This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world. This includes not only de jure independent states, but also de facto independent states. To be listed here as a de facto independent country, article 1 of the Montevideo Convention from 1933 is followed, which means that entity should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states. Furthermore, the entity doesn't accept that it de jure belongs to another country. In the case a de facto independent country is included in this list, a note explains why this country is included. There are also a list of dependent territories and a list of disputed or occupied areas.
Other articles focus on imaginary countries, micronations and former countries (see List of extinct countries, empires, etc.). One can also browse countries by capital city, by continent, by population, by area, by population density, by gross domestic product, by date of nationhood and by time zone. Also, you can see a list of island countries.
For more sources, see Geographic references.
| Table of contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Abkhazia7 - Afghanistan - Albania - Algeria - Andorra - Angola - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Australia - Austria - Azerbaijan
The Bahamas - Bahrain - Bangladesh - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Benin - Bhutan - Bolivia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Botswana - Brazil - Brunei - Bulgaria - Burkina Faso - Burma (now Myanmar) - Burundi
Cambodia (http://www.arikah.net/TourismCambodia-TravelGuide/Cambodia-Welcome) - Cameroon - Canada - Cape Verde - Central African Republic - Chad - Chile - People's Republic of China - Republic of China1 (Taiwan) - Colombia - Comoros - Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) - Republic of the Congo - Costa Rica - Côte d'Ivoire - Croatia - Cuba - Cyprus8 - Czech Republic
Denmark - Djibouti - Dominica - Dominican Republic
East Timor - Ecuador - Egypt - El Salvador - Equatorial Guinea - Eritrea - Estonia - Ethiopia
Gabon - The Gambia - Georgia - Germany - Ghana - Greece - Grenada - Guatemala - Guinea - Guinea-Bissau - Guyana
Haiti - Holy See (see Vatican City4) - Honduras - Hungary
Iceland - India - Indonesia - Iran - Iraq - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Ivory Coast (see Côte d'Ivoire)
Jamaica - Japan - Jordan
Kazakhstan - Kenya - Kiribati - Korea, North - Korea, South - Kuwait - Kyrgyzstan
Laos - Latvia - Lebanon - Lesotho - Liberia - Libya - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg
Republic of Macedonia6- Madagascar - Malawi - Malaysia - Maldives - Mali - Malta - Marshall Islands - Mauritania - Mauritius - Mexico - Federated States of Micronesia - Moldova - Monaco - Mongolia - Morocco - Mozambique - Myanmar
Namibia - Nauru - Nepal - Netherlands - New Zealand2 - Nicaragua - Niger - Nigeria - Northern Cyprus8 - North Korea - Norway
Pakistan - Palau - Palestine (see West Bank, Gaza Strip)3 - Panama - Papua New Guinea - Paraguay - Peru - Philippines - Poland - Portugal
Qatar
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Lucia - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Samoa - San Marino - São Tomé and Príncipe - Saudi Arabia - Senegal - Serbia and Montenegro - Seychelles - Sierra Leone - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - Solomon Islands - Somalia - Somaliland7 - South Africa - South Korea - South Ossetia7 - Spain - Sri Lanka - Sudan - Suriname - Swaziland - Sweden - Switzerland - Syria
Taiwan (see Republic of China1) - Tajikistan - Tanzania - Thailand (http://www.arikah.net/TourismThailand-TravelGuide/Thailand-Welcome) - Timor Leste (see East Timor) - Togo - Tonga - Trinidad and Tobago - Tunisia - Turkey - Turkmenistan - Tuvalu
Uganda - Ukraine - United Arab Emirates - United Kingdom - United States of America - Uruguay - Uzbekistan
Vanuatu - Vatican City4 (Holy See) - Venezuela - Vietnam (http://www.arikah.net/TourismVietnam-TravelGuide/Vietnam-Welcome)
Western Sahara5
Yemen
Zambia - Zimbabwe
About the status/sovereignty of countries listed