Exciting world studies: how many countries are there in the world?

You would think that adding up the number of countries in the world would not be too difficult. But the opposite is true. Even members of the United Nations sometimes disagree on the exact number of countries. At this point, you might think that there probably could be a country that is causing problems, and so experts argue about two numbers. In reality, however, they are arguing about whether there are 193 or 195 countries in the world.

For most countries, it would probably not occur to anyone to question their status. That is, if we don’t count the Americans. I have many friends on the internet from that continent. Some of them have no idea what the Czech Republic is, others still use the term Czechoslovakia, which has long since disintegrated. But prominent members of the UN should probably be clear on geography. What is it then? Why don’t they agree on how many countries there are?

195 officially recognised states

In an online conversation, a friend from Texas was able to look me in the eye and argue convincingly that Slovakia is the capital of Slovenia. Fortunately, there are experts who know the map better. Even so, sometimes the situation is a bit contentious.

As of 2024, the UN officially recognises 195 countries. But only 193 of them are official members. Two states are a bit specific. We’re talking about Palestine and the Vatican. The Vatican is the smallest state in the world and is a so-called state within a state. It has an area of about 0.5 square kilometres and is a state created to protect the independence of the Catholic Church. The Vatican is not a classic state with a population and economy like other countries. It exists mainly as a religious-political institution.

For Palestine, the situation is also complicated. Many countries in the world recognize it as an independent state, but other countries consider its territory disputed. Palestine could be said to exist politically and diplomatically, but its ‘statehood’ is still a matter of dispute. Well, at least Americans have heard of it, unlike some smaller European states.

Not everyone is willing to recognize all states

Although the official numbers are clear, some states still have some reservations about the situation. France, for example , is not willing to recognise North Korea as a diplomatic state. In addition, many states werecreated in the 20th century and some countries have reservations about them too.

In terms of distribution by continent, the largest number of states is in Africa, with a total of 54. There are 48 countries recognised in Asia, 44 in Europe, 33 in Latin America and 14 in Oceania. If I told my friend that there were only two countries in North America, he would probably argue with me and start listing off countries that he couldn’t even put all together. But what is important is the number that is officially valid according to the UN. And it says there are 195 countries in the world.