The world we live in has many divisions, from continents to countries to states/provinces to cities to neighborhoods. We all know the name of the country we live in, but have you ever taken the time to wonder what exactly it is that makes a country?
By definition, a country refers to a territory with its own borders and total sovereignty. In modern times, this meaning has changed such that the word may be used to refer to several regions and territories that often do not fulfill the criteria in the definition.
For example, some small areas in England, such as West Country, the Constable Country, and the Black Country, are described as countries despite their relatively smaller sizes. Another good example is that of the United Kingdom, which is made up of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
What is a Country?
A country is a political subdivision of land. Each country has its own government and its own property and land. Countries aren’t ‘natural’ divisions of land, as several countries can exist on one continent or island, for example.
One example of a country is the United States. It has its own government and lands. Other countries are Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or makeup one part of a larger state.
For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the country of Wales is a component of a multi-part sovereign state, the United Kingdom.
A country may be a historically sovereign area (such as Korea), a currently sovereign territory with a unified government (such as Senegal), or a non-sovereign geographic region associated with certain distinct political, ethnic, or cultural characteristics (such as the Basque Country).
The definition and usage of the word “country” is flexible and has changed over time. The Economist wrote in 2010 that “any attempt to find a clear definition of a country soon runs into a thicket of exceptions and anomalies.” Most sovereign states, but not all countries, are members of the United Nations.
The largest country by area is Russia, while the smallest is the microstate Vatican City. The most populous is India, while Vatican City is also the least populous.
How many countries are there in the world?
Since South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, there are now 195 independent sovereign nations in the world (not including the disputed but de facto independent Taiwan, plus some 60 dependent areas and several disputed territories, such as Kosovo.
193 sovereign states are United Nations members and equally represented in the UN General Assembly.
Two non-member countries have permanent observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
Below is a list of countries and areas of the world in alphabetical order, with official names and alternative designations. The list contains English and French country names as well as the local names of the countries.
Links will lead to the respective One World – Nations Online country profiles.
Each country profile contains links to and information about important official websites of a country/territory, geographic information, maps, the national flag, history, culture, and tourist destinations.
The country profiles include information on a country’s population and languages, its capital(s) and largest cities, tourist attractions, and world heritage sites, as well as education, economy, newspapers and news sources, and other country information.
Related Posts: How Many Countries Are There in North America?
List of Country Names
Countries That Start With A
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Austrian Empire*
- Azerbaijan
Countries That Start With B
- Baden*
- Bahamas, The
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Bavaria*
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin (Dahomey)
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Brunswick and Lüneburg
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)
- Burma
- Burundi
Countries That Start With C
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cayman Islands, The
- Central African Republic
- Central American Federation*
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo Free State, The*
- Costa Rica
- Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Czechoslovakia
Countries That Start With D
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Duchy of Parma, The*
Countries That Start With E
- East Germany (German Democratic Republic)*
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
Countries That Start With F
- Federal Government of Germany (1848-49) *
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
Countries That Start With G
- Gabon
- Gambia, The
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Grand Duchy of Tuscany, The*
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
Countries That Start With H
- Haiti
- Hanover*
- Hanseatic Republics*
- Hawaii*
- Hesse*
- Holy See
- Honduras
- Hungary
Countries That Start With I
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
Countries That Start With J
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
Countries That Start With K
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kingdom of Serbia/Yugoslavia*
- Kiribati
- Korea
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
Countries That Start With L
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Lew Chew (Loochoo)*
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
Countries That Start With M
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin*
- Mecklenburg-Strelitz*
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
Countries That Start With N
- Namibia
- Nassau*
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands, The
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North German Confederation*
- North German Union*
- North Macedonia
- Norway
Countries That Start With O
- Oldenburg*
- Oman
- Orange Free State*
Countries That Start With P
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Panama
- Papal States*
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Piedmont-Sardinia*
- Poland
- Portugal
Countries That Start With Q
- Qatar
Countries That Start With R
- Republic of Genoa*
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Republic of the Congo
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
Countries That Start With S
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Schaumburg-Lippe*
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands, The
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
Countries That Start With T
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Texas*
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Two Sicilies*
Countries That Start With U
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics*
- United Arab Emirates, The
- United Kingdom, The
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
Countries That Start With V
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Countries That Start With W
- Württemberg*
Countries That Start With Y
- Yemen
Countries That Start With Z
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe