How many countries are there in the world

Some like to include Western Sahara, Somaliland and other countries of questionable or not fully recognised status to make a round number like It all depends how you want to define the word country.

By those rights Italy is the oldest. However, no one really knows the correct answer and it is actually a very tough question since in doing so you have to define what makes a country.

Apply on-line for visa-free entry to the United States you have more than choices for 'country where you live'. That is probably a pretty ambitious number as it includes the Bouvet Island, an uninhabitable icy knoll belonging to Norway in the South Atlantic for Penguins that need a visa and for Star Trek fans there is even a 'Neutral Zone' a diamond-shaped bit of desert between Saudi Arabia and Iraq that vanished after the Gulf war.

That is the trouble with such lists. Places that are not real countries at all end up on them and places that approximate a bit more closely to countries at least in their own eyes may be absent. For example, the list excludes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, self-proclaimed states that broke away from Georgia with Russian backing.

Just three other countries: Nicaragua, Venezuela and the islet of Nauru - recognise those breakaway 'statelets' as independent. Private-sector lists are just as odd as those compiled by governments. Any attempt to find a clear definition of a 'country' soon runs into a thicket of exceptions and anomalies.

Diplomatic recognition is clearly not much guide to real life. As mentioned above take Taiwan for example which due to pressure from China is recognised less and less countries with formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan has shrivelled to around 23 - mostly small, cash-strapped islands.

Yet Taiwan is not just a country, but a rather important one. Also note Israel, it joined the UN in , but 19 of its members do not accept the Jewish state's existence. All of this demonstrates that it is not so simple to determine the exact number of countries there are in the world. Moreover, and the constantly changing nature of politics means that issues around sovereignty are unlikely to ever be fully resolved. For the ultimate list of not just countries, but also territories and regions that have some degree of self-governance but are not universally considered fully-fledged countries, check the table below.

How Many Countries Are There Show Sources. Saint Vincent And The Grenadines. Nope, Scotland is not a country; it is part of the United Kingdom.

Some Scotlanders want to keep things as is, but others want to split. A referendum vote for Scottish independence did not pass, and the vote for Brexit revealed that 62 percent wanted to remain with the European Union. Political map of the world. Places like Palestine, Kosovo and Taiwan are partially recognized which increase the count. The State of Palestine is often included but it is only recognized by UN members.

Kosovo is also often included but is only recognized by 97 UN members. Ellen Kershner August 26 in World Geography. Pantanal, Brazil. What Is A Plateau? Regions Of Europe. Transcontinental Countries Of The World. Western Asia.