List of sovereign states
Encyclopedia
This is a list of sovereign states giving an overview of states
around the world
with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty
.
The list contains 204 entries. The states are divided using two distinct methods:
Compiling a list such as this can be a difficult 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.
standard of statehood is the declarative theory of statehood that 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) capacity to enter into relations with the other states." Debate exists on the degree to which recognition
should be included as a criterion of statehood. The declarative theory of statehood, an example of which can be found in the Montevideo Convention
, 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 recognized as sovereign
by other states. For the purposes of this list, included are all states that either:
or
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.
On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 204 entities:
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
around the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
.
The list contains 204 entries. The states are divided using two distinct methods:
- The membership within the United Nations system column divides the states into two categories: 194 states that are either member states or observer statesUnited Nations General Assembly observersIn addition to the current 193 member states, the United Nations welcomes many international organizations, entities, and non-member states as observers. Observer status is granted by a United Nations General Assembly resolution...
in the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, and 10 other states. - The sovereignty disputes column divides the states into two categories: 13 states whose sovereignty is disputed and 191 other states.
Compiling a list such as this can be a difficult 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.
List of states
| Name in English, and the official, national, and other important languages of the state The names of the items in the list are given in English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... , as well as in the official, national National language A national language is a language which has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A national language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country... , major minority Minority language A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities.-International politics:... , and historically important languages of the state. Where applicable, names in other languages are included in their original script Writing system A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to... , along with a transliteration Transliteration Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another... in Roman characters. Except where mentioned, the source for the names in their official languages is the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names was set up by the Secretary General of the United Nations on April 23, 1959.... (UNGEGN, retrieved 24 February 2011), which uses romanisation systems approved by the United Nations. The sources for flags are the main articles on these states. When other sources are used, these sources are mentioned. For a gallery of flags, see Gallery of sovereign-state flags Gallery of sovereign-state flags This gallery of sovereign-state flags shows the flags of sovereign states that appear on the list of sovereign states. For other flags, please see flags of active autonomist and secessionist movements, flags of formerly independent states, and gallery of dependent territory flags... . |
Membership within the UN System | Sovereignty dispute | Further information on status and recognition of sovereignty |
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| UN member states or observer states United Nations General Assembly observers In addition to the current 193 member states, the United Nations welcomes many international organizations, entities, and non-member states as observers. Observer status is granted by a United Nations General Assembly resolution... |
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| Abkhazia → Abkhazia |
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 Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
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UN member state | None
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 Albania – Republic of Albania
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UN member state | None
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 Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
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UN member state | None
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 Andorra – Principality of Andorra
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UN member state | None
Andorra is a co-principality Diarchy Diarchy , from the Greek δι- "twice" and αρχια, "rule", is a form of government in which two individuals, the diarchs, are the heads of state. In most diarchies, the diarchs hold their position for life and pass the responsibilities and power of the position to their children or family when they... 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, who himself is appointed by the Holy See. |
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 Angola – Republic of Angola
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UN member state | None
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 Antigua and Barbuda
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UN member state | None
Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... with 1 autonomous region, Barbuda Barbuda Barbuda is an island in the Eastern Caribbean, and forms part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda. It has a population of about 1,500, most of whom live in the town of Codrington.-Location:... . |
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 Argentina – Argentine Republic The Argentine Constitution (Art. 35) recognises the following denominations for Argentina: "United Provinces of the Río de la Plata", "Argentine Republic" and "Argentine Confederation"; furthermore, it establishes the usage of "Argentine Nation" for purposes of legislation.
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UN member state | None
Argentina is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 23 provinces and 1 autonomous city Provinces of Argentina Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city... . Argentina claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom. Argentina claims Argentine Antarctica Argentine Antarctica Argentine Antarctica is a sector of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. The Argentine Antarctic region, consisting of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the South Pole, is delimited by the 25° West and 74° West meridians and the 60° South... as part of its national territory, officially a department of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina) Tierra del Fuego is an Argentine province entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the Strait of Magellan. It includes:* The eastern part of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego archipelago and the Staten Island.* Argentina's claims to the Falkland Islands and to... , which overlaps with the claims of the UK and Chile. |
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 Armenia – Republic of Armenia
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UN member state | None
Armenia is not recognised by one UN member: Pakistan. |
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 Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
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UN member state | None
Australia is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... and a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 6 states and 10 territories States and territories of Australia The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a... . The external territories of Australia are: |
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 Austria – Republic of Austria
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Austria is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 9 states States of Austria Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms... (Bundesländer). |
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 Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan
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UN member state | None
Azerbaijan contains 2 autonomous regions, Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains... (Dağlıq Qarabağ). In Nagorno-Karabakh, a de facto state has been established. |
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 The Bahamas – Commonwealth of The Bahamas
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UN member state | None
The Bahamas is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain
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UN member state | None
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 Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh
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UN member state | None
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 Barbados
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UN member state | None
Barbados is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Belarus – Republic of Belarus
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UN member state | None
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 Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Belgium is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... divided into linguistic communities and regions. |
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 Belize
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UN member state | None
Belize is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Benin – Republic of Benin Formerly referred to as DahomeyDahomey Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey... , its official name until 1975.
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UN member state | None
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 Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan
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UN member state | None
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 Bolivia – Plurinational State of Bolivia
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UN member state | None
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 Bosnia and Herzegovina
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UN member state | None
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a federation of 2 constituent units: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line... and the Republika Srpska Republika Srpska Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina... .For more information about the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina, see Dayton Agreement Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on... and the text of The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (14 December 1995). Office of the High Representative. Retrieved 28 February 2011. |
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 Botswana – Republic of Botswana
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UN member state | None
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 Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil
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UN member state | None
Brazil is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 26 states and 1 federal district. |
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 Brunei – State of Brunei, Abode of Peace
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UN member state | None
Brunei claims sovereignty over part of the Spratly Islands Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land... . |
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 Kingdom of Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Burkina Faso Also known as Burkina; formerly referred to as Upper Volta, its official name until 1984.
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UN member state | None
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 Myanmar – Republic of the Union of Myanmar Burma's official short form name as used by the United Nations is "Myanmar". The government changed the state's official name in English from "Union of Myanmar" to "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" in October 2010.
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UN member state | None
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 Burundi – Republic of Burundi
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UN member state | None
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 Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia
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UN member state | None
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 Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon
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UN member state | None
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 Canada The legal name for Canada is the sole word; an officially sanctioned, though disused, name is Dominion of Canada (which includes its legal title); see: Name of Canada, DominionDominion A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,... .
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UN member state | None
Canada is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... and a federation Canadian federalism Canada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government... of 10 provinces and 3 territories Provinces and territories of Canada The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories... . |
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 Cape Verde – Republic of Cape Verde
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UN member state | None
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 Central African Republic
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UN member state | None
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 Chad – Republic of Chad
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UN member state | None
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 Chile – Republic of Chile
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UN member state | None
Easter Island Easter Island Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people... and the Juan Fernández Islands Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first... are "special territories" of Chile in the Valparaíso Region Valparaíso Region The V Valparaíso Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions.Valparaíso Region, 2006 With the country's third highest population of 1,539,852 million in 2002 and third smallest area of , the region is Chile's second most densely populated after the Santiago Metropolitan Region... . Chile claims part of Antarctica Antártica The Chilean Antarctic Territory is the territory in Antarctica claimed by Chile. The Chilean Antarctic Territory ranges from 53°W to 90°W and from the South Pole to 60°S, partially overlapping Argentine and British Antarctic claims... as a commune in its Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region. Its claim overlaps with those of the UK and Argentina. |
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 Mainland China – People's Republic of China
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UN member state |
The People's Republic of China (PRC) contains five autonomous regions, Guangxi Guangxi Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in... , Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation... , Ningxia Ningxia Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary... , Xinjiang Xinjiang Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2... and Tibet Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965.... . Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of: It also claims:
Aksai Chin Aksai Chin Aksai Chin is one of the two main disputed border areas between China and India, and the other is South Tibet, which comprises most of India's Arunachal Pradesh. It is administered by China as part of Hotan County in the Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, but is also claimed by India... , controlled by the PRC, is claimed by India as a part of Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the... . The PRC is not recognised by 22 Foreign relations of the Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is recognized by sovereign states. The course of the foreign relations of the ROC is dominated by maintaining diplomatic relations with these countries, as well as unofficial relations with other countries via its de facto embassies and... UN member states and the Holy See Holy See The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and... , which instead recognise the ROC.See also Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China has had a diplomatic tug-of-war with its rival in Taiwan, the Republic of China . Throughout the Cold War, both governments claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all China and allowed countries to recognize either one or the other... and Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China The foreign relations of the People's Republic of China guides the way in which it interacts with foreign nations. As a great power and emerging superpower, China's foreign policy and strategic thinking is highly influential. China officially states it "unswervingly pursues an independent foreign... . |
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| China, Republic of (Taiwan) → Taiwan | |||
 Colombia – Republic of Colombia
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UN member state | None
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 Comoros – Union of the Comoros
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UN member state | None
Comoros is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 3 islands, and claims Mayotte Mayotte Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and... , currently part of France, as a fourth. Comoros also disputes French sovereignty over Banc du Geyser Banc du Geyser Banc du Geyser is a mostly submerged reef in the Mozambique Channel's northeastern part, 125 km northeast from Mayotte, 112 km southwest of the Îles Glorieuses, and 200 km off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, at .The Banc is a dangerous oval-shaped reef 8 km long and... . |
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 Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) Abbreviated as DRC, and also known as Congo-Kinshasa. Formerly referred to as ZaireZaire The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In... , its official name from 1971 to 1997.
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UN member state | None
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 Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)
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UN member state | None
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 Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
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UN member state | None
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 Côte d'Ivoire – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
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UN member state | None
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 Independent State of Croatia – Republic of Croatia
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UN member state | None
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 Cuba – Republic of Cuba
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UN member state | None
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 Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. The northeastern part of the island is the de facto state of Northern Cyprus. Cyprus is not recognised by one UN member: Turkey.See Foreign relations of Cyprus Foreign relations of Cyprus Cyprus is a member of the United Nations along with most of its agencies as well as the Commonwealth of Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Council of Europe... and Cyprus dispute Cyprus dispute The Cyprus dispute is the result of the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, over the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus.... . |
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 Czech Republic A simpler official short-form name has been encouraged by the Czech government: the English variant Czechia remains uncommon, but variants in Czech (Česko) and some other languages are more popular. See Name of the Czech Republic
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. The Kingdom of Denmark Kingdom of Denmark The Kingdom of Denmark or the Danish Realm , is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting of Denmark proper in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. Denmark is the hegemonial part, where the... also includes two self-governing countries.For more information, see Rigsfællesskabet Rigsfællesskabet Rigsfællesskabet is a semi-official Danish term for the relations between continental Denmark and its two self-governing insular regions, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which collectively make up the Kingdom of Denmark.-Legal status:Both the Faroe Islands and Greenland enjoy far-reaching home... . (Føroyar/Færøerne) (Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland) |
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 Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti
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UN member state | None
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 Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica
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UN member state | None
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 Dominican Republic
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UN member state | None
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 East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste The government of East Timor uses "Timor-Leste" as the English translation.
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UN member state | None
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 Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
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UN member state | None
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 Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
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UN member state | None
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 El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador
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UN member state | None
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 Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
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UN member state | None
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 Eritrea – State of Eritrea
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UN member state | None
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 Estonia – Republic of Estonia
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
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UN member state | None
Ethiopia is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 9 regions and 2 chartered cities Regions of Ethiopia ||Ethiopia is divided into 9 ethnically-based administrative regions and two chartered cities... . |
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 Fiji – Republic of Fiji
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UN member state | None
Fiji contains 1 autonomous region, Rotuma Rotuma Rotuma is a Fijian dependency, consisting of Rotuma Island and nearby islets. The island group is home to a small but unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognizable minority within the population of Fiji, known as "Rotumans"... . |
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 Finland – Republic of Finland
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. is a neutral and demilitarised autonomous region of Finland.Åland Åland Islands The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland... was demilitarised by the Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris (1856) The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, Second French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The treaty, signed on March 30, 1856 at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory, closing it to all... in 1856, which was later affirmed by the League of Nations League of Nations The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace... in 1921, and in a somewhat different context reaffirmed in the treaty on Finland's admission to the European Union in 1995. |
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 Early Modern France – French Republic
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. French overseas regions/departments (French Guiana French Guiana French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west... , Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe... , Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... , Mayotte Mayotte Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and... and Réunion Réunion Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France... ) are full, integral parts of France. The French Republic also includes the overseas territories of: (includes the Antarctic claim of Adélie Land Adélie Land Adélie Land is the portion of the Antarctic coast between 136° E and 142° E , with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland extending as a sector about 2,600 km toward the South Pole. It is claimed by France as one of five districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, although not... ). Clipperton Island Clipperton Island Clipperton Island is an uninhabited nine-square-kilometre coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico and west of Central America, at... is a possession of the government. French sovereignty over Banc du Geyser Banc du Geyser Banc du Geyser is a mostly submerged reef in the Mozambique Channel's northeastern part, 125 km northeast from Mayotte, 112 km southwest of the Îles Glorieuses, and 200 km off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, at .The Banc is a dangerous oval-shaped reef 8 km long and... , Bassas da India Bassas da India Bassas da India is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. It is an uninhabited, roughly circular atoll about in diameter, which corresponds to a total size of . It is located in the southern Mozambique Channel, about half-way between Madagascar and Mozambique, and northwest of... , Europa Island Europa Island Europa Island is a 28 km² low-lying tropical island in the Mozambique Channel, about a third of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique, at . It has 22.2 kilometres of coastline, but no ports or harbours. Anchorage is possible offshore... , Glorioso Islands Glorioso Islands The Glorieuses or Glorioso Islands are a group of French islands and rocks totalling , at , in the northern Mozambique channel, about northwest of Madagascar. The Glorieuses have an Exclusive Economic Zone of... , Juan de Nova Island Juan de Nova Island Juan de Nova Island is a low, flat, tropical island in the narrowest part of the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique at... , Mayotte, and Tromelin Island Tromelin Island Tromelin Island is a low, flat 0.8-square-kilometre island in the Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar . There are no harbours or anchorages and access by sea is difficult. The island has a 1,200-metre airstrip. It is a French territory... is disputed in part by Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and the Comoros. |
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 Gabon – Gabonese Republic
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UN member state | None
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 The Gambia – Republic of The Gambia
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UN member state | None
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 Georgia (country)
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UN member state | None
Georgia contains 2 autonomous regions, Adjara Adjara Adjara , officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara , is an autonomous republic of Georgia.Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea... and Abkhazia Abkhazia Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny... . In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto states have been formed. |
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 Germany – Federal Republic of Germany
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Germany is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 16 federated states States of Germany Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries... (Länder). |
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 Ghana – Republic of Ghana
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UN member state | None
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 Greece – Hellenic Republic
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Mount Athos Mount Athos Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the... is an autonomous part of Greece that is jointly governed by the multinational "Holy Community" on the mountain and a civil governor appointed by the Greek government. |
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 Grenada
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UN member state | None
Grenada is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
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UN member state | None
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 Guinea – Republic of Guinea
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UN member state | None
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 Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
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UN member state | None
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 Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana
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UN member state | None
All land west of the Essequibo River Essequibo River The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.-Geography:There are countless... is claimed by Venezuela. |
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 Haiti – Republic of Haiti
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UN member state | None
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| Holy See → Vatican City | None |
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 Honduras – Republic of Honduras
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UN member state | None
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 Hungary – Republic of Hungary
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Iceland – Republic of Iceland
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UN member state | None
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 India – Republic of India
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UN member state | None
India is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 28 states and 7 union territories States and territories of India India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:... . Indian sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by... is disputed by the People's Republic of China. India claims sovereignty over the whole of Kashmir Kashmir Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range... , but administers only part of it as the federated state of Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the... . |
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 Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
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UN member state | None
Indonesia has 3 provinces with official special autonomy status: Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Aceh Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin... , Papua, and West Papua. |
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 Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran
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UN member state | None
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 Iraq – Republic of Iraq
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UN member state | None
Iraq is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 18 governorates Governorates of Iraq ||Iraq is composed of 18 provinces :#Baghdād #Salāh ad-Dīn #Diyālā #Wāsit #Maysān #Al-Basrah #Dhī Qār #Al-Muthannā #Al-Qādisiyyah... , 3 of which make up the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr... . |
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 Republic of Ireland The Irish state is often referred to as the Republic of Ireland (its official description but not its name). Sometimes this is done to distinguish the state from the island of IrelandIreland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... as a whole. However, sometimes it is done for political reasons and is contentious Names of the Irish state There have been various names of the Irish state, some of which have been controversial. The constitutional name of the contemporary state is Ireland, the same as the island of Ireland, of which it comprises the major portion... .
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. The Constitution of Ireland asserts Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland The Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland introduced changes to Articles 2 and 3 of the constitution required by the 1998 Belfast Agreement . Prior to 1999, Articles 2 and 3 made the controversial claim that the whole island of Ireland formed one single "national territory"... the aspiration towards creating a United Ireland United Ireland A united Ireland is the term used to refer to the idea of a sovereign state which covers all of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. The island of Ireland includes the territory of two independent sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland, which covers 26 counties of the island, and the... by peaceful means. |
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 Israel – State of Israel
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UN member state | None
Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... annexed East Jerusalem East Jerusalem East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War... , and occupies the Golan Heights and parts of the West Bank West Bank The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan... . These areas are not internationally-recognised as being part of Israel. Israel no longer has a permanent military presence in the Gaza Strip Gaza Strip thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of... , following its unilateral disengagement Israel's unilateral disengagement plan Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from... , but is still considered the occupying power under international law. Israel is not recognised as a state by 33 International recognition of Israel The recognition of Israel in the international community remains an outstanding issue of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Pursuant to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which provided for the establishment of a Jewish state, Israel declared its independence at midnight on 14 May 1948... members of the UN. |
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 Italy – Italian Republic
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Italy has 5 autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is... , Sardinia Sardinia Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],... , Sicily Sicily Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,... and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. |
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| Ivory Coast → Côte d'Ivoire | |||
 Jamaica
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UN member state | None
Jamaica is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Japan
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UN member state | None
Japan disputes Kuril Islands dispute The Kuril Islands dispute , also known as the , is a dispute between Japan and Russia over sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands. The disputed islands, which were occupied by Soviet forces during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation at the end of World War II, are under Russian... Russian administration of the South Kuril Islands Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater... . |
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 Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
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UN member state | None
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 Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan
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UN member state | None
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 Kenya – Republic of Kenya
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UN member state | None
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 Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati
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UN member state | None
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 North Korea – Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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UN member state |
North Korea is not recognised by two UN members: Japan and South Korea. |
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 South Korea – Republic of Korea
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UN member state |
South Korea contains 1 autonomous region, Jeju-do Jeju-do Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946... . South Korea is not recognised by one UN member: North Korea. |
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| Kosovo → Kosovo | |||
 Kuwait – State of Kuwait
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UN member state | None
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 Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic
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UN member state | None
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 Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic
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UN member state | None
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 Latvia – Republic of Latvia
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Lebanon – Lebanese Republic
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UN member state | None
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 Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
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UN member state | None
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 Liberia – Republic of Liberia
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UN member state | None
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 Libya
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UN member state | None
The former government of Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a... , which claims to be the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, still has some international recognition (see Foreign relations of the National Transitional Council and Foreign relations of Libya under Gaddafi). |
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 Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
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UN member state | None
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 Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Republic of Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia
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UN member state | None
Because of the Macedonia naming dispute Macedonia naming dispute A diplomatic dispute over the use of the name Macedonia has been an ongoing issue in the bilateral relations between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia since the latter became independent from former Yugoslavia in 1991... , the country is referred to by the UN and a number of states and international organizations as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". |
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 Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar
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UN member state | None
Madagascar claims the French territories of Banc du Geyser Banc du Geyser Banc du Geyser is a mostly submerged reef in the Mozambique Channel's northeastern part, 125 km northeast from Mayotte, 112 km southwest of the Îles Glorieuses, and 200 km off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, at .The Banc is a dangerous oval-shaped reef 8 km long and... , Juan de Nova Island Juan de Nova Island Juan de Nova Island is a low, flat, tropical island in the narrowest part of the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique at... , and the Glorioso Islands Glorioso Islands The Glorieuses or Glorioso Islands are a group of French islands and rocks totalling , at , in the northern Mozambique channel, about northwest of Madagascar. The Glorieuses have an Exclusive Economic Zone of... . |
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 Malawi – Republic of Malawi
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UN member state | None
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 Malaysia
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UN member state | None
Malaysia is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 13 states and 3 federal territories States of Malaysia Malaysia is a federation which consists of thirteen states and three federal territories . Eleven states and two federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula while the remaining two states and one federal territory are on the island of Borneo.-The states and federal territories:Malaysia... . Malaysia claims part of the Spratly Islands Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land... . |
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 Maldives – Republic of Maldives
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UN member state | None
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 Mali – Republic of Mali
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UN member state | None
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 Malta – Republic of Malta
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands
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UN member state | None
Under Compact of Free Association Compact of Free Association The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated... with the United States. |
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 Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
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UN member state | None
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 Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius
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UN member state | None
Mauritius has an autonomous island, Rodrigues Rodrigues Rodrigues is a common surname in the Portuguese language. It was originally a Patronymic, meaning Son of Rodrigo or Son of Rui. The "es" signifies "son of". The name Rodrigo is the Portuguese form of Roderick, meaning "famous power" or "famous ruler", from the Germanic elements "hrod" and "ric" ,... . Mauritius claims the British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia... and the French island of Tromelin Tromelin Island Tromelin Island is a low, flat 0.8-square-kilometre island in the Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar . There are no harbours or anchorages and access by sea is difficult. The island has a 1,200-metre airstrip. It is a French territory... . |
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 Mexico – United Mexican States
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UN member state | None
Mexico is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 31 states and 1 federal district. |
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'
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UN member state | None
Under Compact of Free Association Compact of Free Association The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated... with the United States. The Federated States of Micronesia is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 4 states. |
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 Moldova – Republic of Moldova
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UN member state | None
Moldova has the autonomous regions of Gagauzia Gagauzia Gagauzia , formally known as the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Găgăuzia , is an autonomous region of... and Transnistria, the latter of which has established a de facto state. |
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 Monaco – Principality of Monaco
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UN member state | None
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 Mongolia
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UN member state | None
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 Kingdom of Montenegro
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UN member state | None
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 Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
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UN member state | None
Morocco claims sovereignty over Western Sahara Western Sahara Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly... and controls most of it, which is disputed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco disputes Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta Ceuta Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish... , Melilla Melilla Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa... and the "Plazas de soberanía Plazas de soberanía The plazas de soberanía or sovereign territories, referred to in English as Spanish North Africa or simply Spanish Africa, are the current Spanish territories in continental North Africa bordering Morocco, except the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.After the Reconquista, forces of the... ". |
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 Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
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UN member state | None
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| Myanmar → Burma | |||
| Nagorno-Karabakh → Nagorno-Karabakh | |||
 Namibia – Republic of Namibia
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UN member state | None
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 Nauru – Republic of Nauru
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UN member state | None
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 Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
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UN member state | None
Nepal is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... composed of 14 zones Zones of Nepal Nepal is divided into 14 administrative zones , and 75 districts . The 14 administrative zones are grouped into five development regions... . |
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 Kingdom of the Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four constituent countries: The monarch and her ministers form the government of the kingdom as well as the government of the country the Netherlands. Following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint... in 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have become constituent countries, which, alongside Aruba, enjoy considerable autonomy. The other three islands (Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius) became special municipalities of the Netherlands. The designation "Netherlands" can refer to either one of the Kingdom's constituent countries or to the short name for the Kingdom (e.g., in international organizations). The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law applies only to parts within Europe. |
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 New Zealand
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UN member state | None
New Zealand is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... and has responsibilities for (but has no sovereignty over) two freely associated state Associated state An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory with a degree of statehood and a nation, for which no other specific term, such as protectorate, is adopted... s: The Cook Islands and Niue have diplomatic relations with 31 and 6 UN members respectively. They have full treaty-making capacity in the UN, and are members of some UN specialized agencies. New Zealand has the dependent territories of: The Tokelauan government claims sovereignty over Swains Island Swains Island Swains Island is an atoll in the Tokelau chain. Culturally a part of Tokelau, it is an unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States administered by American Samoa. Swains Island has also been known at various times as Olosenga Island, Olohega Island, Quiros Island, Gente Hermosa... , part of American Samoa American Samoa American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa... , a territory of the United States. New Zealand does not recognize the Tokelauan claim. |
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 Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
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UN member state | None
Nicaragua contains 2 autonomous regions, Atlántico Sur Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur , sometimes shortened to RAAS, is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 27,407 km² and has a population of 382,100... and Atlántico Norte Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte , sometimes shortened to RAAN, is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 32,159 km² and has a population of 249,700 . It is the largest autonomous region or department in Nicaragua... . |
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 Niger – Republic of Niger
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UN member state | None
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 Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
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UN member state | None
Nigeria is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 36 states and 1 federal territory States of Nigeria Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The states are further divided into 774 Local Government Areas.... . |
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| Northern Cyprus → Northern Cyprus | |||
| North Korea → Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | |||
 Norway – Kingdom of Norway
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UN member state | None
Svalbard Svalbard Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the... is an integral part of Norway, but has a special status due to the Spitsbergen Treaty. Bouvet Island Bouvet Island Bouvet Island is an uninhabited Antarctic volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 2,525 km south-southwest of South Africa. It is a dependent territory of Norway and, lying north of 60°S latitude, is not subject to the Antarctic Treaty. The centre of the island is an ice-filled crater of an... is a dependent territory of Norway. Norway also claims Peter I Island Peter I Island Peter I Island is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Bellingshausen Sea, from Antarctica. It is claimed as a dependency of Norway, and along with Queen Maud Land and Bouvet Island comprises one of the three Norwegian dependent territories in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Peter I Island is ... and Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land is a c. 2.7 million-square-kilometre region of Antarctica claimed as a dependent territory by Norway. The territory lies between 20° west and 45° east, between the British Antarctic Territory to the west and the Australian Antarctic Territory to the east. The latitudinal... as dependent territories of Norway, as part of the Norwegian Antarctic Territory Norwegian Antarctic Territory Norway has three dependent territories within the Antarctic and Subantarctic. These consist of Queen Maud Land on Antarctica and Peter I Island , which both are subject to the Antarctic Treaty System; and the Subantarctic Bouvet Island... . |
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 Oman – Sultanate of Oman
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UN member state | None
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 Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
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UN member state | None
Pakistan is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 4 provinces, 1 capital territory, and tribal regions Subdivisions of Pakistan The administrative units of Pakistan consist of four provinces, one federal capital territory, and a group of federally-administered tribal areas... . Pakistan disputes Indian sovereignty over Kashmir Kashmir Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range... . It exercises control over some areas Pakistan-administered Kashmir Azad Kashmir borders the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north west, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China to the north and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, to the east.A... , but does not explicitly claim any part of it, instead regarding it as a disputed territory. The portions that it controls are divided into two polities, administered separately from Pakistan proper: |
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 Palau – Republic of Palau
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UN member state | None
Under Compact of Free Association Compact of Free Association The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated... with the United States. |
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| Palestine → Palestine | |||
 Panama – Republic of Panama
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UN member state | None
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 Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea
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UN member state | None
Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... with 1 autonomous region, Bougainville. |
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 Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
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UN member state | None
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 Peru – Republic of Peru
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UN member state | None
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 Philippines – Republic of the Philippines
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UN member state | None
The Philippines contains two autonomous regions, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the region, located in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines, that is composed of predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan , Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the only region that has its own government... and the Cordillera Administrative Region Cordillera Administrative Region The Cordillera Administrative Region is a region in the Philippines composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, as well as Baguio City, the regional center. The Cordillera Administrative Region encompasses most of the areas within the Cordillera... . The Philippines administers Scarborough Shoal Scarborough Shoal Scarborough Shoal or Scarborough Reef , more correctly described as a group of islands and reefs in an atoll shape than a shoal, is located between the Macclesfield Bank and Luzon, Philippines in the South China Sea. As with most of the landforms in this sea, the sovereignty of the area is disputed... and some of the Spratly Islands Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land... , and claims sovereignty over the Macclesfield Bank Macclesfield Bank Macclesfield Bank or Zhongsha Islands is an elongated sunken atoll of underwater reefs and shoals in the South China Sea and part of the disputed South China Sea Islands, centred around , east of the Paracel Islands. Its length exceeds southwest-northeast, with a maximal width of more than... and Sabah Sabah Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south... , which is part of Malaysia. |
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 Poland – Republic of Poland
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Portugal – Portuguese Republic
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Portugal contains 2 autonomous regions, Azores Azores The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the... and Madeira Madeira Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union... . Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over Olivenza Olivenza Olivenza or Olivença is a town in the autonomous community of Extremadura, situated on a disputed section of the border between Portugal and Spain... and Táliga Táliga Táliga |Badajoz]], in the Spanish autonomous community of Extremadura, although this is disputed and unrecognized by Portugal, which considers Táliga as being de jure part of the occupied commune of Olivenza since 1801.-External links:*... . |
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| Pridnestrovie → Transnistria | |||
 Qatar – State of Qatar
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UN member state | None
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 Kingdom of Romania
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Russia – Russian Federation
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UN member state | None
Russia is officially a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 83 federal subjects Federal subjects of Russia Russia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed... (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast). Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics. Sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater... is disputed Kuril Islands dispute The Kuril Islands dispute , also known as the , is a dispute between Japan and Russia over sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands. The disputed islands, which were occupied by Soviet forces during the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation at the end of World War II, are under Russian... by Japan. |
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 Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda
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UN member state | None
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| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic → Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | |||
 Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
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UN member state | None
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... and is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 14 parishes Parishes of Saint Kitts and Nevis The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into 14 parishes. Nine parishes are located on the island of Saint Kitts and five on Nevis. The parishes are drawn like pie-slices from the ridgeline of the central mountains of both islands.... . |
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 Saint Lucia
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UN member state | None
Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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UN member state | None
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Samoa – Independent State of Samoa
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UN member state | None
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 San Marino – Republic of San Marino
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UN member state | None
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 São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
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UN member state | None
São Tomé and Príncipe contains 1 autonomous province, Príncipe Príncipe Príncipe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa. It has an area of 136 km² and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old, surrounded by other... . |
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 Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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UN member state | None
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 Senegal – Republic of Senegal
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UN member state | None
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 Serbia – Republic of Serbia
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UN member state | None
Serbia contains 2 autonomous regions, Vojvodina Vojvodina Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad... and Kosovo and Metohija. Most of the latter is under the de facto control of the Republic of Kosovo. |
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 Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles
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UN member state | None
Seychelles claims the British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia... . |
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 Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
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UN member state | None
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 Singapore – Republic of Singapore
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UN member state | None
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 Slovakia – Slovak Republic
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Solomon Islands
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UN member state | None
The Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Somalia – Somali Republic
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UN member state | None
Somalia is presently divided with its official government Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional... (TFG) controlling only part of the country. Puntland Puntland Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998.... and Galmudug Galmudug Galmudug is an autonomous region in central Somalia. It is bordered to its north by the Puntland region, to the west by Ethiopia, and to the south by other regions of Somalia.Galmudug's name is derived from a conflation of the Galguduud and Mudug provinces... have declared themselves as autonomous regions of Somalia (a claim that the TFG does not recognise), while Somaliland has formed an unrecognised de facto state. |
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| Somaliland → Somaliland | |||
 South Africa – Republic of South Africa
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UN member state | None
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| South Korea → Korea, Republic of | |||
| South Ossetia → South Ossetia | |||
' – Republic of South Sudan
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UN member state | None
Disputes Abyei Abyei The Abyei Area is an area of in Sudan accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the resolution of the Abyei conflict in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War. The capital of Abyei Area is Abyei Town... with the Republic of the Sudan. |
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 Spain – Kingdom of Spain
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. Spain is divided into autonomous communities and cities Autonomous communities of Spain An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is... . Sovereignty over Ceuta Ceuta Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish... , Isla de Alborán Isla de Alborán The Isla de Alborán is a small islet in the Alborán Sea, part of the western Mediterranean, about 50 km north of the Moroccan coast and 90 km south of the province of Almería, Spain. A Spanish possession since 1540, it was taken from the Tunisian pirate Al Borani in the Battle of Alborán. It is... , Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas Islas Chafarinas The Chafarinas Islands , also spelled Zafarin, Djaferin, Zafarani, is a Spanish archipelago. A group of three small islets located in the Alboran Sea off the coast of Morocco with an aggregate area of 0.525 km², 45 km to the east of Melilla and 3.3 km off the Moroccan town of Ra'su l-Ma'... , Melilla Melilla Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa... and Peñón de Alhucemas Peñón de Alhucemas Peñón de Alhucemas , or "Lavender Rock", is one of the Spanish plazas de soberanía just off the Moroccan coast in the Alboran Sea. It is also one of several Peñones, or rock-fortresses, on the coast of Northern Africa.... is disputed by Morocco. Sovereignty over Olivenza Olivenza Olivenza or Olivença is a town in the autonomous community of Extremadura, situated on a disputed section of the border between Portugal and Spain... and Táliga Táliga Táliga |Badajoz]], in the Spanish autonomous community of Extremadura, although this is disputed and unrecognized by Portugal, which considers Táliga as being de jure part of the occupied commune of Olivenza since 1801.-External links:*... is disputed by Portugal. Spain calls for sovereignty Disputed status of Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain.... over Gibraltar. |
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 Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
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UN member state | None
Formerly known as Ceylon. |
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 Sudan – Republic of the Sudan
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UN member state | None
Sudan is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 15 states States of Sudan Below is a list of the 15 states of Sudan, organized by their original provinces during the period of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Arabic language versions are, as appropriate, in parentheses. States that were not provinces before 1994 are marked with . Transliterations from Arabic to English may vary;... . Disputes Abyei Abyei The Abyei Area is an area of in Sudan accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the resolution of the Abyei conflict in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War. The capital of Abyei Area is Abyei Town... with South Sudan. |
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| Sudan, South → South Sudan | |||
 Suriname – Republic of Suriname
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UN member state | None
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 Swaziland – Kingdom of Swaziland
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UN member state | None
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 Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. |
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 Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
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UN member state | None
Switzerland is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 26 cantons Cantons of Switzerland The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848... . |
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 Syria – Syrian Arab Republic
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UN member state | None
Israel occupies the Golan Heights. |
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| Taiwan (Republic of China) → Taiwan | |||
 Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan
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UN member state | None
Tajikistan contains 1 autonomous region, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province is an autonomous, mountainous province in the east of Tajikistan. Located in the Pamir Mountains, it makes up 45% of the land area of the country but only 3% of the population.... . |
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 Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
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UN member state | None
Tanzania contains 1 autonomous region, Zanzibar Zanzibar Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba... . |
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 Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
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UN member state | None
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| Timor-Leste → East Timor | |||
 Togo – Togolese Republic
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UN member state | None
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 Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga
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UN member state | None
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| Transnistria → Transnistria | |||
 Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
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UN member state | None
Trinidad and Tobago contains 1 autonomous region, Tobago Tobago Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt... . |
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 Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia
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UN member state | None
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 Turkey – Republic of Turkey
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UN member state | None
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 Turkmenistan
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UN member state | None
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 Tuvalu
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UN member state | None
Tuvalu is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... . |
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 Uganda – Republic of Uganda
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UN member state | None
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 Ukraine
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UN member state | None
Ukraine contains 1 autonomous region, Crimea Crimea Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name... . |
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 United Arab Emirates
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UN member state | None
The United Arab Emirates is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 7 emirates Emirates of the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates is composed of 7 emirates :-References:... . |
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 United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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UN member state | None
Member of the EU. The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... consisting of four countries Countries of the United Kingdom Countries of the United Kingdom is a term used to describe England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These four countries together form the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is also described as a country. The alternative terms, constituent... : England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... , and Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... . The United Kingdom has the following overseas territories: (disputed by Mauritius and Seychelles) (disputed by Argentina) (status disputed Disputed status of Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain.... by Spain) (disputed by Argentina and Chile) The British monarch has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:, with three dependencies: |
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 United States – United States of America
English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... : United States – United States of America French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... : – Hawaiian language The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii... : – Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... : – |
UN member state | None
The United States is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 50 states, 1 federal district Political divisions of the United States The political units and divisions of the United States include:*The 50 states are subdivided into counties . The counties may be further subdivided into townships, or towns in New York and New England... , and the incorporated territory of Palmyra Atoll Palmyra Atoll Palmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government... . The United States has sovereignty over the following inhabited possessions and commonwealths: (including Swains Island Swains Island Swains Island is an atoll in the Tokelau chain. Culturally a part of Tokelau, it is an unincorporated unorganized territory of the United States administered by American Samoa. Swains Island has also been known at various times as Olosenga Island, Olohega Island, Quiros Island, Gente Hermosa... , disputed by Tokelau Tokelau Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400... ) In addition, there are uninhabited possessions of the United States in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea: Baker Island Baker Island Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia, and is a possession of the United States. Its nearest neighbor is Howland Island, to the north.Located at... , Howland Island Howland Island Howland Island is an uninhabited coral island located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia and is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States. Geographically, it is part... , Jarvis Island Jarvis Island Jarvis Island is an uninhabited 4.5 square kilometer coral island located in the South Pacific Ocean at , about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands... , Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two... , Kingman Reef Kingman Reef Kingman Reef is a largely submerged, uninhabited triangular shaped reef, east-west and north-south, located in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly half way between the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa at... , Midway Atoll Midway Atoll Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour... , Navassa Island Navassa Island Navassa Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea, claimed as an unorganized unincorporated territory of the United States, which administers it through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Haiti, which claims to have had sovereignty over Navassa since 1801, also claims the island... , and Wake Island Wake Island Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior... . The United States also asserts claims to Bajo Nuevo Bank Bajo Nuevo Bank Bajo Nuevo Bank, also known as the Petrel Islands , is a small, uninhabited reef with some small islets, covered with grass, located in the western Caribbean Sea at , with a lighthouse on Low Cay at . The closest neighbouring land feature is Serranilla Bank, located to the west.The reef was first... and Serranilla Bank Serranilla Bank Serranilla Bank is a partially submerged reef, with small uninhabited islets, in the western Caribbean Sea. It is situated about northeast of Punta Gorda, Nicaragua, and roughly southwest of Jamaica. The closest neighbouring land feature is Bajo Nuevo Bank, located 110 km to the east.Serranilla... . |
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 Uruguay – Eastern Republic of Uruguay
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UN member state | None
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 Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan
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UN member state | None
Uzbekistan contains 1 autonomous region, Karakalpakstan. |
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 Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu
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UN member state | None
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 Vatican City – State of the Vatican City
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UN observer state United Nations General Assembly observers In addition to the current 193 member states, the United Nations welcomes many international organizations, entities, and non-member states as observers. Observer status is granted by a United Nations General Assembly resolution... |
None
Administered by the Holy See Holy See The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and... , a sovereign entity with diplomatic ties to 178 states. The Holy See is a permanent observer of the UN in the category of "Non-member State" and a member of the IAEA, ITU Itu Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed... , UPU Upu Upu, also called Apu , was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named Dimašqu/Dimasqu/ etc. Upu, also called Apu (and Ubi or Upi by some authors), was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named Dimašqu/Dimasqu/ etc. Upu,... , and WIPO. The Vatican City is governed by officials appointed by the Pope Pope The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle... , who is the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Rome and ex officio sovereign of Vatican City. The Holy See also administers a number of extraterritorial properties Properties of the Holy See The properties of the Holy See are properties of the Holy See which are regulated by the 1929 Lateran Treaty signed with the Kingdom of Italy. Although being part of Italian territory, all of them have an extraterritorial status, similar to those of foreign embassies.- Outside Vatican City but... in Italy). |
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 Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
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UN member state | None
Venezuela is a federation Federation A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government... of 23 states, 1 capital district, and federal dependencies States of Venezuela Venezuela is divided into 23 states , 1 Capital District and the Federal Dependencies that consist of a large number of Venezuelan islands... . |
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 Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam
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UN member state | None
Vietnam claims sovereignty over the Paracel Paracel Islands The Paracel Islands, also called Xisha Islands in Chinese and Hoàng Sa Islands in Vietnamese, is a group of islands under the administration of Hainan Province, The People's Republic of China. Vietnam and the Republic of China also claim sovereignty of these islands... and Spratly Islands Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land... . |
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 Yemen – Republic of Yemen
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UN member state | None
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 Zambia – Republic of Zambia
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UN member state | None
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 Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe
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UN member state | None
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| ↑ UN member states and observer states United Nations General Assembly observers In addition to the current 193 member states, the United Nations welcomes many international organizations, entities, and non-member states as observers. Observer status is granted by a United Nations General Assembly resolution... ↑ |
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| ↓ States with no membership to the UN ↓ | |||
 Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia
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No membership |
Recognised by International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two breakaway republics in the Caucasus with disputed status over whether they are a part of Georgia or sovereign states. The Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia were recognised following the 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia, by six... Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Venezuela, South Ossetia and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. |
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 Republic of Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo
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Not a UN member state, but member of one or more related agencies |
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 and it has and the Republic of China Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor... . Pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, adopted on June 10, 1999, after recalling resolutions 1160 , 1199 , 1203 and 1239 , authorised an international civil and military presence in Kosovo ) and established the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo .Resolution... , Kosovo is formally under the administration of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is the interim civilian administration in Kosovo, under the authority of the United Nations. The mission was established on 10 June 1999 by Security Council Resolution 1244... . 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 International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world... and the World Bank Group World Bank Group The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary... . The Republic of Kosovo has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo North Kosovo North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is... . |
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 Nagorno-Karabakh Republic – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
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No membership |
A de facto independent state, recognised only by Abkhazia Abkhazia Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny... , South Ossetia South Ossetia South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.... and Transnistria Transnistria Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine... . Claimed in whole by Azerbaijan. |
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 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
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No membership |
Recognised only by Foreign relations of Northern Cyprus The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, due to its unrecognized status internationally, is dependent on Turkey to facilitate its contacts with the international community... Turkey. It has participated as an observer state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation under the name "Turkish Cypriot State" since 1979. In addition, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic regards TRNC as sovereign but Azerbaijan has not followed suit. Northern Cyprus is claimed in whole by the Republic of Cyprus. |
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 State of Palestine – State of Palestine
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Not a UN member state, but member of one or more related agencies |
The declared State of Palestine has received diplomatic recognition from states. The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, or effective control on the territory that it proclaimed. The Palestinian National Authority Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip... is an interim administrative body formed as a result of the Oslo Accords Oslo Accords The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict... that exercises limited autonomous jurisdiction within the Palestinian territories Palestinian territories The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the... . In foreign relations, the State of Palestine is represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization Palestine Liberation Organization The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed... , which has permanent observer status at the United Nations General Assembly as a non-member entity. |
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 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
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No membership |
Recognised by 84 other states. It is a founding member of the African Union African Union The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity... and the Asian-African Strategic Partnership formed at the 2005 Asian-African Conference Asian-African Conference The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference—also known as the Bandung Conference—was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on April 18–24, 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia... . The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone Free Zone (region) The Free Zone or Liberated Territories is a term used by the Polisario Front to describe the part of Western Sahara that lies to the east of the Moroccan Berm and west and north of the borders with Algeria and Mauritania, respectively... , are claimed in whole by Morocco as part of its Southern Provinces Southern Provinces The Southern Provinces or Moroccan Sahara are the terms used by Morocco for Western Sahara, in reference to the part of Western Sahara that lies to the west of the Moroccan Berm... . In turn, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims the part of Western Sahara Western Sahara Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly... to the west of the Moroccan Wall controlled by Morocco. Its government resides in exile in Tindouf Tindouf Tindouf is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Mauritanian and Moroccan borders. The region is considered of strategic significance, and it houses Algerian military bases. Since 1975, it also contains several Sahrawi refugee camps operated by the Polisario Front a guerrilla... , Algeria. |
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 Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland
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No membership |
A de facto independent state, not diplomatically recognised by Foreign relations of Somaliland Foreign relations of Somaliland are the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somaliland is a de facto independent state, which is regarded by all foreign governments as part of Somalia... any other state, claimed in whole by the Somali Republic. |
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 South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia
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No membership |
A de facto independent state, recognised by International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two breakaway republics in the Caucasus with disputed status over whether they are a part of Georgia or sovereign states. The Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia were recognised following the 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia, by six... Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Venezuela, Abkhazia and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia The Provisional Administration of South Ossetia is a government in exile that Georgia recognizes as the legal government of South Ossetia, although Georgia doesn't recognizes existence of South Ossetia as administrative entity.... . |
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' – Republic of China
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Former UN Member (1945–1971);
Member or participant in some UN-related organizations as "Chinese Taipei" (see right) |
tyle="background-color:LightCoral"| A state competing for recognition with the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... as the government of China since 1949. The Republic of China controls the island of Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... and associated islands, Quemoy, Matsu, the Pratas and parts of the Spratly Islands Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land... , and has not renounced claims over its annexed territories on the mainland Mainland China Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and... . The Republic of China is recognised by , including the Holy See. The territory of the Republic of China is claimed in whole by the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China participates in the World Health Organization World Health Organization The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health... and a number of non-UN international organizations such as the World Trade Organization World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948... , International Olympic Committee International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president... and others under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly "Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games... ". |
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 Transnistria – Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (Pridnestrovie, Trans-Dniester)
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No membership |
A de facto independent state, recognised only by Foreign relations of Transnistria The Transnistrian republic is currently recognized by three states with limited recognition, and is member of one international organization, the Community for Democracy and Human Rights, that was established by these four states.- Diplomatic relations :... Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Claimed in whole by Moldova as the Territorial Unit of Transnistria. |
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| ↑ States with no membership to the UN ↑ | |||
Criteria for inclusion
The dominant customary international lawCustomary international law
Customary international law are those aspects of international law that derive from custom. Along with general principles of law and treaties, custom is considered by the International Court of Justice, jurists, the United Nations, and its member states to be among the primary sources of...
standard of statehood is the declarative theory of statehood that 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) capacity to enter into relations with the other states." Debate exists on the degree to which recognition
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
should be included as a criterion of statehood. The declarative theory of statehood, an example of which can be found in the Montevideo Convention
Montevideo Convention
The Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States was a treaty signed at Montevideo, Uruguay, on December 26, 1933, during the Seventh International Conference of American States. The Convention codified the declarative theory of statehood as accepted as part of customary international...
, 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 recognized as sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
by other states. For the purposes of this list, included are all states that either:
- (a) have declared independence and are often regarded as having control over a permanently populated territory
or
- (b) are recognized as a sovereign state by at least one other sovereign state
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.
On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 204 entities:
- 201 States recognized by at least one UN member state
- Two states that control a permanently populated territory and are recognized only by non-UN member states: Nagorno-Karabakh RepublicNagorno-Karabakh RepublicThe Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, TransnistriaTransnistriaTransnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine... - One state that controls a permanently populated territory and is not recognized by any other state: SomalilandSomalilandSomaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
See also
- Sovereign stateSovereign stateA sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
- List of international rankings
- List of sovereign states by formation date
- Lists of sovereign states by year
- List of country-name etymologies
- List of territorial disputes
- Table of administrative divisions by country
- List of micronations
- Terra nulliusTerra nulliusTerra nullius is a Latin expression deriving from Roman law meaning "land belonging to no one" , which is used in international law to describe territory which has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state, or over which any prior sovereign has expressly or implicitly relinquished...
- Template:Clickable world map