|
Chad *+
| Republic of Chad
| CD
| N'Djamena
|
Chile *+
| Republic of Chile
| CI
| Santiago
|
China *+
See Note #3
| People's Republic of China
| CH
| Beijing
|
Colombia *+
| Republic of Colombia
| CO
| Bogotá
|
Comoros *+
| Federal Islamic Republic
of the Comoros
| CN
| Moroni
|
Congo (Brazzaville) *+
See Note #4
| Republic of the Congo
| CF
| Brazzaville
|
Congo (Kinshasa) *+
See Note #4 | Democratic Republic
of the Congo
| CG
| Kinshasa
|
Costa Rica *+
| Republic of Costa Rica
| CS
| San José
|
Côte d'Ivoire *+
| Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
| IV
| Yamoussoukro
|
Croatia *+
| Republic of Croatia
| HR
| Zagreb
|
Cuba +
| Republic of Cuba
| CU
| Havana
|
Cyprus *+
| Republic of Cyprus
| CY
| Nicosia
|
Czech Republic *+
| Czech Republic
| EZ
| Prague
|
Denmark *+
| Kingdom of Denmark
| DA
| Copenhagen
|
Djibouti *+
| Republic of Djibouti
| DJ
| Djibouti
|
Dominica *+
| Commonwealth of Dominica
| DO
| Roseau
|
Dominican Republic *+
| Dominican Republic
| DR
| Santo Domingo
|
Ecuador *+
| Republic of Ecuador
| EC
| Quito
|
Egypt *+
| Arab Republic of Egypt
| EG
| Cairo
|
El Salvador *+
| Republic of El Salvador
| ES
| San Salvador
|
Equatorial Guinea *+
| Republic of Equatorial Guinea
| EK
| Malabo
|
Eritrea *+
| State of Eritrea
| ER
| Asmara
|
Estonia *+
| Republic of Estonia
| EN
| Tallinn
|
Ethiopia *+
| Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia
| ET
| Addis Ababa
|
Fiji *+
| Republic of the
Fiji Islands
| FJ
| Suva
|
Finland *+
| Republic of Finland
| FI
| Helsinki
|
France *+
| French Republic
| FR
| Paris
|
Gabon *+
| Gabonese Republic
| GB
| Libreville
|
Gambia, The *+
| Republic of The Gambia
| GA
| Banjul
|
Georgia *+
| !Republic of Georgia
| GG
| T'bilisi
|
Germany *+
| Federal Republic of Germany
| GM
| Berlin
|
Ghana *+
| Republic of Ghana
| GH
| Accra
|
Greece *+
| Hellenic Republic
| GR
| Athens
|
Grenada *+
| (no long-form name)
| GJ
| Saint George's
|
Guatemala *+
| Republic of Guatemala
| GT
| Guatemala
|
Guinea *+
| Republic of Guinea
| GV
| Conakry
|
Guinea-Bissau *+
| Republic of Guinea-Bissau
| PU
| Bissau
|
Guyana *+
| Co-operative
Republic of Guyana
| GY
| Georgetown
|
Haiti *+
| Republic of Haiti
| HA
| Port-au-Prince
|
Holy See *
| Holy See
| VT
| Vatican City
|
Honduras *+
| Republic of Honduras
| HO
| Tegucigalpa
|
Hungary *+
| Republic of Hungary
| HU
| Budapest
|
Iceland *+
| Republic of Iceland
| IC
| Reykjavík
|
India *+
| Republic of India
| IN
| New Delhi
|
Indonesia *+
See Note #5
| Republic of Indonesia | ID
| Jakarta
|
Iran +
| Islamic Republic of Iran
| IR
| Tehran
|
Iraq +
| Republic of Iraq
| IZ
| Baghdad
|
Ireland *+
| (no long-form name)
| EI
| Dublin
|
Israel *+
| State of Israel
| IS
| Jerusalem
See Note #6
|
Italy *+
| Italian Republic
| IT
| Rome
|
Jamaica *+
| (no long-form name)
| JM
| Kingston
|
Japan *+
| (no long-form name)
| JA
| Tokyo
|
Jordan *+
| Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan
| JO
| Amman
|
Kazakhstan *+
| Republic of Kazakhstan
| KZ
| Astana
|
Kenya *+
| Republic of Kenya
| KE
| Nairobi
|
Kiribati *+
| Republic of Kiribati
| KR
| Tarawa
|
Korea, North +
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| KN
| P'yongyang
|
Korea, South *+
| Republic of Korea
| KS
| Seoul
|
Kuwait *+
| State of Kuwait
| KU
| Kuwait
|
Kyrgyzstan *+
| Kyrgyz Republic
| KG
| Bishkek
|
Laos *+
| Lao People's
Democratic Republic
| LA
| Vientiane
|
Latvia *+
| Republic of Latvia
| LG
| Riga
|
Lebanon *+
| Lebanese Republic
| LE
| Beirut
|
Lesotho *+
| Kingdom of Lesotho
| LT
| Maseru
|
Liberia *+
| Republic of Liberia
| LI
| Monrovia
|
Libya *+
| !Great Socialist People's
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
| LY
| Tripoli
|
Liechtenstein *+
| Principality of Liechtenstein
| LS
| Vaduz
|
Lithuania *+
| Republic of Lithuania
| LH
| Vilnius
|
Luxembourg *+
| Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
| LU
| Luxembourg
|
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of *+
| The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
| MK
| Skopje
|
Madagascar *+
| Republic of Madagascar
| MA
| Antananarivo
|
Malawi *+
| Republic of Malawi
| MI
| Lilongwe
|
Malaysia *+
| (no long-form name)
| MY
| Kuala Lumpur
|
Maldives *+
| Republic of Maldives
| MV
| Male
|
Mali *+
| Republic of Mali
| ML
| Bamako
|
Malta *+
| !Republic of Malta
| MT
| Valletta
|
Marshall Islands *+
| Republic of the
Marshall Islands
| RM
| Majuro
|
Mauritania *+
| Islamic Republic
of Mauritania
| MR
| Nouakchott
|
Mauritius *+
| Republic of Mauritius
| MP
| Port Louis
|
Mexico *+
| United Mexican States
| MX
| Mexico
|
Micronesia,
Federated States of *+
| Federated States
of Micronesia
| FM
| Palikir
|
Moldova *+
| Republic of Moldova
| MD
| Chisinau
|
Monaco *+
| Principality of Monaco
| MN
| Monaco
|
Mongolia *+
| (no long-form name)
| MG
| Ulaanbaatar
|
Morocco *+
| Kingdom of Morocco
| MO
| Rabat
|
Mozambique *+
| Republic of Mozambique
| MZ
| Maputo
|
Namibia *+
| Republic of Namibia
| WA
| Windhoek
|
Nauru *+
| Republic of Nauru
| NR
| Yaren District
(no capital city)
|
Nepal *+
| Kingdom of Nepal
| NP
| Kathmandu
|
Netherlands *+
| Kingdom of the Netherlands
| NL
| Amsterdam
The Hague (seat of gov't)
|
New Zealand *+
| (no long-form name)
| NZ
| Wellington
|
Nicaragua *+
| Republic of Nicaragua
| NU
| Managua
|
Niger *+
| Republic of Niger
| NG
| Niamey
|
Nigeria *+
| Federal Republic of Nigeria
| NI
| Abuja
|
Norway *+
| Kingdom of Norway
| NO
| Oslo
|
Oman *+
| Sultanate of Oman
| MU
| Muscat
|
Pakistan *+
| Islamic Republic of Pakistan
| PK
| Islamabad
|
Palau *+
| Republic of Palau
| PS
| Koror
|
Panama *+
| Republic of Panama
| PM
| Panama
|
Papua New Guinea *+
| Independent State
of Papua New Guinea
| PP
| Port Moresby
|
Paraguay *+
| Republic of Paraguay
| PA
| Asunción
|
Peru *+
| Republic of Peru
| PE
| Lima
|
Philippines *+
| Republic of the Philippines
| RP
| Manila
|
Poland *+
| Republic of Poland
| PL
| Warsaw
|
Portugal *+
| Portuguese Republic
| PO
| Lisbon
|
Qatar *+
| State of Qatar
| QA
| Doha
|
Romania *+
| (no long-form name)
| RO
| Bucharest
|
Russia *+
| Russian Federation
| RS
| Moscow
|
Rwanda *+
| Rwandese Republic
| RW
| Kigali
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis *+
| Federation of Saint
Kitts and Nevis
| SC
| Basseterre
|
Saint Lucia *+
| (no long-form name)
| ST
| Castries
|
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines *+
| (no long-form name)
| VC
| Kingstown
|
Samoa *+
| Independent State of Samoa
| WS
| Apia
|
San Marino *+
| Republic of San Marino
| SM
| San Marino
|
Sao Tome and Principe *+
| Democratic Republic of
Sao Tome and Principe
| TP
| São Tomé
|
Saudi Arabia *+
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| SA
| Riyadh
|
Senegal *+
| Republic of Senegal
| SG
| Dakar
|
Seychelles *+
| Republic of Seychelles
| SE
| Victoria
|
Sierra Leone *+
| Republic of Sierra Leone
| SL
| Freetown
|
Singapore *+
| Republic of Singapore
| SN
| Singapore
|
Slovakia *+
| Slovak Republic
| LO
| Bratislava
|
Slovenia *+
| Republic of Slovenia
| SI
| Ljubljana
|
Solomon Islands *+
| (no long-form name)
| BP
| Honiara
|
Somalia *+
| (no long-form name)
| SO
| Mogadishu
|
South Africa *+
| Republic of South Africa
| SF
| Pretoria (administrative)
Cape Town (legislative)
Bloemfontein (judiciary)
|
Spain *+
| Kingdom of Spain
| SP
| Madrid
|
Sri Lanka *+
| Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka
| CE
| Colombo
!Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative)
|
Sudan *+
| Republic of the Sudan
| SU
| Khartoum
|
Suriname *+
| Republic of Suriname
| NS
| Paramaribo
|
Swaziland *+
| Kingdom of Swaziland
| WZ
| Mbabane (administrative)
Lobamba (legislative)
|
Sweden *+
| Kingdom of Sweden
| SW
| Stockholm
|
Switzerland *
| Swiss Confederation
| SZ
| Bern
|
Syria *+
| Syrian Arab Republic
| SY
| Damascus
|
Tajikistan *+
| Republic of Tajikistan
| TI
| Dushanbe
|
Tanzania *+
| United Republic of Tanzania
| TZ
| Dar es Salaam
Dodoma (legislative)
|
Thailand *+
| Kingdom of Thailand
| TH
| Bangkok
|
Togo *+
| Togolese Republic
| TO
| Lomé
|
Tonga *+
| Kingdom of Tonga
| TN
| Nuku'alofa
|
Trinidad and Tobago *+
| Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago
| TD
| Port-of-Spain
|
Tunisia *+
| Republic of Tunisia
| TS
| Tunis
|
Turkey *+
| Republic of Turkey
| TU
| Ankara
|
Turkmenistan *+
| (no long-form name)
| TX
| Ashgabat
|
Tuvalu *
| (no long-form name)
| TV
| Funafuti
|
Uganda *+
| Republic of Uganda
| UG
| Kampala
|
Ukraine *+
| (no long-form name)
| UP
| Kiev
|
United Arab Emirates *+
| United Arab Emirates
| TC
| Abu Dhabi
|
United Kingdom *+
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| UK
| London
|
United States +
| United States of America
| US
| Washington, DC
|
Uruguay *+
| Oriental Republic of Uruguay
| UY
| Montevideo
|
Uzbekistan *+
| Republic of Uzbekistan
| UZ
| Tashkent
|
Vanuatu *+
| Republic of Vanuatu
| NH
| Port-Vila
|
Venezuela *+
| Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
| VE
| Caracas
|
Vietnam *+
| Socialist Republic of Vietnam
| VM
| Hanoi
|
Yemen *+
| Republic of Yemen
| YM
| Sanaa
|
(The former Yugoslavia) Serbia *+
See Note #7
| Republic of Serbia | RB
| Belgrade
|
Zambia *+
| Republic of Zambia
| ZA
| Lusaka
|
Zimbabwe *+
| Republic of Zimbabwe
| ZI
| Harare
|
Excluded from this list, but included in the total list of sovereign and independent nation states are: East Timor and Montenegro.
NOTESNote 1: In this listing, the term "independent state" refers to a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory recognized as independent by the United States of America.
Note 2: Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4 codes.
Note 3: With the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1979, the U.S. Government recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China.
Note 4: "Congo" is the official short-form name for both the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To distinguish one from the other, the U.S. Department of State adds the capital in parentheses. This practice is unofficial and provisional.
Note 5: In 2002, East Timor (FIPS code TT) became independent from Indonesia.
Note 6: In 1950 the Israel Parliament proclaimed Jerusalem as the capital. The U.S., like most other countries that have embassies in Israel, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Note 7: The successor state of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Republic of Yugoslavia, later named Serbia and Montenegro; today this successor state is now officially called Serbia (FIPS code RB), while as of 2006, Montenegro is a separate nation state (FIPS code MJ).
Source: Office of The Geographer and Global Issues, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
For more information about the countries of the world, see
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