How many countries are in the world 2024?

When this query is made in Google we will find that the search engine returns about 50 million results. It might be thought that it is actually the same answer repeated in all those Internet sites that make up the list of results. However, the reality is different, since the answer to this question is complex by nature.

When trying to answer a question of this nature, it is always pertinent to start by defining the main term of the question. What is a country? Although this is a relatively simple concept, the answer will vary so much depending on who you ask. In this regard, the Dictionary of the Spanish language states that a country is a "territory, with its own geographical and cultural characteristics, which can constitute a political entity within a State”.

Despite being a geographical-political term, and therefore intrinsically complex, there is a relative consensus within the study of International Relations regarding its meaning. However, we also find different interpretations that allow us to increase or reduce the number of countries in the world.

The usual thing would be to find 195 as an answer, which is the sum of the 193 member states of the United Nations Organization(ONU) and 2 observer States: the Holy See and the State of Palestine. However, there are those who point out that observer States should not appear in the count and reduce the number to 193. Others point in the opposite direction and assert that responding based on UN members is to fall, to a lesser degree, into a fallacy ad verecundiam and point to the existence of countries that are not members of the UN because they have limited recognition, but that function as such:

• Abkhazia
• Artsakh
• Northern Cyprus -Kosovo
• South Ossetia
• Donetsk People's Republic
• Lugansk People's Republic
• Occidental Sahara
• Somaliland
• Taiwan
• Transnistria

If added to the list, the sum would increase to a total of 206 countries. Interestingly, 206 is also the total considered by the International Olympic Committee. And although it is not an IR organization itself, the truth is that many people "learn" about the countries in the world by watching the Olympic Games and the traditional opening ceremony.

Historically, the Olympic Games have not always required applicants to be from independent countries. Dependent territories with partial self-government have sometimes been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and a couple of the countries with limited recognition mentioned above have been as well.

About half of the Olympic dependent territories are foreign possessions of the US (such as Puerto Rico) or the United Kingdom (such as Bermuda). Also included are some semi-independent "countries" such as the Cook Islands (associated with New Zealand) and Aruba (a "constituent country" of the Netherlands).

All UN member countries are also at the Olympics, with the latest addition, South Sudan, joining in August 2015. The only UN Observer State at the Olympics is Palestine – Vatican City is happy to participate as part of the Italian team for now. As for partially recognized countries, Kosovo became an Olympic nation in 2014, and Taiwan has been a member for some time, but must call itself "Chinese Taipei" after a deal struck with the PRC in the 1980s.

Following the thread of international sports competitions, we will realize that the Federación Internacional de Fútbol Asociado (FIFA) contemplates a total of 211 "countries" that can compete for the Soccer World Cup. Like the Olympic Games, FIFA did not always require independence or international recognition of its members.

It's a bit stricter now, but any team that's already a member can stay. The two newest members, who joined in May 2016, managed to get in under special circumstances: Kosovo, a partially recognized country, was voted out after being accepted by more than half of UN members; and Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, obtained a court order forcing FIFA to allow him entry, as he had already applied for membership before the current rules were put in place.

Based on European tradition, FIFA also allows England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete as separate teams, despite all having been part of the United Kingdom for over 200 years.

The table below shows a comparison of the 3 listings. The names correspond to the one used by each organism. Countries with one asterisk are UN observers, while those with two are States of limited recognition.

How many countries are there in America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania?

America is made up of 35 sovereign countries, which are distributed in three main regions: North America, Central America and South America. Below is a list of countries in each region:

North America North America:

1. Canada
2. United States
3. Mexico

Central America or Central America:

4. Belize
5. Costa Rica
6. El Salvador
7. Guatemala
8. Honduras
9. Nicaragua
10. Panama

South America or South America:

11. Argentina
12. Bolivia
13. Brazil
14. Chili
15. Colombia
16. Ecuador
17. Guyana
18. Paraguay
19. Peru
20. Suriname
21. Uruguay
22. Venezuela

In addition to these 22 countries in North and South America, there are 13 countries in Central America, making a total of 35 countries on the American continent.

Meanwhile, Asia is the largest and most diverse continent in terms of population and culture. In Asia, there are 49 sovereign countries:

1. Afghanistan
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Armenia
4. Azerbaijan
5. Bangladesh
6. Bahrain
7. Burma (Myanmar)
8. Brunei
9. Bhutan
10. Cambodia
11. Qatar
12. China
13. Cyprus
14. North Korea
15. South Korea
16. United Arab Emirates
17. Philippines
18. Georgia
19. India 20.Indonesia
20. Iraq
21. Iran
22. Israel
23. Japan
24. Jordan
25. Kazakhstan
26. Kyrgyzstan 28.Kuwait
27. Laos
28. Lebanon
29. Malaysia
30. Maldives
31. Mongolia
32. Nepal
33. Oman
34. Pakistan
35. Qatar
36. Russia (Asian part)
37. Singapore
38. Syria
39. Sri Lanka
40. Thailand
41. Tajikistan
42. East Timor
43. Turkmenistan
44. ​​Türkiye (Asian part)
45. Uzbekistan
46. Vietnam
47. Yemen

It should be noted that some countries, such as Russia and Turkey, have parts of their territory located in Europe and Asia. In the case of Russia, its Asian part is located in the region of Siberia and the Far East.

What about Europe? The old continent is made up of 45 sovereign countries. Here is the list of countries in Europe:

1. Albania
2. Germany
3. Andorra
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Belarus
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
8. Bulgaria
9. Cyprus
10. Vatican City
11. Croatia
12. Denmark
13. Slovakia
14. Slovenia
15. Spain
16. Estonia
17. Finland
18. France
19. Greece
20. Hungary
21. Ireland
22. Iceland
23. Italy
24. Kosovo
25. Latvia 26.Liechtenstein
26. Lithuania
27. Luxembourg
28. North Macedonia
29. Malta
30. Moldova
31. Monaco
32. Montenegro
33. Norway
34. Netherlands
35. Poland
36. Portugal
37. United Kingdom
38. Czech Republic
39. Romania
40. San Marino
41. Serbia
42. Sweden
43. Switzerland
44. Ukraine

Africa is the second largest continent in the world and is home to 54 sovereign countries:

1. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Benin
4. Botswana
5. Burkina Faso
6. Burundi
7. Cape Verde
8. Cameroon
9. Chad
10. Comoros
11. Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)
12. Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa)
13. Ivory Coast
14. Djibouti
15. Egypt
16. Eritrea
17. Eswatini (Swaziland)
18. Ethiopia
19. Gabon
20. Gambia 21.Ghana
21. Guinea
22. Guinea-Bissau
23. Equatorial Guinea
24. Kenya
25. Lesotho
26. Liberia
27. Libya
28. Madagascar
29. Malawi
30. Mali
31. Morocco
32. Mauritius
33. Mauritania
34. Mozambique
35. Namibia
36. Niger
37. Nigeria
38. Rwanda
39. Sao Tome and Principe
40. Senegal
41. Seychelles
42. Sierra Leone
43. Somalia
44. South Africa
45. Sudan
46. South Sudan
47. Tanzania
48. Togo
49. Tunisia
50. Uganda
51. Djibouti
52. Zambia
53. Zimbabwe

And finally, Oceania is made up of 14 countries:

1. Australia
2. Fiji
3. Marshall Islands
4. Solomon Islands
5. Kiribati
6. Micronesia
7. Nauru
8. New Zealand
9. Palau
10. Papua New Guinea
11. Samoa
12. Tonga
13. Tuvalu
14. Vanuatu