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How many countries in the world?

197 countries if you’re being technical, 215 from a travel stand point, although it’s pretty complicated, let’s have a look…

Visiting every country in the world was  a thousand times tougher than I ever expected. For a start, I had to sit back and think ‘OK, but hang on, how many countries in the world? 200 or so?’ It’s so tough to get a definitive answer. Bear with me….

Generally speaking though, there are around 200 countries, but generally doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to become one of the few people to officially do it! So I had to delve a little deeper, and the answer was found somewhere from the United Nations list (193 recognised countries) and the FIFA football list (211 members), but how can you put an official number on it?!

What is a country?!

First of all, we need to think what makes a country a country. Does it have to have a flag, a government, it’s own currency, a passport? It’s so difficult to decide. So let’s say this – an independent country is not only a self-governed nation with its own authorities, but its status needs the international diplomatic recognition of sovereignty from at least some other sovereign countries. So you need to manage all your own affairs AND have other countries understand and recognise that you are indeed a country. Which stops me from declaring my apartment ‘johnnyland’ and it being an officially country. Shame.

FIFA?

Initially, being a huge football fan, I wanted to work off the FIFA list, but it was just plain wrong. Football has more national teams than any other sport so that’s a great starting point too, and the federation ‘FIFA’ is a huge global body. But, alas, politics still plays a part. For example, the UK is 1 country but FIFA used Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales as 4 separate ‘countries’, despite all using the same British pound, same British passport, having the same British queen and all using the same British Government (albeit slightly differently). So without getting political, and growing up in Northern Ireland that’s quite tough (!), the FIFA list isn’t strictly correct, so onto the next one. The United Nations….

THE UNITED NATIONS SAY THERE ARE 193 ‘COUNTRIES’…

The United Nations list is probably the best to work off, it’s pretty expansive, not TOO political (more on that in a second), and if you’re recognised by the UN then realistically you’re pretty much a country. So they say they have 193 members. So that means 193 countries, right? Not quite!

The UN also see 2 permanent observer states in Palestine and the Vatican City, both of which I see as countries and Palestine, in particular, is one of my favourites, so that would make the count 193 + 2 =  195. So 195 countries? Calm down sailor, we’re not there yet. That then excludes Taiwan (recognised by 22 countries), and Kosovo (recognised by 109 other countries), so what to do?

Taiwan is excluded because China claims them, the rest of the world don’t want to harm their relations with China due to all the trading opportunities etc, so they too cut ties with Taiwan, despite the fact that very much is a country, so that makes the cut. Incidentally, Taiwan is a brilliant place to visit, I’d massively recommend it. Anyway, now we’re at 196.

Kosovo is a political one too, since declaring itself independent from Serbia in 2008 it’s had a tough ride, but again without getting overly political, it’s recognised by countries such as the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and a lot more, as well as being a member of the IMF, The World Bank, the IOC etc,  yet the countries that don’t recognise it include Iraq, Iran, Angola, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mali, Nigeria, Russia, Syria and Sudan, so I have gone with including it in my list and I personally recognise Kosovo as a country, so that makes 197!

So there are 197 countries in the world?

Yes, kind of. There are 197 countries in the world if you are aligned with the technical aspects of things alone, rather than a practical sense. Can you say you’ve been to every country when you have that big block of Greenland on a map, starting back at you, chanting “you cheated and you know it, we’re not really Denmark”. Bearing that in mind, there are 197, but in the sense of pure travel, it’s more.

So here’s the full list of EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD according to the technical 197 list that I initially visited, in the order I visited them:

1. Republic of Ireland
2. UK
3. France
4. The Netherlands
5. Belgium
6. USA
7. Canada
8. Thailand
9. Laos
10. Cambodia
11. China
12. Bangladesh
13. India
14. Nepal
15. South Korea
16. Vietnam
17. Malaysia
18. Singapore
19. Japan
20. The Philippines
21. Brunei
22. Indonesia
23. East Timor
24. Australia
25. Sri Lanka
26. Zimbabwe
27. Zambia
28. Botswana
29. South Africa
30. Swaziland
31. Mozambique
32. Malawi
33. Tanzania
34. Kenya
35. Uganda
36. Rwanda
37. Ethiopia
38. Somalia
39. Djibouti
40. Sudan
41. Egypt
42. Jordan
43. Syria
44. Lebanon
45. Burma
46. Taiwan

47. North Korea
48. Mongolia
49. Russia
50. Kazakhstan
51. Finland
52. Estonia
53. Latvia
54. Lithuania
55. Belarus
56. Ukraine
57. Moldova

58. Romania
59. Bulgaria
60. Macedonia
61. Kosovo
62. Greece
63. Albania
64. Montenegro
65. Croatia
66. Bosnia & Herzegovina
67. Serbia
68. Hungary
69. Israel
70. Palestine
71. Italy
72. Vatican City
73. San Marino
74. Switzerland
75. Liechtenstein
76. Slovenia
77. Austria
78. Slovakia
79. Czech Republic
80. Poland
81. Germany
82. Denmark
83. Sweden
84. Luxembourg
85. Qatar
86. Bhutan
87. UAE
88. Portugal
89. Spain
90. Andorra
91. Monaco
92. Iceland
93. Papua New Guinea
94. New Zealand
95. Solomon Islands
96. Vanuatu
97. Fiji
98. Tonga
99. Samoa

100. Kyrgyzstan
101. Tajikistan
102. Uzbekistan
103. Iraq
104. Maldives
105. Iran
106. Azerbaijan
107. Georgia
108. Armenia

109. Turkey
110. Malta
111. Cyprus
112. Mexico
113. Belize
114. Guatemala
115. El Salvador
116. Honduras
117. Nicaragua
118. Costa Rica
119. Panama
120. Brazil
121. Uruguay
122. Paraguay
123. Venezuela
124. Colombia
125. Ecuador
126. Peru
127. Bolivia
128. Argentina
129. Chile

*Antarctica

130. Suriname
131. Guyana
132. Trinidad and Tobago
133. Grenada
134. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
135. Saint Lucia
136. Barbados
137. Dominica
138. Antigua and Barbuda
139. St Kitts and Nevis
140. Dominican Republic
141. Haiti
142. Cuba
143. Bahamas
144. Jamaica
145. Bahrain
146. Kuwait
147. Algeria
148. Tunisia
149. South Sudan
150. Democratic Republic of Congo
151. Burundi
152. Comoros
153. Madagascar
154. Seychelles
155. Mauritius
156. Lesotho
157. Namibia
158. Angola
159. Republic of Congo
160. Gabon
161. Sao Tome and Principe
162. Equatorial Guinea
163. Cameroon
164. Central African Republic
165. Chad
166. Nigeria
167. Benin
168. Togo
169. Ghana
170. Ivory Coast
171. Mali
172. Burkina Faso
173. Niger
174. Liberia
175. Sierra Leone
176. Guinea
177. Guinea-Bissau
178. Senegal
179. The Gambia
180. Mauritania
181. Morocco
182. Cape Verde
183. Libya
184. Eritrea
185. Afghanistan
186. Turkmenistan
187. Kiribati
188. Tuvalu
189. Marshall islands
190. Nauru
191. Palau
192. Micronesia
193. Pakistan
194. Oman
195. Saudi Arabia
196. Yemen
197. Norway (COMPLETED MARCH 2017!)

So 197/197, I’ve kind of finished. But I know I’ve cheated a little bit, let me tell you why.

IF YOU’RE GOING TO ARGUE THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 197 COUNTRIES. THEN 215 IS MORE DEFINITIVE.

Disputed territories! First up, 2 very dubious visits are included on my 197 list, and I feel like a bit of a fraud – Somalia and Iraq.  Somalia has an autonomous region in the north called Somaliland, and although not recognised by many nations, it’s in every way its own country. Passport, government, currency, culture, sports teams. It’s a political reason that it’s not more recognised but it’s as near to a country as it can be. Somaliland is the cheat mode all travelers who try to visit every country in the word use. Me included. Shame on us.

Next up, Iraq. Similar situation, but different politics. Kurdistan, an autonomous region in the north of Iraq isn’t really Iraq. Culturally it’s completely different, legally it’s different in that you can fly in with no visa and get stamped in, whereas in Iraq proper, that’s not possible. They fly their flag proudly, drink Guinness at Irish pub quizzes at the weekend (to that, I can testify!), so I honestly don’t feel like a visit to Iraqi Kurdistan is visiting Iraq. Technically perhaps, but travel shouldn’t be about passing by on a technicality, it should be about seeing the world, experiencing everything we can, and I kind of feel I’ve let myself down a little here.

Disputed territories…

Nothing is simple when defining what makes a country, so for that reason, there are a lot of disputed territories around the world. Now while Catalonia may fight regularly for independence, they are still very much part of Spain so they certainly can’t be counted. This is not a political endorsement, just a simple fact.

However, the following territories have declared themselves independent  (although those declarations aren’t officially ratified by most nations), and therefore not yet recognised by most of the rest of the world:

1. Somaliland (visited 2010)

Declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. Not recognised as a country by any other country, officially still a part of Somalia proper.

2. Nagorno-Karabakh (visited 2013)

Declared its independence in 1991. It isn’t recognised by any UN member states, and by only 3 UN non-members: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. Officially part of Azerbaijan.

3. The Turkish Republic of) Northern Cyprus (visited 2013)

Declared its independence in 1983. It is only recognised by 1 UN member state, Turkey. Officially still part of Cyprus proper.

4. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara (visited 2015)

Declared its independence in 1976. It is recognised by 47 UN member states (plus 37 additional member states who used to recognise it) as well as South Ossetia. Officially still part of Morocco proper.

5. Transnistria/Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (visited 2012)

Declared its independence in 1990. It isn’t recognised by any UN member states, and by only 3 UN non-members: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Officially part of Moldova.

6. South Ossetia (visited 2018)

Declared its independence in 1991.  It is recognised by 4 UN member states (Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru) and 4 UN non-member states (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria). Officially part of Georgia proper.

7. Abkhazia (visited 2018)

Declared its independence in 1999. It is recognised by 4 UN member states (Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru) and 3 UN non-member states (South Ossetia, Transnistria and Nagorno-Karabakh). Officially part of Georgia proper.

8. (Iraqi) Kurdistan and beyond (visited Iraqi Kurdistan 2015, yet to visit Iraq proper)

They have their own Kurdistan Regional Government, 32 countries have diplomatic relations in Erbil, Kurdistan’s de facto Capital city ( in addition to the UN, EU etc), they also have ’embassies’ in foreign nations around the world. To visit Iraqi Kurdistan,  tt’s visa-free for most western nations, a different situation to Iraq proper where you need an Iraqi visa. It has its own flag, its own sports teams. It’s pretty much a country, not as strong a claim as Somaliland but still, to go to Kurdistan and claim to have visited Iraq is a little weak. I’m guilty of that!

9. Cook Islands 

Cook Islanders are New Zealand passport holders, and New Zealand is officially responsible for the defence and foreign affairs of the Cook Islands (and Niue). However, these responsibilities confer New Zealand no rights of control per se.  It is however recognised by 11 UN member states. As of 2016, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Kosovo are the only states that participate in UN specialised agencies, but which are not member or observer states of the UN itself.

10.  Niue

Niueans are New Zealand passport holders, and New Zealand is officially responsible for the defence and foreign affairs of Niue (and the Cook Islands). However, these responsibilities confer New Zealand no rights of control per se.  It is however recognised by 7 UN member states. As of 2016, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Kosovo are the only states that participate in UN specialised agencies, but which are not member or observer states of the UN itself.

AND THE UK?

And then, of course, the devolved situation of the UK with Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Here’s when we talk about technicalities, 2 days in London and you’ve visited all of the UK. But what about Scotland for example? The UK is the country by definition, but the devolved situation is difficult, so from a travel standpoint, not a legal/technical one, you should really visit them all. Besides, Edinburgh is one of the best cities in the world, you HAVE to go there.

Furthermore, there are other places that lots of people consider countries but all belong to an actual sovereign member state.

• Hong Kong (rightly or wrongly, China)
• Macau (China)
• Tibet (China)
• Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales (the UK)
• French Guiana (France)
• Puerto Rica (US)
• Lots of the Caribbean (BVI, Guadeloupe, Aruba, USVI, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Saint Martin and more)
• Reunion Island (France)
• French Polynesia (France)
• American Samoa (US)
• Canary Islands (Spain)
• Madeira (Portugal)
• Faroe Islands (part of Denmark)
• Gibraltar (part of the UK)
• Greenland (part of Denmark)
• The Arctic (belongs partly to Norway, Denmark, Canada, the US and Russia)
• The Falklands (part of the UK)
• French Polynesia (part of France)
• Guam (US)
• Tahiti (French Polynesia, and therefore France. Same for Bora Bora!)

So, how many countries in the world? 197 (on a technicality), 215 to be sure.

That’s it, 197 is the technical number, but if we add the 10 disputed territories, that makes 207. Then morally you’d be compelled to add Tibet, Hong Kong, Faroe Islands etc.  So after far too many hours online, I’d say there is a solid argument for anyone either claiming to, or wanting to, visit every country in the world, for the 197 countries and these 19 guys:

1. Somaliland
2. Nagorno-Karabakh
3. Northern Cyprus
4. Western Sahara
5. Transnistria
6. South Ossetia
7. Abkhazia
8. Iraqi Kurdistan
9. Tibet
10. Hong Kong
11. Macau
12. Faroe Islands
13. Greenland
14. Northern Ireland
15. Scotland
16. England
17. Wales
18. Cook Islands
19. Niue

Personally, I think Guam, Gibraltar (all places I’ve also visited for the record), French Guiana etc are a push too far, and having a football team is about as far as the argument goes. So with that in mind, that makes 197 + 19 additional nations (-1 for removing the UK and replacing with the 4 nations that make it up) = 215 countries. If Niue and Cook Islanders have New Zealand passports, and Faroe Islanders and Greenlanders have Danish passports then can they really be sovereign states? It’s tough, but having your own devolved Government, culture, autonomy, flag etc is certainly worthy. So now I’m looking at flights to Niue and the Cook islands like the travel freak I am! See you on the road I guess!

I love travel though, box-ticking and border hopping for an hour, or a day, in a country isn’t for me,  I mean, does that even really count?! That’s transport, not travel. Sooooo, 215? I want to see the world, the WHOLE WORLD, and I haven’t been to the Faroe Islands or Greenland, so can I ‘colour the map’ because I’ve been to Denmark? Doesn’t feel right. So let’s give it a crack. 215 here I come. Of the 19 additional nations I listed I’ve visited 17 of them on my travels already, so I need to go back to ‘correct’ my Iraq visit, and then hit up Cook Islands, and Niue and I’m actually finally done. No cheating involved!