List of sovereign states
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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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[edit] Criteria for inclusion
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.[2] 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:
- 193 sovereign states with general international recognition:
- 192 member states of the United Nations
- One state with general international recognition but not UN membership, governed by the Holy See (a UN permanent observer): Vatican City
- 10 sovereign states lacking general international recognition:
- Four entities lacking general international recognition, none of which are UN members, that may be defined as states in the body of customary international law: the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Kosovo, and the Palestinian territories.
- Six entities lacking general international recognition, none of which are UN members, that have declared independence and have limited or no international recognition: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (only recognized by Turkey), Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Somaliland, and South Ossetia.
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:
- two states, in free association with New Zealand and represented in most matters by that country: Niue and the Cook Islands.
- one entity, a UN observer member, recognized by 96 states, but with extraterritorial areas within Rome is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
- one state, never a UN member, only ever briefly recognized by the Republic of Georgia, with all of its claimed territory under military occupation, the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
- The European Union, a sui generis supranational organization which currently has 27 member countries. The member countries transferred part of their legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU; therefore, it has some characteristics of a sovereign state, without generally being considered a sovereign state.
- Parts of Antarctica are claimed by a few nations.
The listing or placement of any entity in this article is not meant to imply an official position in any naming dispute.
[edit] Internationally recognized sovereign states
| Name in English and the official languages of the state[3] | Information on the extent of the sovereignty[4] | |
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[edit] A |
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Abkhazia  Other states |
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 Afghanistan - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Albania - Republic of Albania
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Algeria - People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Andorra - Principality of Andorra
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Angola - Republic of Angola
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Widely recognized member of the UN. A separatist government in exile claims independence for Cabinda[5] | |
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 Antigua and Barbuda - Antigua and Barbuda
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth Realm[6] and has a division (dependency), Barbuda, with a autonomous status.[7] | |
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 Argentina - Argentine Republic[8]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Argentina is a federation[9] divided in provinces and one federal district. Argentine claims also sovereignty over the British overseas territories of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands[10] | |
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 Armenia - Republic of Armenia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Australia - Commonwealth of Australia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Australia is a Commonwealth Realm[6] and a federation[9] of states and territories. Australia has sovereignty over: | |
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 Austria - Republic of Austria
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] Austria is a federation[9] divided in states (Bundesländer). | |
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 Azerbaijan - Republic of Azerbaijan
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Azerbaijan has one autonomous republic,  Nakhchivan, and the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Dağlıq Qarabağ,).[7] In Nagorno Karabakh a de facto country in the de jure territory of Azerbaijan has been established. |
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[edit] B |
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 The Bahamas - Commonwealth of The Bahamas
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Bahamas is a Commonwealth Realm.[6] | |
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 Bahrain - Kingdom of Bahrain
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Bangladesh - People's Republic of Bangladesh
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Barbados
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Barbados is a Commonwealth Realm.[6] | |
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 Belarus - Republic of Belarus
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Belgium - Kingdom of Belgium
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] Belgium is a federation[9] divided in linguistic communities and regions. | |
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 Belize
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Belize is a Commonwealth Realm.[6] | |
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 Benin - Republic of Benin[12]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bosnia and Herzegovina
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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  Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the  Republika Srpska.[13] |
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 Botswana - Republic of Botswana
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Brazil - Federative Republic of Brazil
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Brasil is a federation[9] divided in states and one federal district. | |
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 Brunei - Negara Brunei Darussalam
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Brunei claims sovereignty over part of the Spratly Islands.[14] | |
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 Bulgaria - Republic of Bulgaria
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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 Burkina Faso - Burkina Faso[15]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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| Burma Myanmar |
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 Burundi - Republic of Burundi
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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[edit] C |
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 Cambodia - Kingdom of Cambodia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Cameroon - Republic of Cameroon
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Canada[16]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Canada is a Commonwealth Realm[6] and a federation[9] divided into provinces and territories. | |
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 Cape Verde - Republic of Cape Verde
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Central African Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Chad - Republic of Chad
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Chile - Republic of Chile
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Easter Island is an integral part of Chile. | |
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 China - People's Republic of China[17]
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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.[7]
Additionally, it has sovereignty over the Special Administrative Regions of It claims sovereignty over Taiwan (Republic of China; ROC) (which claims sovereignty over the whole of China),[21] the Paracel Islands (disputed by the ROC and Vietnam),[22] the Spratly Islands (disputed by the ROC, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei),[14] and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Kashmir.[23] Tibet and East Turkestan (Xinjiang) have separatist governments in exile.[5] |
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| China, Republic of Other states |
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 Colombia - Republic of Colombia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Comoros - Union of the Comoros
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Widely recognized member of the UN. The Comoros is a federation with autonomous islands.[9][7] The Comoros dispute the French sovereignty over Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands.[10] | |
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 Congo - Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa)[24]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Congo - Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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| Cook Islands New Zealand |
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 Costa Rica - Republic of Costa Rica
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Côte d'Ivoire - Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Croatia - Republic of Croatia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Cuba - Republic of Cuba
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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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 Cyprus - Republic of Cyprus
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Widely recognized[25] member of the UN and the EU.[11] See Northern Cyprus for the de facto state in the de jure territory of Cyprus. | |
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 Czech Republic[26]
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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[edit] D |
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 Denmark - Kingdom of Denmark
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11]
The Kingdom of Denmark includes also two autonomous provinces. For more information, see Rigsfællesskabet.
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 Djibouti - Republic of Djibouti
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Dominica - Commonwealth of Dominica
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Dominican Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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[edit] E |
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 East Timor - Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste[27]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Ecuador - Republic of Ecuador
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Egypt - Arab Republic of Egypt
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 El Salvador - Republic of El Salvador
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Equatorial Guinea - Republic of Equatorial Guinea
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Eritrea - State of Eritrea
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Estonia - Republic of Estonia
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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 Ethiopia - Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Ethiopia is a federation[9] divided in regions and chartered cities. | |
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[edit] F |
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 Fiji - Republic of the Fiji Islands
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Fiji has an autonomous region (dependency), Rotuma.[7] | |
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 Finland - Republic of Finland
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11]  Åland is a neutral and demilitarised autonomous region of Finland.[30].[7] |
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 France - French Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] 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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[edit] G |
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 Gabon - Gabonese Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 The Gambia - Republic of The Gambia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Georgia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Georgia has three divisions with an autonomous status,  Adjara,  Abkhazia and  South Ossetia.[7] Both in Abkhazia and South Ossetia de facto states inside the de jure territory of Georgia have been formed. |
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 Germany - Federal Republic of Germany
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] Germany is a federation[9] divided in states (Länder). | |
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 Ghana - Republic of Ghana
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Greece - Hellenic Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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 Grenada
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Grenada is a Commonwealth Realm.[6] | |
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 Guatemala - Republic of Guatemala
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Guinea - Republic of Guinea
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Guinea-Bissau - Republic of Guinea-Bissau
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Guyana - Co-operative Republic of Guyana
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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[edit] H |
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 Haiti - Republic of Haiti
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Haiti claims the uninhabited United States possession of Navassa.[10] | |
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 Honduras - Republic of Honduras
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Hungary - Republic of Hungary
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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[edit] I |
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 Iceland - Republic of Iceland
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 India - Republic of India
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Widely recognized member of the UN. India is a federation[9] divided in states and union territories. The Indian sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh is disputed by the People's Republic of China.[10] India claims sovereignty over and occupies part of Kashmir.[23] | |
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 Indonesia - Republic of Indonesia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Indonesia has an four provinces with special status, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Yogyakarta Special Region, Papua, and Jakarta Special Capital Region.[7] Separatist governments in exile claim independence for the Republic of the South Moluccas and the Republic of West Papua[31] | |
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 Iran - Islamic Republic of Iran
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Iraq - Republic of Iraq
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Iraq's constitution labels the country as a federation[32][9] divided in regions, governorates and the capital district. At present the only region is Iraqi Kurdistan. | |
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 Ireland - Ireland[33]
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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 Israel - State of Israel
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Widely recognized member of the UN.[34] Israel occupies the Syrian 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.[10] See for more information also Palestine. | |
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 Italy - Italian Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] Italy has autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.[7] | |
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| Ivory Coast Côte d'Ivoire |
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[edit] J |
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 Jamaica
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Widely recognized member of the UN. Jamaica is a Commonwealth Realm.[6] | |
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 Japan - State of Japan[35]
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Jordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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[edit] K |
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 Kazakhstan - Republic of Kazakhstan
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Kenya - Republic of Kenya
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Kiribati - Republic of Kiribati
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Korea, North - Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Korea, South - Republic of Korea (South Korea)
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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| Kosovo Other states |
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 Kuwait - State of Kuwait
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyz Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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[edit] L |
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 Laos - Lao People's Democratic Republic
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Latvia - Republic of Latvia
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU.[11] | |
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 Lebanon - Republic of Lebanon
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Lesotho - Kingdom of Lesotho
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Liberia - Republic of Liberia
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Libya - Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Liechtenstein - Principality of Liechtenstein
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Widely recognized member of the UN. | |
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 Lithuania - Republic of Lithuania
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Widely recognized member of the UN and the EU. | |
