Country List
Introduction
For my goal of visiting 50 countries by the time I am 50, I had to determine what is a country. This is not an easy question as I found out. The United Nations list 191 countries
while Travelers' Century Club lists 315. David Madore ponders How many countries are there in the
world? on his website and get an answer of 194 to 239 depending on what you count as a country. Based on the variety of numbers, I decided to create my own list based on what various international
organizations count as countries.
I gather the data for this list from a number of sources including: UN (United Nations), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), and IANA (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) , Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook, and US State Department List of Independent States in the World and List of Dependencies & Areas of Special Sovereignty. Data was validated by comparing the various sources to each other and by examining information found on government websites of the various countries of the world.
The list include six types of entries:
I gather the data for this list from a number of sources including: UN (United Nations), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), and IANA (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) , Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook, and US State Department List of Independent States in the World and List of Dependencies & Areas of Special Sovereignty. Data was validated by comparing the various sources to each other and by examining information found on government websites of the various countries of the world.
The list include six types of entries:
- Independent States - a state that is de jure independent - i.e Argentina
- Proto Independent States - a state that is de facto but not de jure independent - i.e Taiwan
- Dependencies - an territory of an Independent States - i.e Bermuda
- Proto Dependencies - an area of an Independent State that resembles a dependency, but is not one - i.e Hong Kong
- Disputed Territories - a territory with an undetermined sovereignty - i.e Western Sahara
- Antarctic Territories - a territory that is part of Antarctica and is suspended under the Antarctic Treaty - i.e Ross Dependency
Also see International Fragment List
Total Number of Countries
272 (193 Independent States, 7 Proto Independent States, 49 Dependencies, 14 Proto Dependencies, 4 Disputed Territores and 5 Antarctic Territories)
Country List
| Common Name | Formal Name | Type | Sub Type | Sovereignty | Capital | ISO 4217 Currency Code | ISO 4217 Currency Name | ITU-T Telephone Code | ISO 3166-1 2 Letter Code | ISO 3166-1 3 Letter Code | ISO 3166-1 Number | IANA Country Code TLD |
| Afghanistan | Islamic State of Afghanistan | Independent State |
|
|
Kabul | AFN | Afghani | +93 | AF | AFG | 004 | .af |
| Albania | Republic of Albania | Independent State |
|
|
Tirana | ALL | Lek | +355 | AL | ALB | 008 | .al |
| Algeria | People's Democratic Republic of Algeria | Independent State |
|
|
Algiers | DZD | Dinar | +213 | DZ | DZA | 012 | .dz |
| Andorra | Principality of Andorra | Independent State |
|
|
Andorra la Vella | EUR | Euro | +376 | AD | AND | 020 | .ad |
| Angola | Republic of Angola | Independent State |
|
|
Luanda | AOA | Kwanza | +244 | AO | AGO | 024 | .ao |
| Antigua and Barbuda |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Saint John's | XCD | Dollar | +1-268 | AG | ATG | 028 | .ag |
| Argentina | Argentine Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Buenos Aires | ARS | Peso | +54 | AR | ARG | 032 | .ar |
| Armenia | Republic of Armenia | Independent State |
|
|
Yerevan | AMD | Dram | +374 | AM | ARM | 051 | .am |
| Australia | Commonwealth of Australia | Independent State |
|
|
Canberra | AUD | Dollar | +61 | AU | AUS | 036 | .au |
| Austria | Republic of Austria | Independent State |
|
|
Vienna | EUR | Euro | +43 | AT | AUT | 040 | .at |
| Azerbaijan | Republic of Azerbaijan | Independent State |
|
|
Baku | AZN | Manat | +994 | AZ | AZE | 031 | .az |
| Bahamas, The | Commonwealth of The Bahamas | Independent State |
|
|
Nassau | BSD | Dollar | +1-242 | BS | BHS | 044 | .bs |
| Bahrain | Kingdom of Bahrain | Independent State |
|
|
Manama | BHD | Dinar | +973 | BH | BHR | 048 | .bh |
| Bangladesh | People's Republic of Bangladesh | Independent State |
|
|
Dhaka | BDT | Taka | +880 | BD | BGD | 050 | .bd |
| Barbados |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Bridgetown | BBD | Dollar | +1-246 | BB | BRB | 052 | .bb |
| Belarus | Republic of Belarus | Independent State |
|
|
Minsk | BYR | Ruble | +375 | BY | BLR | 112 | .by |
| Belgium | Kingdom of Belgium | Independent State |
|
|
Brussels | EUR | Euro | +32 | BE | BEL | 056 | .be |
| Belize |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Belmopan | BZD | Dollar | +501 | BZ | BLZ | 084 | .bz |
| Benin | Republic of Benin | Independent State |
|
|
Porto-Novo | XOF | Franc | +229 | BJ | BEN | 204 | .bj |
| Bhutan | Kingdom of Bhutan | Independent State |
|
|
Thimphu | BTN | Ngultrum | +975 | BT | BTN | 064 | .bt |
| Bolivia | Republic of Bolivia | Independent State |
|
|
La Paz (administrative/legislative) and Sucre (judical) | BOB | Boliviano | +591 | BO | BOL | 068 | .bo |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Sarajevo | BAM | Marka | +387 | BA | BIH | 070 | .ba |
| Botswana | Republic of Botswana | Independent State |
|
|
Gaborone | BWP | Pula | +267 | BW | BWA | 072 | .bw |
| Brazil | Federative Republic of Brazil | Independent State |
|
|
Brasilia | BRL | Real | +55 | BR | BRA | 076 | .br |
| Brunei | Negara Brunei Darussalam | Independent State |
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan | BND | Dollar | +673 | BN | BRN | 096 | .bn |
| Bulgaria | Republic of Bulgaria | Independent State |
|
|
Sofia | BGN | Lev | +359 | BG | BGR | 100 | .bg |
| Burkina Faso |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Ouagadougou | XOF | Franc | +226 | BF | BFA | 854 | .bf |
| Burundi | Republic of Burundi | Independent State |
|
|
Bujumbura | BIF | Franc | +257 | BI | BDI | 108 | .bi |
| Cambodia | Kingdom of Cambodia | Independent State |
|
|
Phnom Penh | KHR | Riels | +855 | KH | KHM | 116 | .kh |
| Cameroon | Republic of Cameroon | Independent State |
|
|
Yaounde | XAF | Franc | +237 | CM | CMR | 120 | .cm |
| Canada |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Ottawa | CAD | Dollar | +1 | CA | CAN | 124 | .ca |
| Cape Verde | Republic of Cape Verde | Independent State |
|
|
Praia | CVE | Escudo | +238 | CV | CPV | 132 | .cv |
| Central African Republic |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Bangui | XAF | Franc | +236 | CF | CAF | 140 | .cf |
| Chad | Republic of Chad | Independent State |
|
|
N'Djamena | XAF | Franc | +235 | TD | TCD | 148 | .td |
| Chile | Republic of Chile | Independent State |
|
|
Santiago (administrative/judical) and Valparaiso (legislative) | CLP | Peso | +56 | CL | CHL | 152 | .cl |
| China, People's Republic of | People's Republic of China | Independent State |
|
|
Beijing | CNY | Yuan Renminbi | +86 | CN | CHN | 156 | .cn |
| Colombia | Republic of Colombia | Independent State |
|
|
Bogota | COP | Peso | +57 | CO | COL | 170 | .co |
| Comoros | Union of Comoros | Independent State |
|
|
Moroni | KMF | Franc | +269 | KM | COM | 174 | .km |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the (Congo – Kinshasa) | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Independent State |
|
|
Kinshasa | CDF | Franc | +243 | CD | COD | 180 | .cd |
| Congo, Republic of the (Congo – Brazzaville) | Republic of the Congo | Independent State |
|
|
Brazzaville | XAF | Franc | +242 | CG | COG | 178 | .cg |
| Costa Rica | Republic of Costa Rica | Independent State |
|
|
San Jose | CRC | Colon | +506 | CR | CRI | 188 | .cr |
| Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | Republic of Cote d'Ivoire | Independent State |
|
|
Yamoussoukro | XOF | Franc | +225 | CI | CIV | 384 | .ci |
| Croatia | Republic of Croatia | Independent State |
|
|
Zagreb | HRK | Kuna | +385 | HR | HRV | 191 | .hr |
| Cuba | Republic of Cuba | Independent State |
|
|
Havana | CUP | Peso | +53 | CU | CUB | 192 | .cu |
| Cyprus | Republic of Cyprus | Independent State |
|
|
Nicosia | CYP | Pound | +357 | CY | CYP | 196 | .cy |
| Czech Republic |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Prague | CZK | Koruna | +420 | CZ | CZE | 203 | .cz |
| Denmark | Kingdom of Denmark | Independent State |
|
|
Copenhagen | DKK | Krone | +45 | DK | DNK | 208 | .dk |
| Djibouti | Republic of Djibouti | Independent State |
|
|
Djibouti | DJF | Franc | +253 | DJ | DJI | 262 | .dj |
| Dominica | Commonwealth of Dominica | Independent State |
|
|
Roseau | XCD | Dollar | +1-767 | DM | DMA | 212 | .dm |
| Dominican Republic |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Santo Domingo | DOP | Peso | +1-809 and 1-829 | DO | DOM | 214 | .do |
| Ecuador | Republic of Ecuador | Independent State |
|
|
Quito | USD | Dollar | +593 | EC | ECU | 218 | .ec |
| Egypt | Arab Republic of Egypt | Independent State |
|
|
Cairo | EGP | Pound | +20 | EG | EGY | 818 | .eg |
| El Salvador | Republic of El Salvador | Independent State |
|
|
San Salvador | USD | Dollar | +503 | SV | SLV | 222 | .sv |
| Equatorial Guinea | Republic of Equatorial Guinea | Independent State |
|
|
Malabo | XAF | Franc | +240 | GQ | GNQ | 226 | .gq |
| Eritrea | State of Eritrea | Independent State |
|
|
Asmara | ERN | Nakfa | +291 | ER | ERI | 232 | .er |
| Estonia | Republic of Estonia | Independent State |
|
|
Tallinn | EEK | Kroon | +372 | EE | EST | 233 | .ee |
| Ethiopia | Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | Independent State |
|
|
Addis Ababa | ETB | Birr | +251 | ET | ETH | 231 | .et |
| Fiji | Republic of the Fiji Islands | Independent State |
|
|
Suva | FJD | Dollar | +679 | FJ | FJI | 242 | .fj |
| Finland | Republic of Finland | Independent State |
|
|
Helsinki | EUR | Euro | +358 | FI | FIN | 246 | .fi |
| France | French Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Paris | EUR | Euro | +33 | FR | FRA | 250 | .fr |
| Gabon | Gabonese Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Libreville | XAF | Franc | +241 | GA | GAB | 266 | .ga |
| Gambia, The | Republic of The Gambia | Independent State |
|
|
Banjul | GMD | Dalasi | +220 | GM | GMB | 270 | .gm |
| Georgia | Republic of Georgia | Independent State |
|
|
Tbilisi | GEL | Lari | +995 | GE | GEO | 268 | .ge |
| Germany | Federal Republic of Germany | Independent State |
|
|
Berlin | EUR | Euro | +49 | DE | DEU | 276 | .de |
| Ghana | Republic of Ghana | Independent State |
|
|
Accra | GHS | Cedi | +233 | GH | GHA | 288 | .gh |
| Greece | Hellenic Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Athens | EUR | Euro | +30 | GR | GRC | 300 | .gr |
| Grenada |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Saint George's | XCD | Dollar | +1-473 | GD | GRD | 308 | .gd |
| Guatemala | Republic of Guatemala | Independent State |
|
|
Guatemala | GTQ | Quetzal | +502 | GT | GTM | 320 | .gt |
| Guinea | Republic of Guinea | Independent State |
|
|
Conakry | GNF | Franc | +224 | GN | GIN | 324 | .gn |
| Guinea-Bissau | Republic of Guinea-Bissau | Independent State |
|
|
Bissau | XOF | Franc | +245 | GW | GNB | 624 | .gw |
| Guyana | Co-operative Republic of Guyana | Independent State |
|
|
Georgetown | GYD | Dollar | +592 | GY | GUY | 328 | .gy |
| Haiti | Republic of Haiti | Independent State |
|
|
Port-au-Prince | HTG | Gourde | +509 | HT | HTI | 332 | .ht |
| Honduras | Republic of Honduras | Independent State |
|
|
Tegucigalpa | HNL | Lempira | +504 | HN | HND | 340 | .hn |
| Hungary | Republic of Hungary | Independent State |
|
|
Budapest | HUF | Forint | +36 | HU | HUN | 348 | .hu |
| Iceland | Republic of Iceland | Independent State |
|
|
Reykjavik | ISK | Krona | +354 | IS | ISL | 352 | .is |
| India | Republic of India | Independent State |
|
|
New Delhi | INR | Rupee | +91 | IN | IND | 356 | .in |
| Indonesia | Republic of Indonesia | Independent State |
|
|
Jakarta | IDR | Rupiah | +62 | ID | IDN | 360 | .id |
| Iran | Islamic Republic of Iran | Independent State |
|
|
Tehran | IRR | Rial | +98 | IR | IRN | 364 | .ir |
| Iraq | Republic of Iraq | Independent State |
|
|
Baghdad | IQD | Dinar | +964 | IQ | IRQ | 368 | .iq |
| Ireland |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Dublin | EUR | Euro | +353 | IE | IRL | 372 | .ie |
| Israel | State of Israel | Independent State |
|
|
Jerusalem | ILS | Shekel | +972 | IL | ISR | 376 | .il |
| Italy | Italian Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Rome | EUR | Euro | +39 | IT | ITA | 380 | .it |
| Jamaica |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Kingston | JMD | Dollar | +1-876 | JM | JAM | 388 | .jm |
| Japan |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Tokyo | JPY | Yen | +81 | JP | JPN | 392 | .jp |
| Jordan | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | Independent State |
|
|
Amman | JOD | Dinar | +962 | JO | JOR | 400 | .jo |
| Kazakhstan | Republic of Kazakhstan | Independent State |
|
|
Astana | KZT | Tenge | +7 | KZ | KAZ | 398 | .kz |
| Kenya | Republic of Kenya | Independent State |
|
|
Nairobi | KES | Shilling | +254 | KE | KEN | 404 | .ke |
| Kiribati | Republic of Kiribati | Independent State |
|
|
Tarawa | AUD | Dollar | +686 | KI | KIR | 296 | .ki |
| Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | Independent State |
|
|
Pyongyang | KPW | Won | +850 | KP | PRK | 408 | .kp |
| Korea, Republic of (South Korea) | Republic of Korea | Independent State |
|
|
Seoul | KRW | Won | +82 | KR | KOR | 410 | .kr |
| Kuwait | State of Kuwait | Independent State |
|
|
Kuwait | KWD | Dinar | +965 | KW | KWT | 414 | .kw |
| Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyz Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Bishkek | KGS | Som | +996 | KG | KGZ | 417 | .kg |
| Laos | Lao People's Democratic Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Vientiane | LAK | Kip | +856 | LA | LAO | 418 | .la |
| Latvia | Republic of Latvia | Independent State |
|
|
Riga | LVL | Lat | +371 | LV | LVA | 428 | .lv |
| Lebanon | Lebanese Republic | Independent State |
|
|
Beirut | LBP | Pound | +961 | LB | LBN | 422 | .lb |
| Lesotho | Kingdom of Lesotho | Independent State |
|
|
Maseru | LSL | Loti | +266 | LS | LSO | 426 | .ls |
| Liberia | Republic of Liberia | Independent State |
|
|
Monrovia | LRD | Dollar | +231 | LR | LBR | 430 | .lr |
| Libya | Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | Independent State |
|
|
Tripoli | LYD | Dinar | +218 | LY | LBY | 434 | .ly |
| Liechtenstein | Principality of Liechtenstein | Independent State |
|
|
Vaduz | CHF | Franc | +423 | LI | LIE | 438 | .li |
| Lithuania | Republic of Lithuania | Independent State |
|
|
Vilnius | LTL | Litas | +370 | LT | LTU | 440 | .lt |
| Luxembourg | Grand Duchy of Luxembourg | Independent State |
|
|
Luxembourg | EUR | Euro | +352 | LU | LUX | 442 | .lu |
| Macedonia | Republic of Macedonia | Independent State |
|
|
Skopje | MKD | Denar | +389 | MK | MKD | 807 | .mk |
| Madagascar | Republic of Madagascar | Independent State |
|
|
Antananarivo | MGA | Ariary | +261 | MG | MDG | 450 | .mg |
| Malawi | Republic of Malawi | Independent State |
|
|
Lilongwe | MWK | Kwacha | +265 | MW | MWI | 454 | .mw |
| Malaysia |
|
Independent State |
|
|
Kuala Lumpur (legislative/judical) and Putrajaya (administrative) | MYR | Ringgit | +60 | MY | MYS | 458 | .my |
| Maldives | Republic of Maldives | Independent State |
|
|
Male | MVR | Rufiyaa | +960 | MV | MDV | 462 | .mv |
| Mali | Republic of Mali | Independent State |
|
|
Bamako | XOF | Franc | +223 | ML | MLI | 466 | .ml |
| Malta | Republic of Malta | Independent State |
|
|
Valletta | MTL | Lira |