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List of sovereign states |
This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged, gives an overview of states around the world with information on the extent of their sovereignty. It includes both states widely recognized (de jure) to be sovereign and entities that claim sovereignty while exercising de facto control over (part of) their claimed territory.
| Contents: | Criteria for inclusion Sovereign states: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Other states |
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This list derives its definition of a sovereign state from Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention of 1933. According to the Convention, a sovereign state 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. In respect of the last qualification, the role of recognition by other states can often be crucial since it implies acceptance into the international community.1 The list includes all states that satisfy these criteria and claim independence; however, the aforementioned qualifications are not absolute and permit variations.
On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 203 entities:
Entities considered to be micronations that are not internationally recognized are not included.
Unlisted are the following noteworthy entities that do not possess all the qualifications in the Montevideo Convention:
The listing or placement of any entity in this article is not meant to imply an official position in any naming dispute.
New Zealand claims sovereignty over parts of Antarctica as: New Zealand Antarctic Territory
| Name in English and the official languages of the state2 | Information on the extent of the sovereignty3 | |
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| Abkhazia |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. A separatist government in exile claims independence for Cabinda4 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth Realm5 and has a division (dependency), Barbuda, with an autonomous status.6 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Argentina is a federation8 divided in provinces and one federal district. Argentina also claims sovereignty over the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands9 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Australia is a Commonwealth Realm5 and a federation8 of states and territories. Australia has sovereignty over:
Australia claims sovereignty over parts of Antarctica as: |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 Austria is a federation8 divided in states (Bundesländer). | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Azerbaijan has one autonomous republic, |
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B |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Bahamas is a Commonwealth Realm.5 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Barbados is a Commonwealth Realm.5 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 Belgium is a federation8 divided in linguistic communities and regions. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Belize is a Commonwealth Realm.5 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. As a result of the Dayton Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two constituent entities, the |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Brasil is a federation8 divided in states and one federal district. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Brunei claims sovereignty over part of the Spratly Islands.13 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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C |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Canada is a Commonwealth Realm5 and a federation8 divided into provinces and territories. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Easter Island is an integral part of Chile. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN.18 Commonly known as China, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has five autonomous regions: Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet.6
Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of
It claims sovereignty over the territories of:
Aksai Chin, controlled by the PRC, is claimed by India as a part of Jammu and Kashmir.23 Tibet and East Turkestan (Xinjiang) have separatist governments in exile.4 |
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| China, Republic of |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Comoros is a federation with autonomous islands.86 The Comoros dispute the French sovereignty over Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands.9 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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| Cook Islands |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay is as the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base under the permanent control (with no claim of sovereignty) of the United States which pays rent under terms of treaties with Cuba. | |
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Widely recognized25 member of the UN and the EU.10 See Northern Cyprus for the de facto state in the de jure territory of Cyprus. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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D |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10
The Kingdom of Denmark includes also two autonomous provinces. For more information, see Rigsfællesskabet.
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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E |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Ethiopia is a federation8 divided in regions and chartered cities. | |
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F |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Fiji has an autonomous region (dependency), Rotuma.6 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 The French overseas regions/departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion) are legally part of France and France possesses the uninhabited Clipperton Island. The French sovereignty includes also the overseas territories of
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G |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Georgia has three divisions with an autonomous status, |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 Germany is a federation8 divided in states (Länder). | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Grenada is a Commonwealth Realm.5 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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H |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Haiti claims the uninhabited United States possession of Navassa.9 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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I |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. India is a federation8 divided in states and union territories. The Indian sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh is disputed by the People's Republic of China.9 India claims sovereignty over and administers part of Kashmir.23 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Indonesia has four provinces with special status, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Yogyakarta Special Region, Papua, and Jakarta Special Capital Region.6 Separatist governments in exile claim independence for the Republic of the South Moluccas and the Republic of West Papua31 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Divided into provinces and counties | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Iraq's constitution labels the country as a federation328 divided in regions, governorates and the capital district. At present the only region is Iraqi Kurdistan. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN.34 Israel occupies the Golan Heights and parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It has supervision over the partially occupied Palestinian territories. These occupations are internationally not recognized.9 See for more information also Palestine. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 Italy has autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.6 | |
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| Ivory Coast |
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J |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Jamaica is a Commonwealth Realm.5 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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K |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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| Kosovo |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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L |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.10 | |
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M |
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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